Evolution Is in Terms of Physical Anthropology

¶ … evolution is in terms of physical anthropology .

Physical anthropology deals with the twin questions of how we became human and what it means to be human. To understand these questions, we need to turn to evolution and so evolution describes how synthesis of adaption to environment and mutation of genes, that transpired over the cause of millions of years, shaped the human race in a virtually all ways from physical, to psychological, to social and so forth.

Seeing our relatedness to the animal race makes us realize that we are not a distinct, or rather, separate species but that we are linked in relationship to all other genera in the world and it is these roots that shape our particular humanoid characteristics

Two concepts, in other words, shape the discipline of physical anthropology and both of these come from our understanding of the impact of evolution. The first is the concept of biological continuity; that we are an ongoing part of a chain that stretches millions of years. The second concept is that of uniformitarianism, i.e. Understanding that the same forces that shaped our lives in the past do so in the present too.

2) Define evolution (using textbook and lecture notes)

Evolution is the discussion of mutation of a specimen. There are two prime ways that a specimen can change or 'evolve': (a) via changes in the environment otherwise called adaptation, b) via changes / mutations in the genes.

In the first instance, changes in the environment cause individuals to react in response to those changes and slant themselves in a certain way so as to survive. This modifies certain attributes of the individual which genetic inheritance transmits as typological change.

Secondly, mutations in genes, such as intermarriage, introduces other evolutionary change with one hitherto specific pool becoming more distinct.

These two prime drives / mechanisms of evolution result in the global micro and macro diversity.

In short as Chapter 3 says, "the evolution of new species -- speciaiton -- is based, as is the modification of new species, on adaptation and environment" (59). These are the dual mechanisms of evolution. 3) Discuss what a physical anthropologist may examine/investigate in order to study evolution. (e.g. population DNA)

Physical anthropologists take evolution as their base and post that individuals perceive the world and develop according to their physical history and particular cultural environment. In fact, physical anthropologists spread themselves according to 4 major interests. They study:

(1) the chemistry of life, - how life came about and impacted humans

(2) evolution as process,

(3) the interdependence of participants of a global ecosystem, each one effecting and being effected by the other, and (4) the role of culture in human adaptation. (Defining Physical Anthropology)

Discuss 'how' a physical anthropologist would study your answer for Q3 and why it is helpful for studying evolution.

The anthropologists uses scientific tools for conducting his research. This would be either through qualitative or quantitative means where quantitative would be in the laboratory, sometimes on animals (particularly rats), using statistical data and other mathematical precise tools in order to establish reliability and validity and reject subjectivity.

Qualitative experiments, on the other hand, would probe for rich, in-depth evaluation where studies such as those conducted on a particular group study how the group differs in behavior and, perhaps, physical characteristics from other groups. As opposed to quantitative / experimental studies, these studies can be conducted where researcher acts as participant observer (such as Margaret Mead, for instance). 5) Find at least one outside source related to your answer for Q3 and Q4 6) Briefly describe the source and how is it helpful for examining/investigating evolution.

Dr. Gwyneth Davies, author of this study, says it best. "This thesis focuses on the medical culture of the Ovambo peoples of southern Angola and northern Namibia, a group who have been little-researched anthropologically. Because health and affliction are such poignant human concerns, the study of a society's medical culture can tell us much about their social and cultural organization in general. It is for this reason that [ he decided to study] Ovambo medical culture in relation to the wider socio-cultural background, rather than in isolation; especially since Ovambo evidence has shown that concern about health and affliction is not confined to the physical and spiritual well-being of individuals, but extends to include harmonious social relations, environmental and economic prosperity and political stability." (Davies, 1994) ) Choose a second subfield of anthropology -- cultural, linguistic, or archaeology. 8) Discuss how an anthropologist in this subfield would study evolution. The antrhopologist in my case may choose to study culture. Culture is the nroms and values of the particaulr envireontmn that the indiovdaul grew up in and subconcisounly 'swallowed' so that it shaped his thinkign, actions, judgmetn, and all amtter of his personaltiy. This, in trun, becoems transmitted and shapes future generatiosn unless tehri is change in cultural patterns. (There often are incremental changes even in cutlrues that seem static).

Non-human primates also have their own cultural environmental system, also called protoculture, that are complex learned traditions and that shape the way they behave. 9) Discuss what an anthropologist from your chosen subfield may examine/investigate in order to study evolution

The anthropologist may choose to live / participate within the particular culture, and study them from materials such as their occupations, language, social interactions, interests, and so forth. 10) Discuss 'how' an anthropologist from your chosen subfield would study your answer for Q3, and why it is helpful for studying evolution.

The anthropologist may use interviews / surveys -- talking to people of the community. he/she would likely involve himself in the community -- act as participant observer in their way of life -- in order to gain an inside perspective. He would study their history and closely examine ways that their cultural teachings impacts their behavior.

He would look for particular themes. This may be done by using any number of qualitative approaches, such as phenomenological that attempts to bracket assumptions and to focus on the 'reality' of what is happening in order to see it as it is. In this way the researcher wodul probe for themes and hope to arrive at a fuller understanding of the situation. 11) Find at least one outside source related to your answer for Q3 and Q4 (e.g. The genome project). 12) Briefly describe the source and how is it helpful for examining/investigating evolution. I may decide to study the medical culture of another population of the African people. As Davies (1994) states, this would be helpful in investigating evoltuion since "concern about health and affliction is not confined to the physical and spiritual well-being of individuals, but extends to include harmonious social relations, environmental and economic prosperity, and political stability."