Exploring Human Evolution: Physical Anthropology Insights

1. CHAPTER 1: WHAT IS PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY?

2. ANTHROPOLOGY • Definition: the study of humankind • Four branches: • Cultural • Studies culture, or learned, transmitted behavior of living people • Archaeology • Studies culture of past societies by analyzing artifacts • Linguistic • Studies study construction and evolution of language • Physical/biological • Studies relationship of biology and culture

3. PHYSICAL/BIOLOGICAL ANTHROPOLOGY • Definition: the study of human evolution and biocultural variation • Use fossils, genetics, comparative anatomy and behavior • Hominids: ape and human ancestors • Hominins: ancestors of only humans • Genes influence biology but the environment does as well • Study: evolution of both extinct and living human relatives, including modern primates

4. PHYSICAL/BIOLOGICAL ANTHROPOLOGY • Why would anyone want to study bones and teeth? • They tell us about anatomy, diet, behavior, locomotion, and our place in nature • Questions we look to answer: • Who are we as a species? • What does it mean to be human? • Where did we come from? • How do we fit in with other living things?

5. SIX STEPS TO HUMANNESS • We are connected to other living things, but clearly we are unique • (1) bipedalism • (2) nonhoning canine • (3) material culture and tool use • (4) hunting • (5) speech • (6) domesticated food

6. SIX STEPS TO HUMANNESS • (1) bipedalism: • Physical difference of walking on two legs • Other primates can do this, but only for short times • Major adaptations in anatomy • Double curved spine • Wide pelvis • Arch in foot

7. SIX STEPS TO HUMANNESS • (2) nonhoning canine • Loss of large canines • Loss of diastema • Because of use of tools to process food • (3) material culture and tools • Completely depend on culture to survive • Manipulate environment • Tools date more than 2.5 million years ago • Primates use tools, but only humans use stone tools

8. SIX STEPS TO HUMANNESS • (4) hunting • Social, organized • More than 1 million years ago • Before, we were scavengers • (5) speech • Due to bipedalism • Hyoid and voice box position • (6) domestication of food • 10,000 years ago • Huge impact on biology and behavior

9. HOW WE KNOW • We use the scientific method • Difference between casual and scientific definitions: • Hypothesis: testable statement of the relationship between 2 variables • NOT“an educated guess” • Theory: best explanation possible, with validation and testable evidence • NOT just a story someone comes up with • Things are never proven and we always stay open-minded

10. SCIENCE • The scientific method involves:

11. HOW WE KNOW • You cannot prove something right in science • You can only disprove something • We say that evolution is a fact because there is so much evidence in support of it • Always keep open-minded because science is self-correcting • It is a fact and a theory

12. WHAT IS EVOLUTION • An easy definition is “change over time” • Does it mean we descended from monkeys? • Does it try to disprove the Bible? • Do you have to choose between science and religion?

13. WHAT IS EVOLUTION • An easy definition is “change over time” • Does it mean we descended from monkeys? • Does it try to disprove the Bible? • Do you have to choose between science and religion? NO!!!

14. EVOLUTION AND RELIGION • Why do people think they are in opposition? • One uses testable evidence, and the other uses faith • You can, and should, have both science and beliefs • When people say “evolution is just a theory” they are misusing the term theory • Evolution is not a straight line; it is a branching bush NO!

15. EVOLUTION • So, did a fish just decide to walk out of the water one day? • Did an ape just decide to come down from the trees and turn human?

16. EVOLUTION • It is a very gradual process that can take millions of years • The lobe-finned fish, or lungfish, is alive today • It has bones in its fins and a pocket to store air • Can move from one body of water to another by walking on ground • They are precursor to tetrapods, or land-dwelling anmials • There is not one ‘missing link’ • There are hundreds or thousands and we will study many in this class

17. EVOLUTION

19. DARWIN • Made his observations while traveling the world • Saw evidence in morphology and though humans had arboreal ancestor • Observing finches showed him adaptations • Observing overpopulation and competition led him to create theory of natural selection • Alfred Wallace also had the same idea at the same time…Darwin just beat him to publication

20. The Scopes Monkey Trial in 1925 • http://findcartoon.com/the-simpsons-season-17-episode-21-the-monkey-suit/#.VQtrfin4vlI

21. View • I want you to be able to see the world in a different way after this class • How are things connected? • How has evolution shaped living things? • How can we learn from the past to prepare for the future?

22. How did these guys get this way…?

23. Video • Keep this in mind during the video of deep sea creatures • Focus on how they are tailored to their environment through evolution

24. Here are some questions to ponder: • What is the difference between the casual and scientific definitions of hypothesis and theory? • How has the human body changed because of bipedalism? • Are humans the only species to use tools? • How can someone study evolution and still keep his or her religious beliefs?