Biological Anthropology vocab

anatomical

Pertaining to an organism’s physical structure

anthropology

the study of humankind viewed from the perspective of all people and all times

arboreal

tree-dwelling adapted to living in the trees

archaeology

the study of historic or prehistoric human populations through the analysis of material remains

artifacts

material objects from past cultures

biocultural approach

the scientific study of the interrelationship between what humans have inherited genetically and culturally

biological anthropology

the study of the evolution, variation, and adaption of humans and their past and present relatives; sometimes called physical anthropology

bipedalism

walking on two feet

cultural anthropology

the study of modern human societies through the analysis of the origin evolution and variation of culture

culture

learned behavior that is transmitted from one persone to another

data

evidence gathered to help answer questions solve problems and fill gaps in scientific knowledge

empirical

verified through observation and experiment

evolvability

the capacity to evolve

forensic anthropology

the branch of biological anthropology pertaining to the recovery, analysis, and identification of human remains

genome

the complete set of genetic information chromosomal and mitochondrial DNA for an organisms or species that represents all the inheritable traits

hominins

humans and humanlike ancestors

hypotheses

testable statements that potentially explain specific phenomena observed in the natural world

language

a set of written or spoken symbols used by humans to refer to thing (people, places, concepts) other than themselves

linguistic anthropology

the study of construction uses and form of language in human populations

material culture

the part of culture that is expressed as objects that humans use to manipulate environments

morphology

physical shape and appearance

nonphoning canine

an upper canine tooth that as part of a nonhoning chewing mechanisms is not sharpened against the lower their premolar

physical anthropology

the study of the evolution, variation, and adaption of humans and their past and present relatives

primates

a group of mammals in the order primates that have complex behavior, varied forms of locomotion, and a unique suite of traits, including large brains, forward-facing eyes, fingernails and reduced snouts

scientific law

a statement of fact describing natural phenomena

scientific method

an empirical research method in which data are gathered from observations of phenomena hypotheses are formulated and tested and conclusions are drawn that validate or modify the original hypotheses

social learning

the capacity to learn from other humans, enabling the accumulation of knowledge across many generations.

sociolinguistics

the science of investigating language’s social contexts

terrestrial

life-forms, including humans, that live on land versus living in water or in trees.

theory

a set of hypotheses that have been rigorously tested and validated leading to their establishment as a generally accepted explanation of specific phenomena

Fossils

physical remains of part or all of once living organisms, mostly bones and teeth that have become mineralized by the replacement of organic with inorganic materials

species

a group of closely related organisms having the potential to interbreed and produce offspring

habitat

the specific area of the natural environment in which an organism lives

adaptations

changes in physical structure, function or behavior that allow an organisms or species to survive and reproduce in an given environment

natural selection

the process by which some organisms with features that enable them to adapt to the environment preferentially survive and reproduce there by increasing he frequency of those features in the population

adaptive radiation

the diversification of an ancestral group of organisms into new forms that are adapted to specific environmental niches