Chapter 1: Introduction to Biological Anthropology Flashcards
biological anthropology
the study of the biological origins, evolution, and contemporary diversity of humans and their primate relatives
variation
observable differences within a class of objects, the source of which may be genetic or environmental or both in interaction
forensic anthropology
the application of anthropological knowledge to solving offences committed against people, including homicide and war crimes
multidisciplinary
an investigative approach that brings the expertise of a number of disciplines to bear on a particular question within an existing field of study
interdisciplinary
an investigative approach that brings diverse fields together to create a new arena of study
anthropology
the global and comparative study of humankind, past and present
holism
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
pandemic
a disease affecting populations across a large area, typically used in reference to a global occurrence
prevalence
the proportion of a population exhibiting a particular feature at any one point in time
cultural anthropology
the study of the structure and function of human societies, usually from a cross-cultural perspective
ethnography
an account of field research exploring various practices and phenomena within a given society; in contrast, ethnology is the comparative study of different cultural systems
archaeology
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
anthropological linguistics
the study of the origin, evolution, and use (social context) of languages
thermoregulation
the adjustment of body temperature within a normal physiological range under varying environmental conditions
biocultural
a research perspective that recognizes the inter-relationship of biology and the many facets of culture, including technology and social behaviour
applied anthropology
a subfield emphasizing project-based, problem-oriented, practical applications of anthropological knowledge
cranial morphology
the relative size and shape configuration of the various bones of the skull
community-based research
an approach in which investigators work directly with a community to develop, organize, and implement a research program
osteology
the descriptive and comparative study of bones and teeth
isotopes
an isotope is a measurable form of a chemical element varying in the number of neutrons within its nucleus (e.g. 12-carbon and 14-carbon are different isotopes of carbon; an atom of the former has 6 protons and 6 neutrons and the latter has 2 extra neutrons)
paleopathology
literally, the study of ancient disease and trauma
paleoanthropology
the study of human evolution through fossils and the circumstances in which they are found
hominin
a term inclusive of modern humans and their bipedal ancestors
taxon
a formal designation of biological classification; plural taxa (e.g., we are all members of the taxon homo sapiens)
human biology
a branch of biological anthropology that examines modern population diversity
anthropometry
the measurement of body form
hypoxia
low oxygen availability, characteristically associated with high altitude
adaptability
the tendency for an organism to achieve increased functional capacity through a modification of body form and/or physiological pathway when faced with an environmental stressor
molecular anthropology
the study of population diversity at the level of the gene and its products (both structural and regulatory proteins)
DNA
deoxyribonucleic acid, the fundamental genetic material of life
genomics
the comparative and evolutionary study of the genomes of different species
functional genomics
the study of the dynamic actions and interactions of genes and proteins
mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA)
DNA found within the mitochondria of a cell
whole-genome variation
the presence of many common genetic variants throughout the genome, the study of which permits a more detailed reconstruction of evolutionary events and population history
primatology
the study of the morphology, behaviour, and evolution of nonhuman primates
keystone species
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
medical anthropology
a branch of applied anthropology examining the interplay of culture, biology, health/wellness, disease/illness, and the art of medicine, both traditional and Western
typology
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
processual
a view of organismic diversity and evolution emphasizing the current and historical dynamic interactions of organisms with their environment and ecology
mosaic evolution
the concept that functional complexes in organisms have evolutionary histories and have changed at different times and rates in the fossil record
craniometry
literally, the metrical assessment of the size and shape of the human skull
eugenics
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
ossuary
a repository for collections of human skeletal remains. In pre-contact Canada, these typically were large secondary burial pits containing the commingled remains of dozens of individuals who had earlier been interred in separate primary graves
