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Anthropology exam one

Terms in this set (110)

hypothesis
a proposed explanation for a natural phenomenon
deduction
suggesting specific data that would be found if a hypothesis were true. Works from the general to the specific
induction
the process of developing a general explanation from specific observations
theory
a general ideas that explains a wide range of factual patterns
anthropology
the study of humans
What do anthropologist do?
they try to answer questions about the human species
-why we behave the way we do
-why we have evolved the way we have
-why cultures are so different
-to gain scientific knowledge about human species
What are the four sub-fields of anthropology?
biological anthropology
cultural anthropology
linguistic anthropology
archaeology
anthropological perspective
-cross-cultural ( personal experience is not enough you
must expand yourself to understand)
-understanding of human diversity( biological, cultural, historical) all are essential to solving contemporary problems
-holistic perspective
biological anthropology
covers:
human genetics
human genetics and diversity
Human's and primate relatives
anthropology is a...
social science that originally started with a focus on foreign places
comparative prospective
looking at foreign societies to better our society
participant observer
how do you go about doing your research
primate
the category of animals including humans apes and monkeys
culture
the complex set of learned values and behaviors followed by a community
ethnocentrism
the belief that ones own culture is the best
anthropological ethics
-study living populations of humans and our primate relatives
the 1st step of all sciences
linnaeus( swedish scholar 1700's)
-binomial nomenclature( two names) genus species
Binomial nomenclature classifications
kingdom,phylum,class,order,species
humans are...
vertebrates,animals,mammals,primates
Traits we get from the animal kingdom
-take in food from environment
-mobile
traits we get as vertebrate
-bilateral symmetry-line of symmetry
-internal skeleton
-jaws and teeth
-warm blooded ( hair, fur, sweat glands)
-offspring born alive
-differentiated teeth
characteristics of first primates
-origins in arboreal adaptation
-grasping hands(and nails)
-complex vision( color vision, depth perception,both eyes infront, good sense of smell)
-larger brains ( relative to body size)longer childhoods
-social
-more learning
Major kind of primates
-prosimians(lemur,lorises) -least like humans ( nocturnal) most snouty(found in africa)
-New world monkeys- (central and south america) spider monkeys, howler monkeys
-Old work monkeys-( africa,asia)boboons, macaques,diurnal,have tails
-apes (also africa and asia) chimps , gorillas , orangutans ( typically diurnal)
research strategies
-in laboratory- unnatural conditions but easy accessible
-natural wild setting-much more natural behavior but logistically difficult
-controlled outdoor
primate diet
- some species focus on leaves others on fruit
-some species are insectivours
primate social life
-travel in 4-140 individuals
- grooming, parenting/child relations
-new world monkeys have large troops
-dominance hierarchies- rankings of individuals in terms of access to food, mating, etc ( well known in baboons, macaques,chimps,gorilla
- communication: both vocal a gestural
What characteristics do humans share with primates?
-flexible hands and complex vision-precision grip
-even more learning
-even longer childhood
-even larger brain( relative to body size)
how are humans different from primates?
-Bipedalism( dont have grasping toes)
-loss of visible estrus
- humans casual sexually relationships vs primate mating
future of our primate relatives
between 1/3 and 1/2 are threatened by extinction
because of:
habitat destruction( logging agriculture)
hunting
principles of evolution
natural selection- charles darwin
evolution
theory in biology,species change over time and have ancestry
important concepts of darwin's model
-heritage variation- characteristics that are inherited from generation to generation. things that will be inherited with then a species
-overproduction- only a small amount of offspring make it to adult hood, they produce more offspring than will survive
-natural selection- nature chooses- survival of the fittest has the highest level of fitness
human evolution: fossil evidence and discovery
-humans are specialized apes
-apes had interlocking canines( we dont) they also had bigger canines than us
-our faces are much flatter and cranial area is larger;brow ridges less noticeable
-humans foreman magnum is located directly under skull
-apes are behind the skull because they walk on all fours
cranial capacity
volume measure of size of skull 700cc\
Big transition #1
Bipedalism ( Lucy)
4,400,000
partial fossils found in ethiopia
*ardipithecus ramidus
- possible bipedal but not enough fossils to be sure
-6,000,000-450,000 years ago
Australopithecus Afarensis
-bipedal
-3.5ft tall
- small brain(450-500cc)
-ape like jaw
-no tools
-become extinct
Latileo Footprints
Proved bipedalism
pros and cons of bipedalism
-decreases ability to climb trees
-decrease speed when escaping from predators
-allows greater walking distances when searching for food( forest get smaller, grasslands expand)
Natures selective forces on bipedalism
1. older hypothesis: bipedalism cause by increase brain size made them make tools needed hands FALSE BECAUSE bipedalism came prior to increase brain size
2. climate change: more grasslands- change in die better at long distance travel for food. hands were now free
3. bipedalism gave free arms for taking car of offspring this increased the rate of reproduction
4.approved ability to cope with hot weather ( less surface area is in direct sun)
*both ground and trees
Australopithecus africanus robustus
-2-3 mya
africa
-bipedal
-possible tool use
Louis and Mary Leakey
anthropologist who made many great fossil finds in kenya
Big transition #2
Increased brain size (cranial capacity)-Homo Habis
homo habilis
-2.5 mya
-east africa
-stone tools( oldowan peddle tools)
-larger brain(700cc)
-more grassile face
big transition #3
expansion beyond africa: homo erectus
and
New types of primates found outside of africa( with the name Homo Sapien- 500,000ya) flake tools
homo erectus
-africa/asia
-1.8mya
-larger brain size (1000-1100cc)
-possible first use of fire
-possible first big game hunter
-user of bifacial tools
-hand axes
Genetic Drift
homo floresiensis
-found on the island of sumatra south east asia in 2004
-confusing combination of characteristics: skull form similar to homo erectus but much smaller and feet similar to Australopithecus
homo sapiens neanderthalensis
- found in europe /middle east
-300,000
-large,robust,skeleton
-big game hunting
-tools
-burial
-cranial capacity (1600cc)
-larger ( 5'10)hefty bones
- caves
homo sapiens sapiens
humans( very close to modern humans)
-global
-blade tools
-bone tools
-art
-eventual agriculture
-100,000-20,000ya
-cranial capacity (1450-1500cc)
-more gracile skull, teeth, skeleton
what has happened since 10,000bp?
-cranial capacity has not changed significantly
-teeth and jaws have become even more gracile
-in the last 80 years people have become taller
-major changes have been cultural not biological
key points about your evolutionary background
-modern humans evolved as hunter gatherers
(diets low in fats sugars and salt mostly at meat)
-social beings
-mobile communities
-cooperative living to preserve the human species
how does our evolutionary heritage impact our health?
-sugar,fat,and salt of modern society
-there is a mismatch between our paleolithic biology and our more recent culture
-our biology is much older than out lifestyles
heritable variation
-the base for evolution by natural selection
-darwin didnt know how genetics worked
-not all human variation is genetic, but important aspects
Nucleus
-every cell has one
-where genetic material is found
simple genetics
- humans have 46 chromosomes ( 2x23)=(mom x dad)
-chromosomes come in pairs
-segments within chromosomes are called genes
-over 30,000 genes
-genes come in pairs like chromosome
chromosome
microscopic thread like structures found in nucleus of each cell they come in pairs
genes
segment of chromosome which carries genetic information for one trait, they also come in pairs
trait
a characteristic such as height and eye color
allele
variation of a gene( A,B,O blood types)
heterozygous
an individual with two different alleles for a trait
homozygous
an individual with two identical alleles for a trait
dominant
need only one allele to express trait
recessive
needs two alleles to express the trait
phenotype
visible genetic variability
genotype
actual genetic variability
*more genetic variability in genotype than what is seen in phenotypes
discrete trait
variation falls into clear separate categories ( tongue roller- non tongue roller)
continuous trait
no clearly separated categories ( curliness of hair)
blood types
- has to do with proteins in blood
-ABO system - three alleles each person only has two
-A and B are dominant over O
-A and B are co dominant to eachother
genetic traits:simple traits
-1 pair of genes
-not influenced by environment( doesnt matter what your diet is or where you live)
-discrete
=example:blood type
genetic traits: complex traits
-greater than one pair of genes
-influenced by environment(is modified by diet and temp)
-continuous
-example:height
sickle cell anemia
two alleles: N-normal red blood cells;dominant
S- sickled red blood cells;recessive
-is concentrated in populations near equator ( or recent decedents)
three genotypes of sickle cell anemia
-homozygous- NN-healthy red blood cells ( homozygous dominant)
-heterozygous-NS-healthy red blood cells( has extra resistance to malaria)
-homozygous recessive- ss- sickle cell anemia; possible early death
complex trait: skin color
-skin color is created by the presence of pigment melanin
-amount of melanin is controlled by multiple pairs of genes
-skin color is influence by environment
skin color
is continuous( everyone is slightly different in a continuous pattern)
-skin color is distributed in a cline, gradual, variation over geography, darker skin near equator( prior to recent/modern population movement)
big question: what natural selective forces influence the cline of skin color?
-sunshine and ultraviolet radiation ( intensity of sunshine)
-vitamin B or folate( vitamins needed for healthy body)
theories of natural selection on skin color
-lighter skin in cooler less sunny environments
-uv rays from sunlight influence how the body manages vitamin b we need vit b to produce dna and create new cells
-cell division us especially important in earliest stages of the embryos development. skin color regulates this process so that a healthy fetus can develop
-light skin allows for more sunlight to reach the cells
-in order to facilitate adequate vit d in the body and therefore adequate metabolism of calcium for strong bones
race
is a cultural category not a legitimate biological category
-but the category of race has biological implications for the lives of individuals
a folk taxonomy
race- based on cultural not scientific standards
Hutterites
450 year old religious group of people of European descent
-practiced a form or christianity that emphasized pacifism and tolerance
-founded in 1528 in moravia (czech republic)
-located now in canadian provinces of manitoba,saskacchewan,alberta,british columbia and montana north and south dakota and washington
-economic base of agriculture
-live in bruderhofs-colonies of 100 people
-communal lifestyle
biocultural
focusing on the interaction of biology and culture
cultural relativity
studying another culture from its point of view without imposing our own cultural values
scientific method
the formal process of conducting scientific inquiry
steps of scientific method
hypothesis
induction
deduction
theory
hypothesis
a proposed explanation for a natural phenomenon
induction
the process of developing a general explanation from specific observations
deduction
suggesting specific data that would be found if a hypothesis were true
theory
a general idea that explains a large set of factual patterns
belief systems
ideas that are taken on faith and cannot be scientifically tested
indigenous
native; refers to a group of people with a long history in a particular area
pseudoscience
scientifically testable ideas that are taken on faith without scientific evidence to support them or even when tested and shown to be false
What does "theory" mean in science, as opposed to in casual conversation?
-it is NOT a synonym for hypothesis or a guess
-it IS a general concept made up of interacting and well supported hypotheses that explains and interprets a wide range of factual patterns
what is the difference between science and belief systems?
no culture can function without both
science tells us how heaven is, belief systems tell us how to get to heaven
what are the characteristics of anthropology that set it apart from other social sciences?
it attempts to explain observed phenomena of human biology and culture and it does so by generating anf testing hypotheses
-creates a better understanding of ourselves and others -we become more likely to learn how to cope with the numerous and rapid changes that confront us in the modern word
what is the essence or defining characteristic of science?
is the method of inquiry that generates testable hypothesis to explain the real world and then test those hypothesis to derive new theories
What key things did darwin NOT know when he proposed his model of evolution by natural selection?
-he didnt understand how traits in liviing organisms were passed on
-he didnt know where variation came from
bonobo
-similar sexual relationships to humans
-longer estrus cycle
-face to face sexual interactions
folk taxonomy
a system of classification based on the relationships among cultural categories for important items and ideas
race is...
races
in biology the same as subspecies
-in culture categories that classify and account for human diversity
natural selection/fitness
genetic characteristics to survive in the surrounding environment
genetic drift
caused by random forces in small populations ( only relevant in small populations
Dominance hierarchy
Social ranking based on individual differences
Grooming
An activity that serves the practical purpose of removing dirt and parasites but also acts as a means of reassurance to maintain a groups harmony and unity
how does our paleolithic biology affect our modern health?
there is a mismatch between our paleolithic culture and our cultural lifesyles now
-our body's werent made to digest high sugars and fats because these foods werent available to us in paleolithic times
what biological impact does race have on humans?
...
what are the three main conclusions of "What are friends for?"
1. Long term bonds can be formed on the bases of social benefits
2.primate research shows that emotionally intense male-female relationships can occur without sexual exclusiveness ( ancestral men and women did this long before marriage was invented into society)
3. male primates provide mothers and infants with social benefits even when they are unlikely to be fathers of those infants.in return females provide a variety of benefits to the males ( acceptance into the group, increased mating opp in the future)
*females dont have to restrict mating to just one male in order to obtain male parental investment.
What is the function of sexuality among early hominids and later humans?
In early hominids sex was solely for the purpose of reproduction
Later humans respond sexually to someone we find attractive not through signals
According to park do humans have concealed ovulation and continual sexual receptivity?
Because sexuality has become apart of our consciousness
We replaced unconscious inate sexual signals with sexually consciousness
What do forensic anthropologist and archeologists contribute to disaster recovery efforts?
They are there to gather evidence, recover remains, personal effects, office documents and other materials in a forensically controlled manner
What did they learn in the experience of recovery at ground zero?
There was a need to strengthen the field recovery remains as a first step in identifying victims
The evolution-creation controversy how are they alike?
Almost all discoveries made during the last century in biology and geology either stem from or add to our understanding of evolution

Creationist reference numerous sources that demonstrate that their conclusions are almost entirely dependent upon research carried out by evolutionist
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