Chapter 1 Flashcards
A group of organisms that can interbreed to produce offspring
species
composed of species that share similar sets of characteristics but who do not interbreed in nature
genera/genus
physical anthropology is also known as?
biological anthropology
the scientific discipline concerned with the biological behavioral characteristics of human beings and nonhuman primates and their ancestors
physical anthropology
What three areas does physical anthropology focus on?
human evolution, contemporary human variation, and human ecology
primates
animals including lemurs, lorises, tarsiers, monkeys, apes, and humans
a change in the genetic structure of a population or appearance of a new species
evolution
an anatomical physiological or behavioral response of organisms or populations to their environment
adaptation
the behavioral aspects of human adaptation, a set of learned behaviors transmitted from one generation to the next via non-biological means
culture
general cultural orientation or perspective
worldview
action in response to internal or external stimuli, can also be the response of an individual group or species to its environment, may or may not be deliberate
behavior
the mutual interactive evolution of human biology and culture, the concept that biology makes culture possible and that developing culture further influences the direction of biological evolution
biocultural evolution (ex increased brain size)
What are the four fields of anthropology?
linguistic, cultural, archaeological, physical
the practical application of anthropological and archaeological theories and techniques
applied anthropology
detailed descriptive studies of human societies
ethnographies
objects or materials made or modified for use by hominins
artifacts
the study of anatomical and behavioral human evolution as revealed in fossils
paleoanthropology
the study of fossil primates
primate paleontology
measurement of human body parts
anthropometry
what uses technology to investigate the evolutionary relationships between humans and nonhuman primates
molecular anthropology
the study of skeletons
osteology
the study of skeletons from archaeological sites
bioarchaeology
the study of disease and trauma
paleopathology
the study of non-human primates
primatology
a body of knowledge gained through observation and experimentation
science
a provisional explanation of a phenomenon which requires testing to prove
hypothesis
this identifies a research problem, creates, a hypothesis, then tests it
scientific method
a broad statement of scientific relationships or underlying principles that have been substantially verified
theory
when did human ancestors evolve around (date)?
8 million years ago