<\/span><\/a><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
<\/sdt><\/p>\n
<\/p>\n\u00a0<\/p>\n
<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n
Biological
\nanthropology is the subdiscipline of anthropology that studies human evolution
\nand human variation by using biological materials. It is also known as physical
\nanthropology, which originally referred to the study of human biology within the
\nframework of evolution and with an emphasis on the interaction between biology and
\nculture. Physical anthropology is the original term, and it reflects the
\ninitial interests of anthropologists in describing human physical variation.
\nThe American Association of Physical Anthropologists, its journal, as well as
\nmany college courses and numerous publications, retain this term. The
\ndesignation biological anthropology reflects the shift in emphasis to more
\nbiologically oriented topics, such as genetics, evolutionary biology,
\nnutrition, physiological adaptation, and growth and development. This shift
\noccurred largely because of advances in the field of genetics since the late
\n1950s. Although we\u2019ve continued to use the traditional term in the title of
\nthis textbook, you\u2019ll find that all the major topics pertain to biological
\nissues. <\/span><\/p>\n<\/p>\n\u00a0<\/p>\n
<\/span><\/p>\n
Paleoanthropology <\/b>is
\nthe study of human evolution, particularly as revealed in the fossil record, is
\na major subfield of physical anthropology. Thousands of specimens of human
\nancestors (mostly fragmentary) are now kept in research collections. Taken
\ntogether, these fossils span about 7 million years of human prehistory; and
\nalthough incomplete, they provide us with significantly more knowledge than was
\navailable just 15 years ago. It\u2019s the ultimate goal of paleoanthropological research
\nto identify the various early hominid species, establish a chronological
\nsequence of relationships among them, and gain insights into their adaptation
\nand behavior. Only then will we have a clear picture of how and when humankind
\ncame into being.<\/p>\n
Primatology <\/b>is the
\nstudy of nonhuman primates, has become increasingly important since the late
\n1950s (Fig. 1-9). Behavioral studies, especially those conducted on groups in
\nnatural environments, have implications for many scientific disciplines. Because
\nnonhuman primates are our closest living relatives, identifying the underlying factors
\nrelated to social behavior, communication, infant care, reproductive behavior,
\nand so on, helps us to better understand the natural forces that have shaped so
\nmany aspects of modern human behavior. But sadly, an even more important reason
\nto study nonhuman primates is that most species are now threatened or seriously
\nendangered. Indeed, as you will learn, some are very close to extinction. Only
\nthrough research will scientists be able to recommend policies that can better
\nensure the survival of many nonhuman primates and thousands of other species as
\nwell.<\/p>\n
Osteology, <\/b>the
\nstudy of the skeleton, is central to physical anthropology. In fact, it\u2019s so
\nimportant that when many people think of biological anthropology, the first thing
\nthat comes to mind is bones (although they often ask about dinosaurs). The emphasis
\non osteology is partly due to the fact that a thorough knowledge of skeletal structure
\nand function is critical to the interpretation of fossil material. Bone biology
\nand physiology are of major importance to many other aspects of physical
\nanthropology. Many osteologists specialize in studies that emphasize various measurements
\nof skeletal elements. This type of research is essential, for example, to
\ndetermine stature and growth patterns in archaeological populations. One
\nsubdiscipline of osteology, called paleopathology<\/b>,
\nis the study of disease and trauma in skeletons from archaeological sites.
\nPaleopathology is a prominent subfield that investigates the prevalence of
\ntrauma, certain infectious diseases (such as syphilis and tuberculosis),
\nnutritional deficiencies, and many other conditions that can leave evidence in
\nbone (Fig. 1-10). This research tells us a great deal about the lives of
\nindividuals and populations from the past. Paleopathology also yields information
\nregarding the history of certain disease processes, and for this reason it\u2019s of
\ninterest to scientists in biomedical fields. <\/p>\n
Forensic anthropology<\/b>
\nis directly related to osteology and paleopathology, and many people have
\nbecome interested in it because of forensic shows on television. Technically,
\nthis approach is the application of anthropological (usually osteological and sometimes
\narchaeological) techniques to legal issues. Forensic anthropologists help
\nidentify skeletal remains in mass disasters or other situations where a human
\nbody has been found. Forensic anthropologists have been involved in numerous
\ncases having important legal, historical, and human consequences. They were
\ninstrumental in identifying the skeletons of most of the Russian imperial
\nfamily, executed in 1918; and many participated in the overwhelming task of
\ntrying to identify the remains of victims of the September 11, 2001, terrorist
\nattacks in the United States. Anatomical studies are another area of interest
\nfor physical anthropologists. In living organisms, bones and teeth are
\nintimately linked to the muscles and other tissues that surround and act on
\nthem. Consequently, a thorough knowledge of soft tissue anatomy is essential to
\nthe understanding of biomechanical relationships involved in movement.
\nKnowledge of such relationships is fundamental to the interpretation of the
\nstructure and function of limbs and other structures in extinct animals now
\nrepresented only by fossilized remains. For these reasons and others, many physical
\nanthropologists specialize in anatomical studies. In fact, several physical anthropologists
\nhold professorships in anatomy departments at universities and medical schools.\n<\/p>\n
Dental Anthropology <\/b>is
\nthe study of the development, eruption, number, size, morphology, modification,
\nwear, and pathology of teeth, among other topics, in order to answer questions
\nlike dietary pattern, evolution of cusping and its relationship with diet and
\nculture. Dental anthropology studies the teeth formula, cariogenesis, evolution
\nof cusping and pathological development in order to reflect on the mechanisms
\nof evolution.<\/p>\n
Human genetics <\/b>is
\nthe study of inheritance of human traits. It is used in biological anthropology
\nin order to better <\/b>understand the
\nbiological variations among contemporary human populations. Human genetics
\nencompasses a variety of overlapping fields including: classical genetics,
\ncytogenetics, molecular genetics, biochemical genetics, genomics, population
\ngenetics, developmental genetics, clinical genetics, and genetic counseling.<\/p>\n
Population Genetics <\/b>is
\nthe study of the genetic composition of populations, including distributions
\nand changes in genotype and phenotype frequency in response to the processes of
\nnatural selection, genetic drift, mutation and gene flow. Biological
\nanthropologists use the approach of population genetics to interpret microevolutionary
\npatterns of human variation. Population genetics is the area of research that,
\namong other things, examines allele frequencies in populations and attempts to
\nidentify the various factors that cause allele frequencies to change in specific
\ngroups.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
\u00a0 Branches of Biological Anthropology Contents Biological Anthropology: 1 Branches of Biological anthropology: 1 \u00a0 \u00a0 Biological anthropology is the subdiscipline of anthropology that studies human evolution and human variation by using biological materials. It is also known as physical anthropology, which originally referred to the study of human biology within the framework of evolution […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[11767],"tags":[3735,2737,24482,18088],"dealstore":[],"offerexpiration":[],"class_list":["post-75080","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-anthropology","tag-anthropology","tag-beginners","tag-biological","tag-branches"],"yoast_head":"\n
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