Chapter 1 Flashcards
define primate
member of the mammalian order primates, including prosimians, monkeys, apes and humans defined by a suite of anatomical and behavioural traits
define evolution-
a change int he frequency of a gene or a trait in a population over multiple generations
are humans primates or just the result of evolution
humans are primates and the result of evolution
what is biological anthropology—
the study of humans as biological organisms, considered in an evolutionary framework; sometimes called physical anthropology
whats a hominin—
a member of the primate family Hominidae, distinguished by bipedal posture and, in more recently evolved species, a large brain
began to walk on 2 legs
what is adaptation—
a trait that increases the reproductive success of an organism, produced by natural selection in the context of a particular environment
humans are like all other things, the result of adaptation
what is anthropology—
the study of human kind in a cross-cultural context. Includes the subfields of cultural, linguistic, and biological anthropology
broadest definition of anthropology is;
the study of humankind in all its form
but this would not distinguish it from psychology, history and sociology
what is culture—
the sum total of learned traditions, values and beliefs that groups of people )and a few species of highly intelligent animals possess
the exact definition is often debated
language is culture (even thought the ability to use it is biological), religion is culture (the way they dress and what they eat)
human behaviours vary from one culture to the next
What about the universal taboo on incestuous relationships? What about the observation that women tend to marry older men?
are these learned tradition, or are there biological influences at work?
what is bicultural anthropology—
the study of interaction between biology and culture, which plays a role in most human traits
biology influences culture and culture influences biology
anthropology is divided into 4 subfields, what are they
biological anthropology, cultural anthropology, linguistic anthropology and archaeology
what is Cultural anthropology—
the study of human societies in a cross-cultural perspective. The amazing variety of ways in which people lead their daily lives is at the heart of this field
what is ethnology—
subfield of cultural anthropology, the study of human societies and of the behaviour of people within those societies. Might include everything from the way marriages and funerals are arranged, to the economic system, to kinship
whats linguistic anthropology—
the study of languages, its origins and use.
interested in language use and role that it plays in shaping culture rather than the technical aspects
what is archaeology
the study of how people use to live, based on the materials, or artifacts, they left behind. These artifacts, art, implements and other objects of material culture form the basis for the analysis and interpretation of everything from what members of ancient culture ate to how they imagined their afterlife.
what is paleoanthropology—
the study of the fossil record of ancestral humans and their primate kin
Lucy is an example of a discovery
what is Osteology—
the study of the skeleton
they organize and identify the skeleton when found
whats anthropometrist—
among first generation of bio anthropologists, made detailed measurements of the human body in all its forms
what is skeletal biology—
like osteology, but because the bones of the body develop in concert with other tissues, such as muscles and tendons, a skeletal biologist must know the patterns and processes of human growth, physiology and development, not just anatomy
what is peleopathology—
the study of diseases in ancestral populations
what is bioarchaeology—
the study of human remains in an archaeological context
what go hand-in-hand with skeletal biology
peleopathology
bioarchaeology
what is forensic anthropology—
he study of human remains applied to a legal context
used for war crime investigations and investigations of mass graves
use footprints to identify height and weight of a suspect from a crime scene
what is primatology—
the study of the non-human primates and their anatomy, genetics, behaviour and ecology
Jane Goodall and Dian Fossey
these people study primates to discover how evolution has molded the human species
we examine the behaviours and traits of other species to try and understand how we got to what we are
what is human biology—
subfield of biological anthropology dealing with human growth and development, adaptation to environmental extremes and human genetics
what is human adaptation—
learning how people adjust physiologically to the extremes of Earth’s physical environments (how children are affected by growing up in high mountains)
what is nutritional anthropologists—
studying the interrelationship of diet culture and evolution
what is the study of human variation—
deals with the many ways in which people differ in their anatomy throughout the world
in earlier times, the study of physical traits such as height and skull shape and especially skin colour was tainted with the possibility of some racially biased preconceptions
what is bicultural anthropologists—
research problems that require an understanding of both biological and cultural factors
one area that bicultural perspective is vital is biomedical anthropology— they study how human culture might impact the spread of infectious disease for example
what is molecular anthropology—
a genetic approach to human evolutionary science that seeks understand the differences in the genome between humans and their closest relatives, the nonhuman primates
when was the discovery of an ancient human (Neanderthal Man)
1856
Darwin publishes On the Origin of Species in what year
1859
why was darwins work important
Darwin’s work had a greater impact because it took a while for the scientists to agree that the discovery was an ancient human rather than an odd-looking modern one
Darwin’s work sparked debate about the human origins
what is physical anthropology—
the study of humans as biological organisms, considered in an evolutionary framework
first established in second half of 20th century
first called “anthropology”
compared limited fossil records of humans and other primates
this field led to the others
