Chapter 1 - Exam Notes
Chapter 1 - Exam Notes - Biological makeup is influenced by genes and environment - Interdisciplinary science Arboreal: Tree-dwelling (adapted to live in trees) Morphology: Physical shape and appearance What is Anthro? - Historic - Comparative (humans have in common? differ? reasons for difference?) - Contextual - Holistic (how can we understand the entire picture of the human condition?) Anthro: Study of material remains and cultural features in order to reconstruct the daily life and customs of people who lived in the past, trace and explain cultural change - Study of humanity Biocultural Approach --> look at from biological and cultural perspectives Sub-Fields 1. Cultural Culture: Learned behaviour that is transmitted from person-person (generation-generation) - Humans are culture making species a) Ethnology --> cross-cultural research, comparative study of ethnographic data, society and culture b) Ethnography --> In depth study of particular cultural group, use field work to collect data c) Ethnohistory --> Use archeological evidence, historical documents and indigenous oral histories (multiple different source to construct a history) 2. Biological/Physical - Study of biological evolution and human biocultural variation - All aspects of present and past human biology 3. Archaeology - Study material remains and culture to reconstruct past and explain cultural change (artefacts) Artefacts: Material objects from past culture 4. Linguistic Language: Set of written or spoken symbols that refer to things other then themselves Historic Linguistics: Changes in language over time Structural or Descriptive Linguistics: Physical structure of language (how languages differ) Sociolinguistics: Study of language in social contexts - No anthropologist is an expert in all 4 subfields of anthro 1
Hominids - Earliest human ancestors --> 6-8 mya Hominids: Group of bipedal primates in family Hominidae (living/extinct) * 2 lineages: Modern human (Homo), Living Chimps (Pan) - Early hominids has slightly curved fingers and toes - Lived in woodlands NOT grasslands Physical Anthro Physical Anthro: Study of human biological evolution and human biocultural variation 1. Primatology --> biological and social nature of closest relatives Why Study Primates? - Figure out what is distinctively human - Behaviour of primates serve as models for ancestors that lived in similar environments 2. Paeloanthropology --> study fossil remains, GOAL: reconstruct human biological evolution 3. Osteology --> Study structure/function of skeleton (show changes in fossil materials and adaptations in living populations) 4. Human Biology --> interactions between environment, biology, behaviour 5. Forensic Anthro --> Anthro and the law - Physical anthropology is interdisciplinary Origins of Anthro - Linndeus --> system Natururae * Divided and classified humans into 4 categories * Hierarchical a) 19th Century - 1856 --> discovered fossils in Neander Valley, Germany (First specimen labelled Neandertal) b) Charles Darwin - 1859 "origin of species" - Explanation for observed diversity in nature c)Blumenbach (late 18th-early 19th) - "Father of Physical Anthro" - 5 Racial Categories d) Franz Boas - "Father of North American Anthro" - Reliance on scientific method - Focus on collecting evidence for testing hypothesis and answers * Observe natural world and record it, but to answer questions - Human societies best understood from as many angles as possible 6 Steps to Humanness - 6 mya primates began walking on two feet 1. Bipedalism 2
- Walking on 2 feet 2. Nonhoning Chewing - Nonhoning Canine: Upper canine that isn't sharpened against the lower third premolar - Loss of large honing canine tooth 3. Complex Material Culture and Tool Use - Culture: learned behaviour transmitted from person-person - Material Culture: Part of culture expressed as objects that humans use to manipulate environments - Need technology in society to function - Humans NOT only ones that use material culture (some chimps, etc) 4. Hunting - Social behaviour in which people (mostly men) pursue animals for food 5. Speech - Humans only animals that communicate by talking - Info. about long-term speech is in skeleton (ie. Hyoid bone, unique shape in hominids) 6. Dependence on Domesticated Food Scientific Method Data: Evidence gathered that helps answer questions, solve problems, use as scientific knowledge * Used to test hypothesis Hypothesis: Testable statements that explain phenomena observed in natural world * Reject or accept hypothesis * Explains observations, predict results of future investigations * Can be refuted by new evidence Scientific Method: Empirical research method; data gathered, hypothesis formulated/tested, conclusions drawn, validate or modify hypothesis 1. Identify problem based on earlier observation 2. State Hypothesis 3. Collect data (observations) 4. Test Hypothesis: Rejection, modification, acceptance - After collection and observation, develop a theory Theory: Set of hypothesis that have been rigorously tested and validated leading to their establishment as generally accepted phenomena Science: Process that provides new discoveries * Empirical --> verified through observation and experiment * Self correcting approach --> theories can be modified or replaced by better theories (revise its own errors) Scientific Law: A theory that becomes actually true * ie. law of gravity, thermodynamics, motion
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Hominids - Earliest human ancestors --> 6-8 mya Hominids: Group of bipedal primates in family Hominidae (living/extinct) * 2 lineages: Modern human (Homo), Living Chimps (Pan) - Early hominids has slightly curved fingers and toes - Lived in woodlands NOT grasslands Physical Anthro Physical Anthro: Study of human biological evolution and human biocultural variation 1. Primatology --> biological and social nature of closest relatives Why Study Primates? - Figure out what is distinctively human - Behaviour of primates serve as models for ancestors that lived in similar environments 2. Paeloanthropology --> study fossil remains, GOAL: reconstruct human biological evolution 3. Osteology --> Study structure/function of skeleton (show changes in fossil materials and adaptations in living populations) 4. Human Biology --> interactions between environment, biology, behaviour 5. Forensic Anthro --> Anthro and the law - Physical anthropology is interdisciplinary Origins of Anthro - Linndeus --> system Natururae * Divided and classified humans into 4 categories * Hierarchical a) 19th Century - 1856 --> discovered fossils in Neander Valley, Germany (First specimen labelled Neandertal) b) Charles Darwin - 1859 "origin of species" - Explanation for observed diversity in nature c)Blumenbach (late 18th-early 19th) - "Father of Physical Anthro" - 5 Racial Categories d) Franz Boas - "Father of North American Anthro" - Reliance on scientific method - Focus on collecting evidence for testing hypothesis and answers * Observe natural world and record it, but to answer questions - Human societies best understood from as many angles as possible 6 Steps to Humanness - 6 mya primates began walking on two feet 1. Bipedalism 2
- Walking on 2 feet 2. Nonhoning Chewing - Nonhoning Canine: Upper canine that isn't sharpened against the lower third premolar - Loss of large honing canine tooth 3. Complex Material Culture and Tool Use - Culture: learned behaviour transmitted from person-person - Material Culture: Part of culture expressed as objects that humans use to manipulate environments - Need technology in society to function - Humans NOT only ones that use material culture (some chimps, etc) 4. Hunting - Social behaviour in which people (mostly men) pursue animals for food 5. Speech - Humans only animals that communicate by talking - Info. about long-term speech is in skeleton (ie. Hyoid bone, unique shape in hominids) 6. Dependence on Domesticated Food Scientific Method Data: Evidence gathered that helps answer questions, solve problems, use as scientific knowledge * Used to test hypothesis Hypothesis: Testable statements that explain phenomena observed in natural world * Reject or accept hypothesis * Explains observations, predict results of future investigations * Can be refuted by new evidence Scientific Method: Empirical research method; data gathered, hypothesis formulated/tested, conclusions drawn, validate or modify hypothesis 1. Identify problem based on earlier observation 2. State Hypothesis 3. Collect data (observations) 4. Test Hypothesis: Rejection, modification, acceptance - After collection and observation, develop a theory Theory: Set of hypothesis that have been rigorously tested and validated leading to their establishment as generally accepted phenomena Science: Process that provides new discoveries * Empirical --> verified through observation and experiment * Self correcting approach --> theories can be modified or replaced by better theories (revise its own errors) Scientific Law: A theory that becomes actually true * ie. law of gravity, thermodynamics, motion
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