Introduction to Biological Anthropology

A comprehensive set of vocabulary flashcards covering key concepts and terms from the Introduction to Biological Anthropology lecture.

What is Anthropology?

A study of humanity that examines the past (origins and evolution) and present (contemporary human diversity).

The four subfields of Anthropology

Cultural Anthropology, Linguistics, Archaeology, Biological Anthropology.

Cultural Anthropology

The study of cultural variation and cultural evolution of the human species, their ancestors, and their relatives.

Ethnographic Analysis

An examination of a particular culture over a period of time focusing on aspects like parent/child relationships, social duties based on sex/gender, subsistence strategies, and politics.

Subfields within Cultural Anthropology

Medical Anthropology, Ethnographic Analysis, Topic-Specific studies.

Linguistics

The study of human language, specifically its evolution and its relationship with human culture.

Ethnolinguistics

The field of study that examines the relationship between language and culture.

Historical Linguistics

The field of study that examines language change over time and reconstructs older languages.

Archaeology

The study of human life-ways in the past through the analysis of material culture and environment.

Bioarchaeology

The study of human and non-human remains at archaeological sites to understand past populations' life-ways.

Zooarchaeology

The study of preserved animal tissues to understand human-animal interactions through time.

Lithics

The study of stone tools and their functions.

Ceramics

Bowls, jars, and other items made from clay that can illustrate interactions between groups.

Prehistoric Archaeology

The study of human life-ways before written records, focusing on functionalism, processualism, and post-processualism.

Historical Archaeology

The study of human life-ways after written records have emerged, with a focus on contextualizing cultural materials.

Cultural Resource Management

Managing historic sites of archaeological, architectural, and historical interests, in compliance with laws.

Biological Anthropology

The study of the physical and biological evolution of humans, their ancestors, and their relatives.

Paleoanthropology

The study of the hominin fossil record, including early hominins like Australopithecines and Neanderthals.

Human Osteology

The study of the human skeleton, focusing on stature, ancestry, age, sex, and pathology.

Primatology

The study of extinct and extant primates, focusing on morphology, behavior, and taxonomy.

Behavioral Ecology

The study of the evolutionary basis for behavior in animals, focusing on ecological pressures.

Forensic Anthropology

The identification of human remains, usually for legal proceedings.

Medical Anthropology

The examination of health and illness from an anthropological perspective.

The four field approach in Anthropology

The integration of Biological Anthropology, Cultural Anthropology, Archaeology, and Linguistics.

Evolution (Biological)

A change in allele frequency in a population over time.

Cultural change

Changes over time within populations that affect culture.

Linguistic changes

Alterations in languages over time and within speech communities.

Archaeology's role in evolution

Understanding the biological and cultural evolution of populations through time.