INTRODUCTION TO BIOLOGICAL ANTHROPOLOGY

What is Anthropology?
-derived from Greek words anthropos + logos
-it’s the study of humans which also includes explorations of cultural diversity, human
origins, past human societies and human languages.
-studies cultural and biological evolution of modern humans and non-human primates
-studies patterns of variations in living and fossil humans
-anthropologists use 4 key approaches to do their research:
a) holism
-its holistic as it looks at all aspects of humanity
-how biological social and cultural lives intersect
b) comparison
-compare data to understand commonalities, changes etc
-comparisons span societies cultures time place and species
c)dynamism
-humans are most dynamic
-ability to change biologically and culturally allows us to thrive in many environments
d)fieldwork
-work in laboratories, libraries and offices
-also go where their data lives
-study our culture language biological adaption history evolution and relationship to our
closest living relatives; the primates

Terminology
-evolution is any change over time
-biological evolution is change over time resulting in new species
-species are groups of organisms that can interbreed and produce fertile offspring
-adaptation is biological or behavioural response of organism to its environment
-humans have a big brain
-our language is complex and has written and spoken form of communication
-complexity of tools and the degree to which we’ve mastered them is unique to our
species
-locomotion is how we navigate our environment, we are bipedal so we locomote on 2
limbs (legs)

The Subdisciplines
-use observational methods and interpretive approaches to understand human beliefs cultures
etc

1. Cultural Anthropology
-study patterns of beliefs and behaviours in human cultures in the past and present
-focus on similarities and differences among living societies
-cultural relativism is when you suspend your sense of “normal” to understand perspectives
of the people you study
-study aspects of remote societies like religion ritual gender roles child rearing practices
mythology etc.
Study examples
 a) Margaret Mead
-In USA people wondered if emotional turbulence of teenagers was caused by biology
of puberty
-she got to know Samoan teens who weren’t angst ridden and they lived a tranquil and
happy life stage
-she said US parenting was overly restrictive
-nurture(socialisation) played a more important role than nature
b) Philippe Bourgois
-how extreme poverty exists amid overall high-quality life of USA
-lived with Puerto Rican crack dealers
-concluded that individual choices and social inequality can trap people

2. Linguistic Anthropology
- studies origins and evolutions of human speech and language like hyrographics and texts
and messaging
-distinguishes humans from all other mammal species
-adaptations of complex language, crucial to socialise, learn culture and social identities
-relationships between language thought and culture
-Sapir-Whorf hypothesis says language you speak allows you to think of some things and not
others

3. Archaeology
-focus on material past and objects left behind by others
-excavation is careful digging to uncover material remains while recording their context
-historical archaeologists study recent societies using material remains
Eg: The garbage project
-found a difference between what people say they throw and what is actually in trash
-helps create environment sustainable waste disposal practices
-reconstruct past cultures and ways of life
-artefacts are items that are made modified used and discarded

4. Biological Anthropology
-studying the biology and behaviour of humans, non-human primates and ancestors.
-how human genetic and phenotypic traits vary in response to environment
-how humans vary biologically, adapt, evolve etc.
-was also called physical anthropology, measured bodies and skulls
a) Nina Jablonski
-darker skin prevalent in high UV context and lighter skin in low UV context
-UV radiation breaks down folic acid
-dark skin blocks UV and protects folic acid, can’t absorb vitamin D from sun
-skin evolved to balance UV exposure with need for vitamin D and folic acid
b) Jane Goodall
-assumed that monkeys and apes lacked social and emotional traits that humans have
-she found that chimpanzees also make tools, socialise their young, have emotional
lives and form strong maternal infant bonds

5. Applied Anthropology
-practical application of anthropological theories, methods and findings to solve real world
problems
-medical anthropology explores the environmental social and cultural conditions that impact
the experience of illness
a) Paul Farmer
-went to Haiti and saw poor living conditions and lack of health care facilities
-came back to treat diseases in Haiti
-he would contextualise the suffering of Haitian patients in relation to historical social
and political forces that impact Haiti
-opened health clinics in many resource-poor countries

What is Biological Anthropology?

a) Primatology
-study biology and behaviour of non-human primates, study their diet locomotion
communication social practices etc.
-how evolution shaped primates
-nails instead of claws
-hands that can grasp
-invest time and energy in raising offspring
-complex social behaviours
-Dian Fossey’s research
-gorillas have families and form strong maternal infant relationships
-mourn death of members
-playing and tickling

b) Paleo-anthropology
-study human ancestors from distant past to understand how it led to modern humans
-use fossils and artefacts
a) Donald C. Johansson
-found lucy who represented new hominin species (Australopithecus afarensis)
-bipedal, used tools
-smaller brain, larger teeth
-spent more time in trees
-transitional species between humans and earlier primates
-humans are the only hominins left

c) Molecular Anthropology
-study of genetics
-examined DNA to see how closely related two populations are
-helped trace patterns of migration and identify how they adapted
-learned which genes distinguish us from our closest living relatives

d) Bioarcheology
-study human skeletal remains and the soils around the remains
-learn about lives of past population
-health nutrition diseases injuries and residue from last meals

e) Forensic Anthropology
-applied approach, work in field and in the lab
-identifying and analysing human remains and trauma in disasters etc.
-work in legal settings to identify human remains
f) Human population biology and variation
-studies human variation and how body is impacted by different environments, cultural
influences and nutrition
-study human adaptions and the physiological responses and genetic advantages populations
develop
a) Tibetans
-fastest case of human evolution
-those who live at high elevations have larger lungs and chests
-enhanced oxygen respiration and blood circulation systems
b) Nutrition
-western diet is very processed and causes metabolic conditions
-western girls have started to menstruate earlier due to changes in diet or exposure to
chemicals

g) Anthropometry
-measure and analysis of human physical form and the variability in human populations
-used to marginalise a lot of populations
-how modern humans differ from past populations

h) Osteology/skeletal biology
-study of skeletal structure and function
-osteo (bones) logy (study of) -bioarchaeology
-how people lived and died
-measure body parts to understand growth and development (ontogeny)

i) Paleo pathology
-patterns of disease and trauma in past populations
-paleo is old and pathology is study of disease and trauma
-traumas show characteristic features of illness on bones and teeth etc
-instances of growth disturbances due to lack of nutrition

j) Primate palaeontology
-study of primate fossil record like dinosaurs
-evolutionary relationships and how they are related to species living today
-digging of artefacts and fossils.

Anthropologists as Scientists
-hypothesis is an explanation of observed facts
-they are testable and have strong supporting evidence that hasn’t been disproven
-relies on empirical evidence, something that is verified by observation
-most research is collaborative and are tested with different lines of evidence and different
scientists
-its self-correcting and has a system of checks and balances
-data is information collected to test a hypothesis
-data was sometimes very subjective so now we rely on statistical techniques and quantitative
data
-they show others how their result came-about and others can determine whether the results
are replicable or not
-make observations, form hypothesis and make predictions, test by experiment, result and
conclusion
-theory is an explanation of observations that address a wide range of phenomena
-law is a prediction about what will happen given certain condition, doesn’t give explanation,
mathematical