chapter 1: introduction to physical anthropology

Question 1

savanna (or savannah)

Answer 1

a large flat grassland with scattered trees and shrubs; found in many regions of the world with dry and warm-to-hot climates

Question 2

hominins

Answer 2

colloquial term for members of the evolutionary group that includes modern humans and all extinct bipedal relatives

Question 3

species

Answer 3

a group of organisms that can interbreed to produce fertile offspring; members of one species are reproductively isolated from members of all other species (they cannot mate with them to produce fertile offspring)

Question 4

bipedally

Answer 4

one two feet; walking habitually on two legs

Question 5

anthropology

Answer 5

the field of inquiry that studies human culture and evolutionary aspects of human biology; includes cultural, archaeology, linguistics, and physical (or biological) subfields

Question 6

primates

Answer 6

members of the mammalian order primates, which includes lemurs, lorises, tarsiers, monkeys, apes, and humans

Question 7

evolution

Answer 7

a change in the genetic structure of a population; also frequently used to refer to the appearance

Question 8

adaptation

Answer 8

an anatomical, physiological, or behavioral response of organisms or populations to the environment; result from evolutionary change (specifically, as a result of natural selection)

Question 9

genetic

Answer 9

having to do with the study of gene structure and action and the patterns of inheritance of traits from parent to offspring; genetic mechanisms are the foundation for evolutionary change

Question 10

behavior

Answer 10

anything organisms do that involves action in response to internal or external stimuli; the response of an individual, group, or species to its environment; such responses may or may not be deliberate, and they aren’t necessarily the result of conscious decision making (which is absent in single-celled organisms, insects, and many other species)

Question 11

continuum

Answer 11

a set of relationships in which all components fall along a single integrated spectrum (ex: color); all life reflects a single biological one

Question 12

culture

Answer 12

behavioral aspects of human adaptation, including technology, traditions, language, religions, marriage patterns, and social roles; a set of learned behaviors transmitted from one generation to the next by nonbiological (nongenetic) means

Question 13

worldview

Answer 13

general cultural orientation or perspective shared by members of a society

Question 14

biocultural evolution

Answer 14

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; a basic concept is understanding the unique components of human evolution

Question 15

applied anthropology

Answer 15

the practical application of anthropological and archaeological theories and techniques; ex: many biological anthropologists work in the public health sector

Question 16

ethnographies

Answer 16

detailed descriptive studies of human societies; in cultural anthropology, it is traditionally the study of a non-western society

Question 17

artifacts

Answer 17

objects or materials made or modified for use by hominins; earliest ones are usually tools made of stone or, occasionally, bone

Question 18

paleoanthropology

Answer 18

the interdisciplinary approach to the study of earlier hominins - their chronology, physical structure, archaeological remains, habitats, etc.

Question 19

dna

Answer 19

deoxyribonucleic acid; the double strand molecule that contains the genetic code; a main component of chromosomes

Question 20

osteology

Answer 20

the study of skeletal material; in humans, focuses on the interpretation of the skeletal remains from archaeological sites, skeletal anatomy, bone physiology, and growth and development

Question 21

bioarcheology

Answer 21

the study of human skeletal remains and their archaeological contexts

Question 22

paleopathology

Answer 22

the branch of osteology that studies the evidence of disease and injury in human skeletal (or, occasionally, mummified) remains from archaeological sites

Question 23

forensic anthropology

Answer 23

an applied anthropological approach focused on the application of osteology and archaeology to legal matters; specialized anthropologists work with coroners and others in identifying and analyzing human remains

Question 24

primatology

Answer 24

the study of biology and behavior of nonhuman primates (lemurs, lorises, tarsiers, monkeys, and apes)

Question 25

science

Answer 25

a body of knowledge gained through observation and experimentation; from latin scientia, meaning “knowledge”

Question 26

hypotheses/hypothesis

Answer 26

provisional explanations of phenomena; requires verification or falsification through testing

Question 27

empirical

Answer 27

relying on experiment or observation; from latin empiricus, meaning “experienced”

Question 28

scientific method

Answer 28

an approach to research whereby a problem is identified, a hypothesis (provisional explanation) is states, and that hypothesis is tested by collecting and analyzing data

Question 29

data/datum

Answer 29

facts from which conclusions can be drawn; scientific information

Question 30

quantitatively

Answer 30

pertaining to measurements of quantity and including such properties as size, number, and capacity; when data are quantified, they’re expressed numerically and can be tested scientifically

Question 31

theory

Answer 31

a broad statement of scientific relationships or underlying principles that has been substantially verified through the testing of hypotheses

Question 32

scientific testing

Answer 32

the precise repetition of an experiment or expansion of observed data to provide verification; the procedure by which hypotheses and theories are verified, modified, or discarded

Question 33

quadrupedal

Answer 33

using all four limbs to support the body during locomotion; the basic mammalian (and primate) form of locomotion

Question 34

ethnocentric

Answer 34

viewing other cultures from the inherently biased perspectives of one’s own culture; often results in other cultures being seen as inferior to one’s own

Question 35

relativistic

Answer 35

viewing entities as they relate to something else; culturally, it is the view that cultures have merits within their own historical and environmental contexts