2. INTRODUCTION
• Firstly, What is Anthropology?
• The term originates from two words in Greek:
• (1) anthropos meaning “man” as in “human
being”
• (2) logos meaning “study”.
3. • Consequently we can say that anthropology
can be defined as: “the study of human
beings”.
-Yet many other humanities, sciences and social
sciences could also be defined as “the study of
human beings” since the definition itself is so
broad.
4. • Anthropology is transcultural; looks at all human
groups, large and small; distant and near.
- anthropology spans all of human history,
the ancient and the modern. We must know
the past to understand the present.
• The Scientific and Humanistic Study of the human
species that explores human diversity in time and
space (Kottak, 2009)
5. • In our own creed, we have defined it as -The
Science of man in his physical, Social, Material
and cultural development; including the study
of his origins, evolution, geographic distribution,
ethnology and communal forms.
• It is comparative and cross cultural.
• Its Divisions include:
• Cultural; Biological/Physical; Archeological;
Linguistic, Applied Anthropology.
6. • Anthropology builds upon the knowledge of
the Biological, Social and Physical Sciences and
Humanities to develop and explain contiguous
relationships in the history of man. It is
holistic.
• The hallmark of Anthropology is to clearly
establish physical, cultural and material
similarities and differences between societies.
7. WHAT IS BIOLOGICAL ANTHROPOLOGY
• Study on how humans adapt to diverse
environments; how biological and cultural
processes work together to shape growth,
development and behavior, and what causes
diseases and early death.
• A study of human biological variations
• Also called Physical Anthropology
8. Focuses on humans as biological organisms
Biological organisms
Have similar features and needs
Are the products of evolutionary and
environmental forces
Are genetically unique
9. • Biological evolution is the
background for culture as a method
of adaptation to physical
environmental conditions.
• Human evolution is a story of co-
evolution: cultural and biological
change reinforcing one another.
10. • The focus of Biological variation unites five special
interests:
• Human evolution are revealed by the fossil records
(Paleoanthropology)
• Human Genetics
• Human Growth and development
• Human biological plasticity- ability to change and
cope with stress (Bioarcheology)
• Biology and evolution of non-human primates.
11. • To understand these processes, biological
anthropologists study other primates
(Primatology)
• The fossil record (Paleoanthropology)- The science
that treats with the ancient life of the globe or
fossil organisms, either plants or animals.
• Prehistoric people (Bioarcheology)
• And the biology (e.g health, cognition, hormones,
growth and development) and genetics of living
population.
12. 12
Basic Hominid Adaptations
• Bipedalism
• Orthograde posture
• Rotation and narrowing of the pelvis
• All were biological adaptations that provided
some of our ancestors with unique reproductive
advantages.
13. 13
Orthograde apes
• Those advantages came before the
increase in brain size that we
associate with the development of
humans.
• The earliest human ancestors, then,
were orthograde apes.
14. 14
Increase in Brain Size
• Development of the brain case in
Australopithecus produced other advantages –
an increase in the capacity for tool making,
implying better communication skills. Note the
italics.
• With Homo erectus, there is further expansion
of the brain and greater control of lithic
resources.
15. • The doctrine that all forms of life originated by
descent, with gradual or abrupt modification,
from pre-existing forms which themselves trace
backwards in a continuing series to the most
rudimentary organisms.
• Series of changes by which an organism has
acquired the physiological and structural
characteristics that differentiate it from other
types: Phylogeny – History of evolution of a
specie; tribal or racial history.
EVOLUTION- AN IMPORTANT ASPECT OF BIOANTHROPOLOGY
16. • Literarily, ‘The measure of man’
• ------ Quantifying human variability
• What?
• -------- Physical Measures
• ---------Height, weight, reach, length, width,
depth, circumference, surface area etc.
• ---------- Strength, dexterity, range of motion.
ANTHROPOMETRY: ALSO AN IMPORTANT TOOL
