Ch. 1 - Introduction

Question 1

Biological Anthropology

Answer 1

The study of the biological origins, evolution, and contemporary diversity of humans and their primate relatives

Question 2

Variation

Answer 2

Observable differences within a class of objects, the source of which may be genetic or environmental or both in interaction

Question 3

Multidisciplinary

Answer 3

An investigative approach that brings the expertise of a number of disciplines to bear on a particular question within an existing field of study

Question 4

Interdisciplinary

Answer 4

An investigative approach bringing diverse fields together to create a new arena of study

Question 5

Anthropology

Answer 5

The global and comparative study of humankind, past and present

Question 6

Holistic

Answer 6

The integrated study of all aspects of human life, biological, cultural, historical, psychological, etc., in order to develop a comprehensive view of the whole of the human condition

Question 7

Pandemic

Answer 7

A disease affecting populations across a large area, typically used in reference to a global occurrence

Question 8

Prevalence

Answer 8

The proportion of a population exhibiting a particular feature at any one point in time

Question 9

Cultural Anthropology

Answer 9

The study of the structure and function of human societies, usually from a cross-cultural perspective

Question 10

Ethnography

Answer 10

The comparative study of cultures

Question 11

Archaeology

Answer 11

The systematic study of past human lifeways through an analysis of human interactions with and modifications of the environment, including the origin and development of technology

Question 12

Anthropological Linguistics

Answer 12

The study of the origin, evolution, and use (social context) of languages

Question 13

Thermoregulation

Answer 13

The adjustment of body temperature within a normal physiological range under varying environmental conditions

Question 14

Biocultural

Answer 14

A research perspective that recognizes the interrelationship of biology and the many facets of culture, including technology and social behaviour

Question 15

Applied Anthropology

Answer 15

A subfield emphasizing project-based, problem-oriented, practical applications of anthropological knowledge

Question 16

Cranial Morphology

Answer 16

The relative size and shape configuration of the various bones of the skull

Question 17

Community-Based Research

Answer 17

An approach in which investigators work directly with a community to develop, organize, and implement a research program

Question 18

Isotope

Answer 18

A measurable form of a chemical element varying in the number of subatomic particles (protons and neurons) – e.g., 12C and 14C are different isotopes of carbon, with the latter having two extra protons

Question 19

Isotope

Answer 19

A measurable form of a chemical element varying in the number of subatomic particles (protons and neurons) – e.g., 12C and 14C are different isotopes of carbon, with the latter having two extra protons

Question 20

Paleopathology

Answer 20

Literally, the study of ancient disease and trauma

Question 21

Paleoanthropology

Answer 21

The study of human evolution through fossils and the circumstances in which they are found

Question 22

Hominin

Answer 22

A term inclusive of modern humans and their bipedal ancestors

Question 23

Taxon

Answer 23

A formal designation of biological classification (pl.taxa) – e.g., we are all members of the taxon Homo sapiens

Question 24

Human Biology

Answer 24

A branch of biological anthropology that examines modern population diversity

Question 25

Anthropometry

Answer 25

The measurement of body form

Question 26

Hypoxia

Answer 26

Low oxygen availability, characteristically associated with high altitude

Question 27

Adaptability

Answer 27

The tendency for an organism to achieve increased functional capacity through a modification of the body form and/or physiological pathway when faced with an environmental stressor.

Question 28

Molecular Anthropology

Answer 28

The study of population diversity at the level of the gene and its products (both structural and regulatory proteins)

Question 29

DNA

Answer 29

Deoxyribonucleic acid, the fundamental genetic material of life

Question 30

Genome

Answer 30

The total complement of an organism’s DNA

Question 31

Primatology

Answer 31

The study of the morphology, behavior, and evolution of nonhuman primates

Question 32

Keystone Species

Answer 32

A species whose ecological role produces a disproportionate impact on its environment, including the status of other species; the loss of a keystone species often has significant and deleterious consequences for the local ecosystem

Question 33

Medical Anthropology

Answer 33

A branch of applied anthropology examining the interplay of culture, biology, health/wellness, disease/illness, and the art of medicine, both traditional and Western

Question 34

Monogenist

Answer 34

From monogeny, meaning “single origin”; the view consistent with biblical accounts, that humans were created once, with subsequent dispersal and modification; the contrasting view, according to which varieties (“races”) of humankind were created separately, is known as polygeny, or “many origins”; these meanings are also applicable to the genetic concepts of monogenic and polygenic as defined in Chapter 3

Question 35

Craniometry

Answer 35

Literally, the metrical assessment of the size and shape of the human skull

Question 36

Longitudinal

Answer 36

The repeated measurement of the same individuals over a given time interval – e.g., every year for five years. While costly and time consuming, longitudinal studies provide the most robust assessment of growth variation

Question 37

Eugenics

Answer 37

Literally “true breeding,” a social philosophy proposing that humankind might be improved through direct intervention in reproduction, including the restriction or elimination of particular groups deemed unworthy

Question 38

Typology

Answer 38

A static perspective of the world ascribed to the 4th-century BCE Greek philosopher Plato, in which “ideals” or “types” were perceived to be real, and variation as observed in the world was considered a deviation from ideal reality

Question 39

Mosaic Evolution

Answer 39

The concept that functional complexes in organisms have independent evolutionary histories and have changed at different times and rates in the fossil record

Question 40

Ossuary

Answer 40

A repository for collections of human skeletal remains. In pre-contact Canada, these typically were large secondary burial pits containing the commingled remains of dozen of individuals who had earlier been interred in separate primary graves