Leccture One Flashcards
What are the four subfields within Anthropology?
Cultural Anthropology
Archaeology
Linguistic Anthropology
Physical (Biological) Anthropology
What are the subfields of Physical Anthropology?
Human biology
Primatology
Forensic Anthropology
Paleopathology
Paleoanthropology
What is the Scientific Method?
A method of discovery that involves formulating hypotheses, testing them with empirical data, subjecting the results to publication and peer review.
what is Cultural Anthropology
Study of human cultural adaptation and variation.
Archaeology:
Study of past human cultures through material remains.
Linguistic Anthropology
Investigation of language origins and its relationship with culture.
Physical (Biological) Anthropology:
Examination of human and non-human primate biology within the framework of evolution and biocultural variation.
Human biology
Study of modern human genetic and physical variation.
Primatology:
Examination of our close biological relatives, the primates.
Forensic Anthropology
Identification of human remains for legal purposes.
Paleopathology
Study of ancient diseases.
Paleoanthropology
Investigation of primate and human evolution, including the study of hominins.
What is the Development of Evolutionary Theory referred to as?
It is referred to as a Paradigm Shift, marking a transition from the Biblical Paradigm to the Scientific-based Evolutionary Paradigm.
Who challenged the teachings of Galen in the field of anatomy?
Andreas Vesalius, a Belgian anatomist and physician in the Renaissance Period, who challenged Galen’s teachings through his observations and publication of “De Humani Corporis Fabrica” in 1543.
De Humani Corporis Fabrica” in 1543.
challenged the teachings of Galen and revolutionized the field of anatomy through detailed observations and illustrations of the human body.
Hominins
modern humans and their bipedal (uprigth walking) ancestors
Ancient DNA
Genetic time machine.
Extraction from DNA from old bones and use it to learn about creatures from the past.
Helps understand how life evolved.
What is science
Method of discovery that result in abody of knowledge
Hypothesis
informed, testable, supposition about the relationship between two variables.
Variable
any factor or property of a phenomenon that may have different values.
Formulation of hypothesis
Must be TESTABLE using EMPEIRCAL DATA
How do we test the hypothesis
Publication and peer review
Formulation of a scientific theory
Only after repeated tests which confirm or are consistent with the hypothesis does a hypothesis graduate to a theory.
what do we seek to answer a question in science
Seeks to answer the question
How did out skeletal morphology change in order for bipedalism to evolve?
What were the selective forces that favored the evolution of big brains? ?
Why are we the only hominins alice today
What is the biblical paradigm?
The biblical paradigm is a religious-based creation perspective that emphasizes divine creation as described in religious texts such as the Bible.
How do the evolutionary and biblical paradigms differ?
The evolutionary paradigm relies on scientific evidence and natural processes, while the biblical paradigm relies on religious texts and divine creation.
What are some historical events that influenced the shift from the biblical to the evolutionary paradigm?
Scientific Revolution, Age of Exploration, Discovery of Apes, Discovery of Fossils, and advancements in anatomical studies
Scientific Revolution
Development of Scientific Method, invention of new tech.
age of exploration
discovery of previously unknown life forms, true understanding of life’s diversity.
discovery of apes
links humans to the rest of nature.
Who was Andreas Vesalius and how did he contribute to the shift to the evolutionary paradigm?
Andreas Vesalius was a Belgian anatomist and physician who challenged the teachings of Galen, a Roman physician, by conducting detailed anatomical studies. His work, “De Humani Corporis Fabrica,” revolutionized the field of anatomy and contributed to the scientific-based understanding of human biology.
Who was Carl Linnaeus and how did he contribute to the shift to the evolutionary paradigm?
Carl Linnaeus was a Swedish botanist who developed the Linnaean taxonomy, a hierarchical classification system for organizing living organisms based on their similarities and differences. His system standardized binomial nomenclature and categorized humans with other primates, challenging the fixity of life and biblical interpretations. the racist.
Who was James Ussher and how did he contribute to the biblical paradigm?
James Ussher was an Irish Archbishop who calculated the age of the Earth to be approximately 6,000 years old based on biblical genealogies. His work supported the biblical paradigm of a young Earth and contributed to the religious-based understanding of creation.
Who was Georges Cuvier and how did he contribute to the shift to the evolutionary paradigm?
Georges Cuvier was a French naturalist and paleontologist who proposed the theory of catastrophism, suggesting that dramatic geological changes occurred due to natural disasters, leading to mass extinctions and the creation of new species. While his ideas did not directly support evolution, they challenged the biblical notion of a young Earth and paved the way for the acceptance of deep time in geological studies.
Systema Natura 1735
Hierarchial classification system that orgnaizes living organisms into these categrores like kingdom, phylum, class, order, family, genus, and species.
Fixity of Life
God created everything as it is.
No extinctions
No new crates
It all happened a very short time ago
Historical barriers to the idea of Evolution
Recognize that humans have an ancient past
Recognize that natural processes lead to changes i natural systems
TIME AND CHANGE
What are examples of breaches in ethics within anthropology?
Examples of breaches in ethics within anthropology include:
Vivisection: Conducting invasive experiments on living animals.
Grave robbing: Illegally excavating graves to obtain human remains.
Tuskegee syphilis study: Conducted by the U.S. Public Health Service, where African American men with syphilis were left untreated to study the progression of the disease.
Morton Skull Collection: Samuel G. Morton amassed over 1,300 human skulls for the purpose of promoting polygenism, often obtained through unethical means such as looting graves.
Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA): Enacted in 1990 to address the looting of Native American graves and the exploitation of culturally identifiable human remains.
Who was William Montague Cobb and what were his contributions to anthropology?
William Montague Cobb was a Black physician and the first Black man to earn a Ph.D. in anthropology. He debunked ideas of race and athletics, examined the effects of poverty and opportunities on minority populations, and advocated for social justice and equity within the field of anthropology
What is the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) and why was it enacted?
NAGPRA is a federal law enacted in 1990 to address the looting of Native American graves and the exploitation of culturally identifiable human remains. It requires the repatriation of Native American human remains, funerary objects, sacred objects, and objects of cultural patrimony to their respective tribes or descendants.
What were Georges Cuvier’s contributions to the history of evolutionary thought?
Georges Cuvier proposed the theory of catastrophism, which suggested that dramatic changes in the Earth’s surface occurred in a very short period of time due to natural disasters, leading to the extinction of existing organisms. He believed that strata formed during cataclysmic geological events and argued that the Earth was young. Cuvier’s theory emphasized large-scale extinctions and the idea that species may come and go, but there is no overall evolution (change) over time.
What was Charles Lyell’s contribution to the history of evolutionary thought?
Charles Lyell proposed the theory of uniformitarianism, which opposed Cuvier’s catastrophism. He argued that processes observed in the present also operated in the past, suggesting that the Earth’s surface changes slowly and gradually over long periods of time.
Priciples of Geology
presented calculations supporting an old Earth, where minor processes over long periods of time lead to significant geological changes.
What were Thomas Malthus’s contributions to the history of evolutionary thought?
Thomas Malthus, an economist and demographer, proposed the Malthusian Theory of Population. He argued that population tends to grow exponentially, while the means of subsistence increase only arithmetically. Malthus contended that population growth would inevitably outstrip the availability of resources, leading to a population crisis.
What does the term “Mechanistic Universe” refer to?
Describes a non-designed, undirected universe organized based on internally generated (natural) principles.
What is meant by the term “Dynamic Universe”?
Suggests that the universe is constantly changing.
What concept does the “Tree of Life” represent?
Represents the interconnectedness of all life through a branching network of biological relationships.
What does “Deep Time Theory” refer to?
Refers to the antiquity of the universe (approximately 15 billion years), Earth (about 4.5 billion years), and life (-3.5 billion years).
Jean Baptiste Lamark (1744-1829)
A French naturalist and biologist known for his theory of evolution, which proposed that acquired traits could be passed down to offspring.
Enviro Determinism
Suggests that human behaviors and societal development are determind by enivro factors
Inhertaince of Acquired Characterisitcs
As place changes, organism need new traits during their lifetimes. New ones are passed to offspring
Darwin’s Trip in 1831-1836
Traveled to various location; South America, the Galapagos Islands, Australia, and Africa.
Collected specimens of plants, animals, and fossils to shape his ideas about evolution and natural selction
Galapagos
Got a lot of dead finches with different beak shapes and sizes, which led him ro propose his theory of natual selection to explain how species adapt to their enivorment over time.
Darwin’s Thoery of evolution by natural selection
Darwin’s history
1838: Marries, moves to Down
1838-1844: Develops ideas on species evolution and natural selection in series of notebooks.
1844-1858: Conducts research; tests hypotheses about evolution.
1858: Sends Darwin a paper describing the process of natural selection.
Darwin and Wallace publish joint papers read at meetings of the Linnean Society in London.
1859: Darwin publishes Origin of Species - no mention, specifically of human evolution.
His struggles with publishing
This theory challenged prevailing scientific and religious beliefs at the time.
Cocerns about the potential issue and backlash his ideas might provoke.
Fear of criticism from the scientific community from the public.
Published it years before he passed.
Alfred Wallace
Contributions:
- Co-discoverer of the theory of evolution by natural selection along with Charles Darwin.
- Independently formulated the theory while conducting research in Southeast Asia.
- Wallace’s work spurred Darwin to publish his own ideas on evolution.
Theory of Evolution ( Three Postulates
The ability of the population to expand is infinite but the ability of any environment to support the population is always finite.
Organisms with populations vary, and this variation affects the ability of individuals to survive and reproduce.
The Variations are transmitted from parents to offspring
Malthusian Principle?
Peter and Rosemary Finches
1974-Present: Medium Ground Finch**
- Studied variation in beak depth.
- Beak depth is heritable variation related to resource acquisition.
- Selection may act against both ends of variation, leading to stasis.
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1976-1977 Drought:
- Environmental change led to an increase in average seed size and hardness.
- Bird population decreased from 1200 to 400.
- Average beak depth increased by 4%.
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Survival Dynamics:
- Natural selection favored survivors of environmental change.
- “Selection event” introduced a new virus.
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Variation and Reproduction:
- Next generation’s traits influenced by variation.
- Questioned if observed changes represent progress towards perfect organisms.
Macroevolution
The evolution of a new species of creature from ‘parent’ species
Microevolution
Changes in the frequencies of characteristics (traits, genes) in a population thru time
