The Human Species: Where Do We Come From
Introduction:
A multidisciplinary approach involves combining different academic disciples
or specialisations to create new knowledge and theories.
It is a very broad field that includes diverse areas of study, such as:
o Palaeoanthropology – concerned with the origin and development of
the human species.
o Primatology – concentrates on the anatomy, social structure and
behaviour of non-human primates.
o Medical anthropology – studies the influence of social, cultural,
biological and linguistic factors on human health and wellbeing.
o Forensic anthropology – applies biological/physical anthropology to the
legal process.
The biological aspects of human beings impact everything else, including
culture, language, race, ethnicity, family and social relationships.
The Development of Human Beings:
Taxonomy is a method of classifying things through organising, grouping,
naming and describing them.
The hierarchical system consisted of 7 levels:
o Kingdom:
Highest category
3 Kingdoms: animals, plants and minerals
Modern scientists have expanded it to 5 kingdoms: animals,
plants, fungi, protozoa and bacteria.
o Phylum:
Organisms are further divided by their general characteristics.
Such as backbones.
o Class:
Organisms in a phylum are divided into classes.
o Order:
Each class is divided into smaller groups, known as orders.
o Family:
In every order, there are different families, which have very
similar features.
o Genus:
Based on similar features, every family is divided into smaller
groups known as genus.
o Species:
On the most specific level, species who share unique body
structures and characteristics, and are considered to be closely
related, are placed together.
Introduction:
A multidisciplinary approach involves combining different academic disciples
or specialisations to create new knowledge and theories.
It is a very broad field that includes diverse areas of study, such as:
o Palaeoanthropology – concerned with the origin and development of
the human species.
o Primatology – concentrates on the anatomy, social structure and
behaviour of non-human primates.
o Medical anthropology – studies the influence of social, cultural,
biological and linguistic factors on human health and wellbeing.
o Forensic anthropology – applies biological/physical anthropology to the
legal process.
The biological aspects of human beings impact everything else, including
culture, language, race, ethnicity, family and social relationships.
The Development of Human Beings:
Taxonomy is a method of classifying things through organising, grouping,
naming and describing them.
The hierarchical system consisted of 7 levels:
o Kingdom:
Highest category
3 Kingdoms: animals, plants and minerals
Modern scientists have expanded it to 5 kingdoms: animals,
plants, fungi, protozoa and bacteria.
o Phylum:
Organisms are further divided by their general characteristics.
Such as backbones.
o Class:
Organisms in a phylum are divided into classes.
o Order:
Each class is divided into smaller groups, known as orders.
o Family:
In every order, there are different families, which have very
similar features.
o Genus:
Based on similar features, every family is divided into smaller
groups known as genus.
o Species:
On the most specific level, species who share unique body
structures and characteristics, and are considered to be closely
related, are placed together.
