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

Intro to Physical Anthropology

ANTHR 1

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Course website

https://creason.co/ CANVAS also updated

Very important for this class

• Syllabus
• Assignment instructions
• Sample essays, tests, and questions
• Study guides

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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.

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

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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.

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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

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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.

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

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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.

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Subfields of physical anthropology

Primatologists: study nonhuman primate biology and behavior

• Use the comparative approach

Primates: taxonomic order including monkeys, apes, and humans.

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Subfields of physical anthropology

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

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Subfields of physical anthropology

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

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Subfields of physical anthropology

Forensic anthropologists apply archaeological and osteological methods to legal matters.

• Identify and analyze skeletal remains that have legal significance.

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Important vocab

Evolution: change in the genetic structure of a population from

• ne 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.

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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.

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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.

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