ARCH 131 Chapter Notes - Chapter 1: Theodosius Dobzhansky, Bioarchaeology, Dian Fossey
8 May 2018
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Chapter 1:
What is Biological Anthropology?
What is Anthropology?
• The study of humankind in a cross-cultural context.
• Anthropos hua, ad ology the stud of.
Theodosius Dobzhansky
• Nothig i iolog akes sese eept i the light of eolutio.
What is Evolution?
• The frequency of a particular trait and the genes that control it changing from one generation to
the next.
• Evolution forms the heart and soul of biological anthropology.
What is Biological Anthropology?
• The study of humans as biological organisms considered in an evolutionary framework;
sometimes called physical anthropology.
• Particularly concerned with the evolutionary transformations that occurred over the past 6 million
years, as an ape-like primate began to walk on two legs and became something different (a
hominin).
Subfields of Anthropology
• Biocultural Anthropology
o The study of the interaction between biology and culture, which plays a role in most
human traits.
o Vastly broader than the study of primates, fossils and brain evolution. It includes:
▪ Paleoanthropology
▪ Skeletal biology/osteology
▪ Paleopathology
▪ Forensic anthropology
▪ Primatology
▪ Human biology.
• Cultural Anthropology
o The study of human societies in a cross-cultural perspective; the amazing varieties of ways
in which people lead their daily lives is at the heart of the field.
o Subfield(s):
▪ Ethnology – the study of human societies and of the behaviour of people within
those societies (its practice is called Ethnography).
o The majority of practicing anthropologists in the US are cultural anthropologists.
• Linguistic Anthropology
o The study of the form, function and social context of language.
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