ANTH 101 Learning Objectives Quiz 1

Still a WIP

Distinguish between an emic and an etic perspective

Emic - Insider’s view; Understanding cultural practices as members themself do

Etic - Outsider’s analytical view - interpreting cultural practices using external theories + frameworks

Identify the four subfields of anthropology and describe the kinds of research projects associated with each subfield

Cultural - study abroad in culturally significant places, participate

Linguistics - examines languages, understanding different languages and their history of

Archaeology - investigates material remains, sites, and burial sites

Biological - putting together ancient human remains, studying primates

Explain how anthropology is different from other disciplines that study humans

Anthropology is the study of humans, both present and past; focuses on human diversity across space and time; tries to answer the question “what does it mean to be human?”

Identify the subfield of anthropology that Dr. Blong specialises in

Archaeology

Identify the goals of anthropology

1. understnad the diversity of human behaviour and society

2. seek to answer “what does it mean to be human”

3. use the comparative method to analyze between cultures

4. employ a holistic approach integrating biology, society, language and culture

Define culture and enculturation

Culture - shared, learned system of beliefs, practices, and symbols in a group

Enculturation - the lifelong process of learning a culture’s traits and expectations

Define Cultural Universal and Culture Shock

Cultural Universal - behaviours or beliefs found in all human societies, ex: language, marriage, spirituality, tools, music + art

Culture Shock - discomfot or disorientation from encountering a new culture

Define cultural relativism and describe how anthropologists use this concept to understand cultures

Cultural relativism — studying cultures without imposing outside judgements

Anthropologists use this concept to compare and contrast cultures and avoid ethnocentrism. It is used for acceptance and openness

Describe ethnocentrism and how it affects an individual’s worldview

Ethnocentrism - the belief that one’s own culture is superior to others

It affects an individual’s worldview by applying prejudices and closes one’s mind off to be accepting of other cultures

Recall the four defining elements of culture and provide examples of each

Learned - through enculturation, observing, imitating, instruction, etc. Anthropologists use this method often

Dynamic - changes in response to both internal & external factors. Guatemalan culture switched from weaving hammocks from cotton to nylon.

Shared - traditions are passed from generation to generation, ex, American culture, football, food, etc

Symbolic - Language, writing, music, poetry

Provide examples of the link between environment, biology, and culture

Environmental factors drive adaptations through gene flow, gene mutation, genetic drift, and natural selection. Climate also affects culture - what you wear, what you are praying for, etc.

Define adaptive complexity and give an example

Adaptive complexity - accumulation of traits increasing organismal complexity. Ex: hominins developing bipedal traits increase their complexity, allows them to do more

Describe the four mechanisms of evolution

Mutation - introduces new genetic variation

Gene flow - exchanges genes between populations

Genetic Drift - random sampling

Natural Selection - directed adaptation

Recall three key concepts in the theory of evolution by natural selection

• There exists genetic variation in a population

• This variation is heritable

• Some traits will allow individuals to be more successful

Describe how natural selection operates

The species with less advantageous traits die off, while the more successful species survive and adapt more

Answer the question: are humans still evolving by natural selection?

Humans are somewhat still evolving by natural selection.

Describe an example that answers the question “are humans still evolving by natural selection?”

+ Wisdom teeth: some people are evolving to not have wisdom teeth (3rd set molars). Could be evolving by natural selection in less developed countries without medical access where they could pass away from sepsis, infection, etc

- Medical technology: The development of medical technology increases the survival rate, therefore reducing the need for natural selection

Explain why all primates haven’t evolved into humans

All primates haven’t evolved into humans because there hasn’t been the necessary environmental factors that drive adaptation

Understand why scientists study primates in anthropology

Scientists study primates in anthropology to compare and contrast their culture with ours, study intelligence and tool use, develop an answer for human evolution, help endangered species

Identify the difference between primitive and derived traits

Primitive Traits - traits that come from a shared ancestor of all primates (body hair, pentadactyl, clavicle, fingernails)

Derived Traits - traits that adapted to conditions (human bipedalism)

Identify the suite of five traits that distinguish primates from other animals

Limbs + Locomotion - mobile shoulders, five digits, opposable thumbs/toes

Dentition - heterodoxy, enabling a generalized diet

Sensory Systems - forward-facing eyes, trichromatic vision, reduced sense of smell, highly tactile fingers with nails and fingerprints

Growth + Development - slow reproduction, long gestation, few offspring, high parental investment, complex brains

Adaptability - arboreal origins, ability to thrive in diverse environments, elaborate social structures

Define cumulative culture

Cumulative culture - knowledge, skills, innovations are shared AND built upon. Leads to complex cultural products

Compare and contrast non-human versus human culture

Compare: tool use, social structure/compassion, grooming, observed learning

Contrast: largely missing symbolic culture, music, art, language

Describe examples of shared, socially-transmitted behaviours in birds and chimpanzees

Birds - regional song dialects learned socially

Corvids - complex tool use + social learning

Capuchin monkeys - documented tool use, changes in tool use over time

Japanese macaques - sweet potato washing, hot spring use

Chimpanzees - group-specific tool use, hunting, grooming customs, imitation/teaching

Identify the most important attributes of human culture and why it is so important

Identify whether large brains or bipedalism came first in hominin evolution

Bipedalism came first in hominin evolution. Adaptation to another environment drove the change first, then brains grew as more complex behaviors were learned

Describe the anatomical changes associated with bipedalism in early hominins, and the implications for changes in locomotion

Anatomical changes - longer leg bones, foramen magnum moving forward towards the middle of the skull, S-curved spine, angled femurs, arched feet, bowl-shaped pelvis

Describe the selective advantages of bipedalism that may have driven the evolution of bipedalism in early hominins

Selective advantages: frees hands for tools/child carrying, long-distance running, adaptability to diverse habitats, visual advantages, thermoregulation

Identify the major markers in human evolution and when they occurred

Humans and chimpanzees split occured about 6-8 mya, first hominins appeared 4.5-7 may, stone tools 3 mya, anatomically modern humans 300kya

Distinguish between the primary characteristics of the Oldowan industry and the Acheulian stone tool industry

Oldowan industry - two types of tools, choppers, and flakes, complex but only pointed at a certain side, retained much of the stone shape

Acheulian industry - several types of tools, including handaxes. Required mental templates and planning. Shaped much of the rock. More complex and more standardized

Discuss the evidence for the earliest hominid migration out of Africa

Much of the early fossil evidence is concentrated in East Africa (Australopithicus), but Homo Erectus started migrating into China, Indonesia, and other parts of Asia and even Europe.

Explan why species designations for early hominid specimens are often highly contested

Lumpers vs Splitters, they share similar traits with a few differentiating. Fossil records are incomplete, and different species lived around the same time and place

Identify the characteristics that define the genus Homo

Larger brains, flatter faces, smaller teeth, increased reliance on culture, and bipedalism

Explain the link between Pleistocene climate change and the evolution of the genus Homo

The Pleistocene era had great climate instability and forced genus Homo to either adapt or die. Forced Homo Erectus to migrate out of Africa