Intro to Physical Anthropology ANTHR 1 1 Course website - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Intro to Physical Anthropology ANTHR 1 1

Course website https://creason.co/ CANVAS also updated Very important for this class -Syllabus -Assignment instructions -Sample essays, tests, and questions -Study guides 2

Syllabus redtape Required Text: Jurmain R, Kilgore L, & W Trevathan. 2016. Essentials of Physical Anthropology . (10th edition). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth/Thomson Learning. First chapter is available on Google Books. 3

Anthropology: studies human culture and the evolutionary aspects of human biology. Four main subfields: Cultural anthropology Linguistic anthropology Archaeology Physical anthropology 4

Cultural anthropology Cultural anthropologists study patterns of belief and behavior in modern and historic societies. Culture: learned behaviors transmitted over generations non-genetically. Ethnographies: descriptive studies of human societies. 5

Linguistic anthropology Linguistic anthropologists study the interactions between speech, language, and culture (e.g., role of symbols in society). -Compare/contrast languages to trace their historical ties 6

Archaeology Archaeologists study the material remains of past societies. -Analyze artifacts: objects made or modified for use by humans. - Excavate in order to gain info about human behavior. 7

Applied anthropology: practical application of anthropological and archaeological theories and methods 8

Physical anthropology Physical anthropologists: study human biology and behavior in an evolutionary context -Explain variation in human adaptations AKA biological anthropology -Reflects modern shift towards using genetics, evolution, etc. 9

Subfields of physical anthropology Primatologists: study nonhuman primate biology and behavior -Use the comparative approach Primates: taxonomic order including monkeys, apes, and humans. 10

Subfields of physical anthropology Paleoanthropologists: study hominin anatomical and behavioral evolution in the fossil record. Osteology: the study of skeleton structure and function 11

Subfields of physical anthropology Paleopathology: studies trauma, disease, nutritional deficiency, and other traces of pathology in ancient human remains. 12

Subfields of physical anthropology Forensic anthropologists apply archaeological and osteological methods to legal matters. -Identify and analyze skeletal remains that have legal significance. 13

Important vocab Evolution: change in the genetic structure of a population from one generation to the next. Microevolution: small genetic changes occurring within a population. Macroevolution: when genetic changes accumulate over time causing the appearance of a new species. Adaptations: the result of evolutionary change. 14

Important vocab Homo sapiens : scientific name for our species. Species: group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. Bipedalism: habitually walking on two feet. Hominins: members of the evolutionary lineage that includes modern Homo sapiens and all extinct bipedal relatives. 15

Physical anthropology Physical anthropologists: study human biology and behavior in an evolutionary context -Explain variation in human adaptations AKA biological anthropology -Reflects modern shift towards using genetics, evolution, etc. 16