Physical Anthropology Exam 1 Material
What is Anthropology? - correct answer ✔✔The scientific study of human biological and cultural
variation and evolution.
Questions:
How are we different and similar across space and time. How do we change?
Define Culture. - correct answer ✔✔Shared behaviors and values transmitted from parents to children.
Can be commonplace in a particular geographical area, but not locked to a specific region because
people can move around.
What are the reasons people behave differently from one another and also vary anatomically? - correct
answer ✔✔Humans have adapted to their natural and social environments in a variety of ways.
1. biological adaptations = not consciously made, like the ability to regulate temp via sweating.
2. cultural adaptations = consciously made chosen adaptation. Like how we put on clothes when we are
cold.
What are the 4 sub fields of anthropology? - correct answer ✔✔1. Cultural anthropology
2. Archaeology
3. Linguistic Anthropology
4. Physical Anthropology
What is studied in Cultural Anthropology? - correct answer ✔✔Culture/behaviors of currently or recent
human populations. You can study globalization and fashion, and how they impact humans.
What is studied under Archaeology? - correct answer ✔✔The study of historic or prehistoric populations
through their material remains. Not the study of pottery shards, but the study of those who owned the
pottery in the past!
,What is studied in linguistic anthropology? - correct answer ✔✔Essentially human language is studied.
How is it different and yet the same? How does it change over time?
What is studied under Physical Anthropology? - correct answer ✔✔Also known as biological
anthropology.
Study of human biological evolution and physiological characteristics in both the past and present.
The term bio anthropology includes newer technology like DNA analysis, where as physical anthropology
reflects studies of bones and other dated methods. They are essentially interchangeable today.
How is physical anthropology both a biological science and a social science? - correct answer ✔✔It is
biological because it studies adaptations, evolution in modern and prehistoric populations, fossil
ancestors also.
It is social because it looks at human biology in the context of culture and behavior. What sorts of
behaviors are there because of our embodied experience?
What are the 3 main research questions of physical anthropology? - correct answer ✔✔1. What is the
origin of the human species?
- When did homo... start? Will we be able to trace the tree of life?
2. How are humans related to other organisms?
- What is our place related to other current and past species?
3. Why do humans around the world vary?
- Why are some of us 5/3 while the rock is 6 ft tall? do these differences have a benefit? What are these
differences?
What are primate studies useful for? - correct answer ✔✔They are the study of our closest living
relatives. This enables us to create models to help explain the evolution of human morphology and the
origins of human nature. Comparasion is a helpful tool when trying to understand something, in this case
humans. How are they the same or different.
, Why is it useful to study fossil and archaeological remains? - correct answer ✔✔It helps us understand
anatomical and behavioral changes in the human lineage over time.
did our ancestors look like us?
Also, analyzing the changes helps us determine where, when, and why humans evolved!
Why are genetics crucial to physical anthropologists? - correct answer ✔✔Key to understanding human
evolution.
Explains how species change and hoe new species arise.
It also enables us to reconstruct the evolutionary history of the human lineage.
We used to base our relatedness on morphological similarities between humans and other species. Now
we can compare whole genomes. We can now compare how genetics relates to what we previously
thought based on morphological differences.
What is science? - correct answer ✔✔It is one way to acquire knowledge. Knowledge is the intersection
of truth and belief.
and believe can come from religion, science, experience, but it ISNT ALWAYS TRUE>
What are the basic elements of science? - correct answer ✔✔Science is concerned with observable
phenomena.
the basic elements of it are...
1. Pattern searching in nature
2. Brainstorming to attempt to explain what is seen in nature
and
3. Testing the hypotheses about nature to support one or more of the new explanations.
What is the scientific method? - correct answer ✔✔A 4 step process to conducting science.
What is Anthropology? - correct answer ✔✔The scientific study of human biological and cultural
variation and evolution.
Questions:
How are we different and similar across space and time. How do we change?
Define Culture. - correct answer ✔✔Shared behaviors and values transmitted from parents to children.
Can be commonplace in a particular geographical area, but not locked to a specific region because
people can move around.
What are the reasons people behave differently from one another and also vary anatomically? - correct
answer ✔✔Humans have adapted to their natural and social environments in a variety of ways.
1. biological adaptations = not consciously made, like the ability to regulate temp via sweating.
2. cultural adaptations = consciously made chosen adaptation. Like how we put on clothes when we are
cold.
What are the 4 sub fields of anthropology? - correct answer ✔✔1. Cultural anthropology
2. Archaeology
3. Linguistic Anthropology
4. Physical Anthropology
What is studied in Cultural Anthropology? - correct answer ✔✔Culture/behaviors of currently or recent
human populations. You can study globalization and fashion, and how they impact humans.
What is studied under Archaeology? - correct answer ✔✔The study of historic or prehistoric populations
through their material remains. Not the study of pottery shards, but the study of those who owned the
pottery in the past!
,What is studied in linguistic anthropology? - correct answer ✔✔Essentially human language is studied.
How is it different and yet the same? How does it change over time?
What is studied under Physical Anthropology? - correct answer ✔✔Also known as biological
anthropology.
Study of human biological evolution and physiological characteristics in both the past and present.
The term bio anthropology includes newer technology like DNA analysis, where as physical anthropology
reflects studies of bones and other dated methods. They are essentially interchangeable today.
How is physical anthropology both a biological science and a social science? - correct answer ✔✔It is
biological because it studies adaptations, evolution in modern and prehistoric populations, fossil
ancestors also.
It is social because it looks at human biology in the context of culture and behavior. What sorts of
behaviors are there because of our embodied experience?
What are the 3 main research questions of physical anthropology? - correct answer ✔✔1. What is the
origin of the human species?
- When did homo... start? Will we be able to trace the tree of life?
2. How are humans related to other organisms?
- What is our place related to other current and past species?
3. Why do humans around the world vary?
- Why are some of us 5/3 while the rock is 6 ft tall? do these differences have a benefit? What are these
differences?
What are primate studies useful for? - correct answer ✔✔They are the study of our closest living
relatives. This enables us to create models to help explain the evolution of human morphology and the
origins of human nature. Comparasion is a helpful tool when trying to understand something, in this case
humans. How are they the same or different.
, Why is it useful to study fossil and archaeological remains? - correct answer ✔✔It helps us understand
anatomical and behavioral changes in the human lineage over time.
did our ancestors look like us?
Also, analyzing the changes helps us determine where, when, and why humans evolved!
Why are genetics crucial to physical anthropologists? - correct answer ✔✔Key to understanding human
evolution.
Explains how species change and hoe new species arise.
It also enables us to reconstruct the evolutionary history of the human lineage.
We used to base our relatedness on morphological similarities between humans and other species. Now
we can compare whole genomes. We can now compare how genetics relates to what we previously
thought based on morphological differences.
What is science? - correct answer ✔✔It is one way to acquire knowledge. Knowledge is the intersection
of truth and belief.
and believe can come from religion, science, experience, but it ISNT ALWAYS TRUE>
What are the basic elements of science? - correct answer ✔✔Science is concerned with observable
phenomena.
the basic elements of it are...
1. Pattern searching in nature
2. Brainstorming to attempt to explain what is seen in nature
and
3. Testing the hypotheses about nature to support one or more of the new explanations.
What is the scientific method? - correct answer ✔✔A 4 step process to conducting science.
