Biological Anthropology Chapters 1-4
Exam Questions with Verified Answers
What is physical (biological) anthropology? - Answer-The study of evolution and
variation in humans
What is anthropology? - Answer-The study of humankind, viewed from the perspective
of all people and times.
What are the four branches of anthropology? - Answer-Cultural, Archaeology, physical,
linguistic
Franz Boas - Answer--American anthropology pioneer
-Trained influential anthropologists such as Margaret Mead and Ruth Benedict.
- Emphasized the importance of scientific method
- Linguistic Anthropology
Sub-disciplines of Physical Anthropology - Answer--Primate biology and behavior
-Osteology and Skeletal Biology; Forensic Anthropology
-Paleoanthropology
-Human variation and adaption
-Human growth and development & nutrition
-Genetics
Biocultural Approach - Answer-Humans are a result of a combination of inherited
(biological) traits and cultural (learned) traits.
Anthropology - Answer-Focuses on broad, comparative (holistic) approach
Biological/Physical Anthropology - Answer-The study of human biological evolution and
bio-cultural variation.
Biological/Physical Anthropology Key Concepts - Answer-- All humans are a product of
their evolutionary history
- All humans are a product of their individual life history
Six Steps to Humanness - Answer-Bipedalism, Non-honing chewing, Material cultural
and tools, Speech, Hunting, Domestication, Brain Size and Intelligence
The Scientific Method - Answer-Science: A question driven evidence based
understanding of the natural world.
Hypothesis: A testable statement that could potentially explain specific phenomena
observed in the natural world
, Scientific Method Charles Darwin - Answer-Consider Charles Darwin as an example of
the scientific method at work.
Origin of Bipedalism: Darwin's hypothesis: Environmental change, Freed hands for tool
use
Origin of Bipedalism - Answer-How do we know if Darwin in is right or wrong?
- Data
- Fossils reveal upright walking evolved in forest habitats.
- Stone tool use
How did the theory of evolution come to be? - Answer-Aristotle, Greek
What was Darwins contribution to the theory of evolution? - Answer-He was wrong with
a lot of things, but right with the information that he had
Darwin and the HMS Beagle - Answer--5 year voyage around the world
- Collected samples of plants, animals, fossils, and rocks.
- Observed that finches were adapted for specific environments.
Darwins Main Idea of Natural Selection/Evolution - Answer-Animals came from south
america and into the Galapagos islands. He collected many samples.
Blending Inheritance - Answer-is when you take one color of paint and another color
and make 3 colors. This same idea can be used with genetics. This re-enforced
everything Darwin came up with but he didn't have genetics at his him. Finches were
the best example,. they share some genetic sets.
*Nature takes what is already there and modifies it*
Why did different species live on different islands? - Answer-Natural selection, certain
traits such as beak differences.
Common Ancestry - Answer-Adaptive Radiation
Darwins Finches - Answer-Are considered good examples of natural selection (descent
with modification) All finches were descendants from an original mainland ancestor.
The variety today was as response to different island habitats, resources, and dietary
preferences.
Before Darwin - Answer-Darwin relied heavily on five scientific disiplines of his time:
- Geology: Study of Earth
-Paleontology : Study of fossils
-Taxonomy and Systematics: Study of classification and relationships of organisms
- Demography: Study of populations
- Evolutionary Biology: Study of organisms and their changes over time
Before Darwin Common Views (past) - Answer--Earth is young
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