Chapter 1

Introduction to Physical Anthropology

Hominids

Humans are hominids, belonging to the taxonomic family Hominidae.

Bipedalism, walking on two legs, is a critical feature of the hominids.

Humans are members of the Order Primates, the group of mammals that includes prosimians, monkeys and apes.

Early Hominid Footprints - Laetoli, Tanzania

The tracks to the left were made by one individual, while those to the right appear to have been formed by two individuals, the second stepping in the tracks of the first.

Species

A group of organisms that can interbreed to produce fertile offspring.

Evolution

A change in the genetic structure of a population.

Adaptation

An anatomical, physiological, or behavioral response of organisms or populations to the environment.

Evolution

Microevolution

Macroevolution

Culture

Culture is the strategy by which humans adapt to the natural environment. Culture is learned

Biocultural Evolution

Over time, culture and biology interacted so that humans are said to be the result of biocultural evolution.

Culture

– technologies – subsistence patterns– housing types– clothing

– religion– marriage and family – values– gender roles

• Strategies humans use to adapt to their environment:

Worldview

General cultural orientation or perspective shared by members of a society.

Behavior

Anything organisms do that involves action in response to internal or external stimuli.

The response of an individual, group, or species to its environment.

What Is Anthropology?

The study of humankind.

Integrates sociology, economics, history, psychology, and biology.

Comprises four subfields:– Cultural anthropology– Linguistics– Archaeology– Physical (or biological) anthropology

Cultural Anthropology

The study of all aspects of contemporary human behavior.– Ethnography

– Traditional cultures

– Modern/western cultures

Archaeology

Study and interpretation of material remains recovered from earlier cultures.

Information about culture comes from artifacts and material culture left by humans.

Linguistic Anthropology

Study of the origin of language and speech.

The use of language is a unique human characteristic.

Physical Anthropology

Study of human biology in the framework of evolution.

Subfields:– Paleoanthropology - human evolution– Anthropometry - measurement of body parts– Primatology: study of nonhuman primates– Osteology: study of skeletons

Paleoanthropology

Paleoanthropologists excavating at the Drimolen site, South Africa.

Primate paleontology

The study of the primate fossil record that extends back to the beginning of primate evolution some 60 million years ago (mya).Virtually every year, fossil-bearing beds in North America, Africa, Asia, and Europe yield new discoveries. By studying fossil primates and comparing them with anatomically similar living species, primate paleontologists are learning a great deal about factors such as diet or locomotion in earlier forms.

Anthropometry

Anthropology student using spreading to measure cranial length.

Modern Population Studies

This researcher is using a treadmill test to assess a subject’s heart rate, blood pressure, and oxygen consumption.

Modern Population Studies

Dr. Kathleen Galvin measures upper arm circumference in a young Maasai boy in Tanzania.

Data derived from various body measurements, including height and weight, were used in a health and nutrition study of groups of Maasai cattle herders.

Genetics and DNA

Genetics is 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.DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) is the double-stranded molecule that contains the genetic code. – DNA is a main component of chromosomes.

Cloning

Cloning and sequencing methods are frequently used to identify genes in humans and nonhuman primates.This graduate student identifies a genetically modified bacterial clone.

Primatology

The study of nonhuman primates.

Primatology

Yahaya Alamasi, a member of the senior field staff at Gombe National Park, Tanzania.

Alamasi is recording behaviors in free-ranging chimpanzees.

Osteology

The study of the skeleton.A thorough knowledge of skeletal structure and function is critical to the interpretation of fossil material. Paleopathology

Forensic Anthropology

An applied anthropological approach

Forensic anthropologists identify and analyze human remains.

Forensic Anthropology

Physical anthropologists Lorna Pierce (left) and Judy Suchey (center) working as forensic consultants.

The dog has just located a concealed human cranium during a training session.

Forensic Anthropology

Forensic anthropologists at the location on Staten Island where all materials from the World Trade Center were taken for investigation after September 11, 2001.The scientists are wearing HAZMAT (hazardous materials) suits for protection.

Human Anatomy

Dr. Linda Levitch teaching a human anatomy class at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine.

Science

A body of knowledge gained through observation and experimentation; from the Latin scientia, meaning “knowledge.”– A hypotheses is a provisional explanation of a

phenomenon. – Hypotheses require verification or falsification

through testing.– Empirical means to rely on experiment or

observation.

Western Science Methods

Analysis– Inductive– Deductive

Scientific Method

Data

Hypothesis

Theory/Law

Publish

Methods – Empirical observations

• Objective

• Subjective

Scientific Testing

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.

Physical Anthropologyand the Scientific Method1. State the research problem.

2. Develop a hypothesis.

3. Test the hypothesis through data collection and analysis.

4. If the hypothesis is verified, it becomes a theory.

Anthropological Perspective

A broad perspective that helps us understand the diversity of the human experience within the context of biological and behavioral continuity with other species.By learning about cultures other than our own, we can avoid an ethnocentric view of other cultures. By recognizing that we have similarities with other animals, we may recognize that they have a place in nature just as we do.

Ethnocentric

Viewing other cultures from the inherently biased perspective of one’s own culture.

Ethnocentrism often results in other cultures being seen as inferior to one’s own.

For Next Week – Read Chapters 2 and 3