Our Place Among the Primates

evolutionary roots of our biology and behavior

1. primatology

2. paleoanthropology

3. human biology

physical anthropology…

1. primatology anthropologists who study the survival strategies, social organization, and behavior of the non-human primates

hominid

member of hominid family: any fossil or living human, chimp or gorilla

hominin hominids excluding the African apes

all the human species that ever existed

homo…

Taxon Scientific Name Common Name Kingdom Animalia Animals

Phylum Chordata Chordates

Class Mamamalia Mammals

Order Primates Primates

Suborder Anthropoidea Anthropoids

Superfamily Hominoidea Hominoids

Family Hominidae Hominids

Tribe Hominini Hominins

Genus Homo Humans

Species Homo Sapiens Recent Humans

Subspecies Homo sapiens sapiens

Anatomically modern humans

homo-erectus neandertals

evolutionary basis

(a) opposable thumbs

(b) sight

(trees)

pick up and appraise hominid

“termiting”

tool making

throw objects

projectile technology

(c) ratio of brain size to body

memory, association, and integration

LEARNING

(d) single offspring

attentive care

support by social group

differences?

cooperation

brain to pelvis

2. paleo-anthropology

a.k.a human paleontology

study of human evolution through the fossil record

multi-disciplinary approach

physical anthropologists archaeologists

methods and technologies…

study nutrition, growth, and development in living and fossil

organisms

(a) bone biology

study bone as biological

tissue

(b) anthropometry measurement of the human body

DNA comparisons used to determine evolutionary links

and distances

(c) molecular anthropology

bones, traces, or impressions of ancient life…

fauna and flora

fossils

paleontology study of ancient life

through the fossil record

palynology study of ancient plants and environments through pollen samples

permission & collaboration

likely results/outcomes

funding and resources

informed consent

how research will be used

potential costs and benefits publications

give back

AAA Code of Ethics

http://www.aaanet.org

American Anthropological Association (AAA)

AAA Referencing in-text citations

bibliography

parenthetical

author in edited book single author book

personal communication

in-text citations parenthetical

(last name year: page) (Bohannan 2009: 168)

* goes after quotation or paraphrased sentence!

“The anthropologist has become so familiar with the diversity of ways in which different peoples behave in similar situations that he is not apt to be surprised by the most exotic customs” (Miner 2009: 158).

Example 1

According to Horace Miner (2009: 158), “The anthropologist has become so familiar with the diversity of ways in which different peoples behave in similar situations that he is not apt to be surprised by the most exotic customs.”

Example 2

Bibliography

http://www.margaretten.info

“Essay Guidelines”

link to AAA referencing style

download the PDF!

Example 1

Chapter in Book with Editors… Last Name, First Name Year Title of Chapter. IN Title of Book. First Name Last Name of Editors, eds. Pages. Place of Publication: Name of Publisher.

Example 1 Chapter in Book with Editors…

Miner, Horace 2009 Body Ritual among the Nacirema. IN Applying Anthropology: An Introductory Reader. Aaron Podolefsky, Peter Brown, Scott M. Lacy, eds. Pp. 158-161. New York: McGraw Hill.

Example 1

Single Author Book Last Name, First Name Year Title of Book. Place of Publication: Name of Publisher.

Example

Single Author Book

Strang, Veronica 2009 What Anthropologists Do. New York: Berg.

Personal Communication should be cited in text citations with specific date but not in references cited

“Culture is fluid” (Prof. Margaretten, class lecture, August 30, 2010).

Examples

In our class lecture, Prof. Margaretten (August 30, 2010) claims that “culture is fluid.”

Readings:

“What are Friends For?” Barbara Smuts

“Mothers and Others” Sarah Hrdy