Lecture 1: Pre-darwinism Flashcards
What does biological anthropology attempt to do?
Studies humans as a biological species. Wants to know how humans came to be who they are.
Define evolution.
A change in inherited characteristics of biological populations over successive populations.
What is the difference between micro and macro evolution?
Micro- changes within a species
Macro- changes over many generations, resulting in new species (speciation)
The two beliefs within STASIS?
- Fixity of Species (Christianity): All life forms created by god, haven’t changed throughout time.
- Great Chain of Being (Aristotle): all life forms can be placed in a hierarchy from simple to complex with humans at the top
Who theorized Earth is Young?
Archbishop James Ussher (1581-1656) analyzed Genesis and estimated that the earth began Sunday, October 23rd, 4004 B.C.
What was the theory before the Scientific Revolution?
Aristotle:
Spontaneous generation: Life came from inanimate matter
Name the key people and contribution for the Scientific Revolution.
- Copernicus (1473-1543):
Proposed earth was not centre of Universe. - Galileo Galilei (1564-1642):
Universe was a place of motion. - Francesco Redi (1626-1697):
1668: experiments with meat and flies show that life comes from living matter - Carolus Linnaeus (1707-1778):
Introduced a scheme for a hierarchical classification of living things: Systema Naturæ. Implied humans were part of a large animal kingdom. - Georges-Louis Leclerc, Comte de Buffon (1707-1788):
different environment=different species,
age of earth? - Georges Cuvier (1769-1832):
Established extinction, change of species.
When did Darwin publish Origin of Species?
1859, even though most ideas were done by 1838.
Who discovered natural selection the same time as Darwin?
Alfred Russel Wallace (1823-1913).
Darwin’s primary people influences?
Lyell: The Earth is ancient––old enough for significant changes to have taken place
Lamarck (and others): biological change over time
Malthus: organisms compete over limited resources
Define adaptation.
a trait developed by an organism through natural selection due to environmental conditions.
What are the three types of selections?
Directional, stabilizing and disruptive.
The three parts of Anthropology?
Holistic, interdisciplinary, comparative.
How is anthropology comparative?
ethnography (present cultures)
archaeology (past cultures)
primatology (related species)
How is anthropology holistic?
Integrates all aspects of society.
Biology, environment, and culture, together to one big picture.
