Introduction to Biological Anthropology and Archaeology

Question 1

anthropology

Answer 1

discipline that overlaps with a number of other disciplines in the sciences, social sciences and humanity

Question 2

what do anthropologist study?

Answer 2

▪ cultural and biological evolution of modern humans and non-human primate relatives
▪ patterns of variation in the adaptions of living and fossil humans and other primates

Question 3

evolution

Answer 3

change over time

ex.
▪ old car to electric car
▪ old fashion clothing and hairstyles to new
▪ tech, behaviour

Question 4

biological evolution

Answer 4

genetic change over time resulting in the formation of new species

Question 5

species

Answer 5

group of organisms that can interbreed to produce fertile offspring

Question 6

reproductive isolation

Answer 6

▪ members of one species are thus reproductively isolated from members of another species
▪ form small groups
▪ brings organisms together and identifies them as distinct groups

ex. humans belong to a single species: Homo sapiens/modern humans

Question 7

adaptation

Answer 7

biological/behavioural response of an organism to its environment

Question 8

human adaptations

Answer 8

▪ big brain
▪ complex lang
▪ tool use
▪ bipedal

Question 9

big brain

Answer 9

evolution of large brains relative to body size which is feature of modern humans that distinguishes us from all other mammals

Question 10

complex lang

Answer 10

developed the use of a complex and written form of comm

no other animals have a lang system as complex as verbal lang and capability of written lang

Question 11

tool use

Answer 11

ability to make complex tools and degree of mastery/innovation is very unique to humans among mammals

Question 12

bipedal

Answer 12

walking on two legs; efficient mode of locomotion

Question 13

hominins

Answer 13

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

Question 14

physical manifestations

Answer 14

physical materials that organisms leave behind

ex. teeth, bones, tools

Question 15

trace fossils

Answer 15

remains/impressions of an organism that they leave behind

ex. footprints

Question 16

4 fields of anthro

Answer 16

▪ social cultural
▪ linguistic
▪ archaeology
▪ biological

Question 17

social cultural

Answer 17

patterns of belief and behaviours of human cultures in the past and present (religions, beliefs, rituals, mythology, tech, gender roles, practices of how they raise their children)

Question 18

linguistic

Answer 18

origin and evolution of human speech, lang, writing systems, symbols, social identity, cultural beliefs
(study helps understand anatomical and physiological adaptations that allow us to create and understand a very complex spoken and written lang system)

Question 19

archaeology

Answer 19

lifeways of past populations through the analysis of remains they leave behind

Question 20

material culture (arc)

Answer 20

items and artifacts that past populations have made, modified, or used and thrown away during their lifetimes

ex. hand axe, cave art, jewelry, remains of housing structures, hearth(firepit)

Question 21

biological

Answer 21

includes genetics evolutionary biology, and growth and development by studying the biology and behaviours of humans, non-human primates, and ancestors

Question 22

Subfields of Biological Anthro

Answer 22

▪ paleoanthropology
▪ primate paleontology
▪ interdisciplinary approach
▪ anthropometry
▪ osteology/skeletal bio
▪ paleopathology
▪ forensic antro
▪ human pop bio and variation
▪ molecular antro
▪ primatology

Question 23

paleoanthropology

Answer 23

the evolution of humans and their ancestors to understand the circumstances that led to modern humans

▪ includes bio and behaviour
▪ use fossils as info to reconstruct anatomy, locomotion, diet
rates of growth in development
▪ relies on knowledge from anatomy, geology, geography, ecology

Question 24

primate paleontology

Answer 24

the primate fossil record

use fossil record to reconstruct the structure, function, and environmental context of instinct primates

Question 25

interdisciplinary approach

Answer 25

anatomy, geology, geography, ecology

Question 26

anthropometry

Answer 26

measure of human physical form and variability

ex. measurements can be used to make chairs and desks

Question 27

osteology/skeletal bio

Answer 27

skeletal structure and function of living and nonliving pops

Question 28

bioarchaeology (o/s bio)

Answer 28

skeletal material from archaeology sites

Question 29

ontogeny

Answer 29

growth and development

Question 30

▪ paleopathology

Answer 30

disease and trauma in past pops

ex.
▪ criba orbitaila: black eye skeleton; extreme iron deficiency
▪ enamel hypoplasia: horizontal lines; severe nutritional stress or high fever
▪ syphilis: bumpy forehead; STI

Question 31

forensic antro

Answer 31

rely on osteology and archaeology for legal applications

▪ work in labs and fields to identify and analyze human remains from plane crashes, hurricanes, or crime scenes

Question 32

human pop bio and variation

Answer 32

how humans vary in response to stressors in their environments (latitude, altitude, temps)

▪ study why some pops can tolerate some diseases/med conditions compared to others

Question 33

molecular antro

Answer 33

genetics of modern humans, non-human primates, and fossil ancestors

Question 34

primatology

Answer 34

bio and behaviour of non-human primates

▪ studies their diet, locomotion, comm, social and reproductive behaviours
▪ rep our closest living relatives

Question 35

Biological Anthropology: A Scientific Discipline

Answer 35

▪ testable explanations of our observations/experiences = hypotheses
▪ information collected to test hypotheses = data
▪ replicability of results
▪ theories are not facts!(testable explanations of facts)