Intro to Physical Anthropology - WordPress.com...Essentials of Physical Anthropology. (10th...

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Intro to Physical Anthropology Week 1 1

Transcript of Intro to Physical Anthropology - WordPress.com...Essentials of Physical Anthropology. (10th...

Page 1: Intro to Physical Anthropology - WordPress.com...Essentials of Physical Anthropology. (10th edition). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth/Thomson Learning. First chapter is available on Google

Intro to Physical Anthropology

Week 1

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Page 2: Intro to Physical Anthropology - WordPress.com...Essentials of Physical Anthropology. (10th edition). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth/Thomson Learning. First chapter is available on Google

Summary

-introduce: course website, me, key terms

-exercise

-class overview (syllabus redtape)

-overview of anthropology and physical anthropology

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Page 3: Intro to Physical Anthropology - WordPress.com...Essentials of Physical Anthropology. (10th edition). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth/Thomson Learning. First chapter is available on Google

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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Page 4: Intro to Physical Anthropology - WordPress.com...Essentials of Physical Anthropology. (10th edition). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth/Thomson Learning. First chapter is available on Google

Course website and personal

Prof Creason

Transferred from LBCCBA in anthropology from UCLAMA in anthropology from CSUN

Focus: paleoanthropologyInterests: paleopathology and archaeology of war

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Page 5: Intro to Physical Anthropology - WordPress.com...Essentials of Physical Anthropology. (10th edition). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth/Thomson Learning. First chapter is available on Google

Evolution: change in the genetic structure of a population over time

Adaptation: response of an organism or a population to the environment.

-the result of evolutionary change

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Important terms to learn anthropology

Page 6: Intro to Physical Anthropology - WordPress.com...Essentials of Physical Anthropology. (10th edition). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth/Thomson Learning. First chapter is available on Google

Hominins: taxonomic group that includes Homo sapiens and their extinct bipedal relatives.

Anthropology: the study of hominins

Obviously much more...

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Important terms to learn anthropology

Page 7: Intro to Physical Anthropology - WordPress.com...Essentials of Physical Anthropology. (10th edition). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth/Thomson Learning. First chapter is available on Google

Question: what makes humans unique?

Adaptation: evolutionary responses to the environment.

Answer: Humans use culture as an adaptive strategy.-highly social-flexible, learned-non-genetically transmitted

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First day exercise

Page 8: Intro to Physical Anthropology - WordPress.com...Essentials of Physical Anthropology. (10th edition). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth/Thomson Learning. First chapter is available on Google

Physical anthropologists: study human biology and behavior in an evolutionary context.

Culture: complex set of behaviors

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Page 9: Intro to Physical Anthropology - WordPress.com...Essentials of Physical Anthropology. (10th edition). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth/Thomson Learning. First chapter is available on Google

Syllabus redtapeRequired 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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Page 10: Intro to Physical Anthropology - WordPress.com...Essentials of Physical Anthropology. (10th edition). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth/Thomson Learning. First chapter is available on Google

Anthropology: the field of inquiry that studies human culture and the evolutionary aspects of human biology.

Anthropology in the US has four main subfields:

cultural anthropology

linguistic anthropology

archaeology

physical anthropology

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Page 11: Intro to Physical Anthropology - WordPress.com...Essentials of Physical Anthropology. (10th edition). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth/Thomson Learning. First chapter is available on Google

Cultural anthropologyCultural anthropologists study patterns of belief and behavior found in modern and historic societies

Ethnographies: descriptive studies of human societies

Culture: learned behaviors transmitted over generations non-genetically

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Page 12: Intro to Physical Anthropology - WordPress.com...Essentials of Physical Anthropology. (10th edition). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth/Thomson Learning. First chapter is available on Google

Linguistic anthropologyLinguistic anthropologists: study the interactions between speech, language, and culture (e.g., role of symbols in society).

-compare/contrast modern languages to trace their historical ties

-language is uniquely human

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Page 13: Intro to Physical Anthropology - WordPress.com...Essentials of Physical Anthropology. (10th edition). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth/Thomson Learning. First chapter is available on Google

ArchaeologyArchaeologists: study the material remains of past societies

-analyze artifacts: objects made or modified for use by hominins

-excavate in order to gain info about human behavior

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Page 14: Intro to Physical Anthropology - WordPress.com...Essentials of Physical Anthropology. (10th edition). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth/Thomson Learning. First chapter is available on Google

Physical anthropologyPhysical anthropologists: study human biology and behavior in an evolutionary context

-explain variation in human adaptations

AKA biological anthropology-'biological' reflects modern shift towards using genetics, evolutionary biology, etc.

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Page 15: Intro to Physical Anthropology - WordPress.com...Essentials of Physical Anthropology. (10th edition). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth/Thomson Learning. First chapter is available on Google

Subfields of physical anthropologyPrimatologists: study nonhuman primate biology and behavior

-use the comparative approach

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Page 16: Intro to Physical Anthropology - WordPress.com...Essentials of Physical Anthropology. (10th edition). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth/Thomson Learning. First chapter is available on Google

Subfields of physical anthropologyPaleoanthropologists: study hominin anatomical and behavioral evolution in the fossil record.

-reconstruct our ancestors' adaptations and behaviors

Osteology: the study of skeleton structure and function

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Page 17: Intro to Physical Anthropology - WordPress.com...Essentials of Physical Anthropology. (10th edition). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth/Thomson Learning. First chapter is available on Google

Subfields of physical anthropology

Paleopathology: studies incidence of trauma, disease, nutritional deficiency, and other traces of pathology evident on human remains in the fossil record.

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Page 18: Intro to Physical Anthropology - WordPress.com...Essentials of Physical Anthropology. (10th edition). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth/Thomson Learning. First chapter is available on Google

Subfields of physical anthropology

Forensic anthropologists: apply archaeological and osteological techniques to legal matters

-identify and analyze skeletal remains that have legal significance

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

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Page 20: Intro to Physical Anthropology - WordPress.com...Essentials of Physical Anthropology. (10th edition). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth/Thomson Learning. First chapter is available on Google

Physical anthropologyBiocultural evolution: mutual, interactive evolution of human biology and culture

-behavioral aspects of human adaptationE.g., technology, traditions, language, marriage patterns, social roles, etc.

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