Welcome to Anthropology 1!

Instructor:Kirsten A. Olson

Physical Anthropology

EvolutionaryTheory

Physical Anthropology

• Evolutionary Theory is what holds Physical Anthropology together

• We will explore the theory of Evolution by Natural Selection as espoused by Charles Darwin

• We will explore the historical background that made it possible for him to develop his theories

Evolutionary Theory

Physical Anthropology

• Understanding Principles of Inheritance is also key to understanding Physical Anthropology

• The work of Gregor Mendel, often called the father of modern genetics, will help us understand this

• His exploration of how traits are passed on from one generation to the next opened the doors to a greater understanding of inheritance.

Evolutionary Theory

Physical Anthropology

• Our knowledge of biology today far exceeds that of either Darwin or Mendel

• We will study the basics of cells and DNA to understand the arena in which the transmission of traits occurs

• Understanding how traits are passed from parents to offspring will help us understand how Darwin’s theories work!

Physical Anthropology

Primatology

Physical Anthropology

• Primatology is the study of primates, our closest living ancestors!

• Studying primates helps us understand our own species, since we share much of our genes and evolutionary history with them.

Primatology

Physical Anthropology

• Primates are a very diverse group, and we will learn about a wide variety of different kinds of primates.

• Some are quite familiar to us, such as the great apes (chimpanzees or gorillas, for example)

• We will learn about how to construct taxonomies of primate relationships—family trees.

Primatology

Physical Anthropology

• Primate behavior is also important.• Much primate behavior is not that

different than ours! Family life, relaxation, using tools are all parts of the daily lives of many primates

Primatology

Physical Anthropology

• Did you ever ask yourself why males and females of many species are different?

• Mating patterns are a very important aspect of the lives of primates (as well as many other animals).

• We will study why different mating patterns are correlated with differences in male and female behavior and/or looks.

Primatology

Physical Anthropology

Paleoanthropology

Physical Anthropology

• Paleoanthropology is the study of human origins.

• This includes fossil evidence of human ancestral species and related species.

• We will learn about how to study the past and the history of the earth before looking more closely at our own evolutionary history.

Paleoanthropology

Physical Anthropology

• Many fossils illustrate how our species evolved from a common ancestor with chimpanzees.

• We will learn about the many species identified through the fossil record and the physical traits that change through time.

Paleoanthropology

Physical Anthropology

• Ancient behavior changes through time as well.

• We will look at evidence for the first tools constructed by our ancestors.

• Tool use is associated with other behavioral changes as well, we’ll see!

• Eventually, we begin to engage in even more “human” behavior, like making art!

Paleoanthropology

Physical Anthropology

Evolution and Modern Humans

Physical Anthropology

• Eventually we’ll utilize everything we’ve learned in the previous sections to help us understand humans today.

• For example, we’ll be able to answer why it is that humans are not the same physically around the globe. Human variation can be explained through the lens of physical anthropology.

Evolution and Modern Humans

Physical Anthropology

• We will look at other aspects of humans’ lives as well, from the concept of ‘race’ to the human life-cycle.

• We will see that Physical Anthropology gives us a unique viewpoint to understand what it means to be human, and how we got that way!