Physical Anthropology 1 Milner-Rose Chapter 1 What is Physical Anthropology? Our Origins By Clark Spencer Larsen

Physical Anthropology 1Milner-Rose

Chapter 1

What is Physical Anthropology?

Our OriginsBy Clark Spencer Larsen

What is Anthropology?

Anthropology is the study of humankind Viewed from the perspective of all

peoples and all times Our central question: “What is

humankind?” All our research is aimed at describing

and defining ourselves as a species that has changed over time and that varies over geographic space.

Human History and Prehistory Over Time and Space

TIME 6 Mya only in Africa

SPACE

Bipedal Hominids spreading in Africa

Several Types of Hominids in Africa

5 Mya

4 Mya

3 Mya

2 Mya

1 Mya

200 Kya

Robust and Gracile Hominids

First Hominids out of Africa

Archaic Hominids Present in Asia and Europe

Biologically Modern Humans Appear in Africa


The Four subfields of anthropology are Cultural or social anthropology Archaeology Linguistic anthropology Physical or biological anthropology

Franz Boas Onboard the Germania in 1883,

on his Expedition to Baffin IslandOur Origins, 2th Edition

Copyright © 2011 W.W. Norton & Company

Boas, here Dressed and Equipped for Arctic ExplorationOur Origins, 2th Edition


Figure 1.2 The Four Branches of AnthropologyOur Origins, 2th Edition



Cultural anthropology Studies living people, face-to-face Culture is defined as transmitted,

learned behavior shared by a group Archaeology

Studies and reconstructs past human cultures and societies

Focuses on material remains and the processes behind them


Linguistic anthropology Studies the structure, use and change

of language by human societies Language is defined as a set of heard

or seen symbols that refer to things Physical or biological anthropology

Studies all aspects of present and past human biology

Deals with the evolution of and variation among human beings and their relatives


No anthropologist is an expert in all four branches of anthropology. Anthropologists study the diversity of

humans culturally and physically. Within the field there is a commitment

to the notion that humans are both cultural and biological beings.

We are interested in what is universally true about humankind and what is unique about us compared to other animals.


The Biocultural approach Humans are a result of a combination

of inherited (biological) traits and cultural (learned) traits.

Anthropology uses a broad, historical and comparative (holistic) approach over time and space.

Anthropology is interested in how and why humankind has changed.


Anthropology generally asks, “Why do people look, speak, and behave differently in different places and times? Boas’ answer was that people are adapting to their environment with their particular historical backgrounds.

Following Boas, physical anthropologists study human biological evolution and human biocultural adaptations.

Figure 1.9 ForestsOur Origins, 2th Edition


Figure 1.8 GrasslandsOur Origins, 2th Edition



Two key concepts: Each person is a product of the

evolutionary history of our species Including all biological changes that have

brought humans to their present form.

Each person is a product of an individual life history. We are a combination of our genetics and

environment (including social and cultural factors), a unique individual with our own nature and nurture during our lifetime.

What Do Physical Anthropologists Do?

Study all living people to describe our diverse and universal biological traits.

Study other living primates to discover what behaviors & anatomy may be like that of our fossil ancestors.

Study past remains to discover the biocultural changes that humankind has gone through.

Always seeking, “What is humankind?”

Figure 1.3a A Sample of What Physical Anthropologists DoOur Origins, 2th Edition



Apply anthropological knowledge and methods to societal issues or concerns Forensic anthropology

Study all biological aspects of the human species. Ex. Human genetics by mapping the DNA of living people and DNA extracted from fossil bones.

Physical anthropologists, forensic anthropologists in particular,

played a vital part in identifying the remains of the victims

following the events of 9/11Our Origins, 2th Edition



We are a biological science as well as a cultural science Biology is studied within the context of

culture and biology We are an Interdisciplinary science

Utilizes theories and methods from a wide variety of other fields

Figure 1.3b A Sample of What Physical Anthropologists DoOur Origins, 2th Edition


Figure 1.3c A Sample of What Physical Anthropologists DoOur Origins, 2th Edition


What Is So Different about Humans from Other Animals? The comparative method shows that hominids have evolved through

• Six Steps to Humanness: Humans differ from other animals in several important ways.1) Bipedalism (first evolved 6mya)

Defined as walking on two feet

2) Nonhoning chewing (next to evolve) Loss of a large canine (as other apes

have)

Figure 1.10 BipedalismOur Origins, 2th Edition


Figure 1.4a The Six Big Events of Human Evolution: 1. Bipedalism,

2. Nonhoning Chewing, 3. Dependence on Material Culture, 4. Speech/Language,

5. Hunting/Cooking, & 6. Domestication of Plants/Animals Our Origins, 2th Edition

What Is So Different about Humans from Other Animals? The Six Steps to Humanness:

3) Complex material culture and tool use Humans depend completely on culture for

day-to-day living and species survival. (first

evidence of stone tool making at 2.6mya) Other great apes exhibit some forms of

cultural behavior.

4) Hunting with tools and cooking (deduced at 2mya from increase in brain size)

Group pursuit of animals for food using tools Use of fire to alter the digestibility of food and

provide

safety at night from predators Group consumption and sharing of food

Figure 1.6 Tool-MakingOur Origins, 2th Edition


What Is So Different about Humans from Other Animals?

The Six Steps to Humanness: 5) Speech/Language (estimate 1.5mya)

The only animal that communicates by talking

using symbols, either heard or seen

6) Dependence on domesticated foods Development of ability to raise

domesticated plants and animals, control their

reproduction (evidence of domestication at 10kya)

Figure 1.4b The Six Big Events of Human Evolution: Bipedalism,

Nonhoning Chewing, Dependence on Material Culture, Speech/Language,

Hunting/Cooking, & Domestication of Plants and AnimalsOur Origins, 2th Edition


How We Know What We Know: The Scientific Method

Systematic observation of the world Observations form the basis for the

rest of the process. Identifying problems, developing

questions, and gathering evidence (data)

Data are used to test hypotheses. Hypotheses explain, predict, and can be

refuted and replaced by better hypotheses.

Figure 1.3d A Sample of What Physical Anthropologists DoOur Origins, 2th Edition



This process is called the scientific method. A way of knowing the world around us

through observation an experiment Results in an ever-expanding

knowledge base, with corrections Empirical, or based on observation and

subject to proving or disproving by other scientists


Scientific Theory is developed through the process of the scientific method. Scientific Theories are explanations of

the way things work. Theories can be modified by new

evidence. In Science, Theories are not

“theoretical”, they are functional (or they are discarded).

Figure 1.5 First ToolsOur Origins, 2th Edition


How We Know What We Know: All Sciences use The Scientific Method If a theory proves absolutely true, it

becomes scientific law. Ex: gravity, thermodynamics, and motion “Hard” sciences like math, physics and

chemistry need to have theories that are lawful and work 100% of the time.

“Soft” sciences like biology and behavioral science produce theories that work from 60%-100% of the time. This because of individual variability in those realms.

Figure 1.3f A Sample of What Physical Anthropologists DoOur Origins, 2th Edition


Figure 1.3e A Sample of What Physical Anthropologists DoOur Origins, 2th Edition


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Physical Anthropology 1 Milner-Rose Chapter 1 What is Physical Anthropology? Our Origins By Clark Spencer Larsen