Exploring What It Means to Be Human

Biological Evolution and Early Human Evidence ANTH 2301 Exploring What It Means to Be Human Examining the physical similarities and variations across human populations throughout time and place is the goal of studies on human biological variation. Features like height, jawline, eye sockets, and the size and shape of the ears and nose are examples of morphological differences. Variations in the sense of smell, mutations in the CCR5 gene that confer HIV resistance, and changes in skin pigmentation in response to sun exposure levels are all explained by biochemical variances. The original definition of biological anthropology, which was established in 1930 with the founding of the American Association of Physical Anthropologists—recently renamed the American Association of Biological Anthropologists— is strongly associated with the study of human biological variation. The name change is an attempt to distance physical anthropology from beliefs that support scientific racism and are no longer representative of or consistent with the opinions of contemporary anthropologists. The study of human evolution and the evolutionary process replaced the focus on racial typology and categorization in 1951 with the introduction of a "new physical anthropology" by American anthropologist Sherwood Washburn. Primatology and paleoanthropology were added to the field of anthropology as a result of this new emphasis. Paleoanthropology examines ancient material culture, including tools and other human artefacts, as well as fossil evidence of humanity's forebears. Paleoanthropologists can formulate conjectures on significant turning points in human development by examining the physical morphology (shape and size) of skulls and other postcranial material (skeletal remains other than the skull). Primatology studies the physical characteristics and behaviour of extant and extinct primates, as well as their interactions with their surroundings. Nonhuman primates and humans are both species of primates having a shared ancestor. Anthropologists can learn more about what it means to be a human and what it means to be a primate by researching nonhuman primates. Several branches of biological anthropology make use of genetic anthropology. In this specialised field, DNA testing is used in conjunction with historical, linguistic, and archaeological data to monitor human sickness or uncover the history of ancient human migration. A branch of biological anthropology known as "forensic anthropology" studies human remains using scientific techniques to identify victims and ascertain potential causes of death. A primary distinction between other forms of biological anthropology and forensic anthropology is that the latter is primarily concerned with comprehending patterns and characteristics that may be present in a population as a whole, while the former is typically concentrated on crime scenes involving the death of an individual. Forensic anthropologists have played a crucial role in identifying war and catastrophe fatalities since World War II. They have been essential in helping identify victims of the 2004 tsunami that hit Thailand and the September 11, 2001 World Trade Centre disaster. Nowadays, the majority of forensic anthropologists help with autopsy and skeletal remains investigations in medical examiner's offices. The study of human remains in archaeological contexts, or bioarchaeology, focuses on the information that may be gleaned about a population's food, culture, and health status from skeletal remains. In order to better understand how ecological and environmental forces and impacts shape cultural identity, social injustice, sustainability, and resource availability and usage, bioarchaeologists are also interested in the socioecological system of a population. Bioarchaeologists investigate issues related to eating and nutrition, health and illness, and social and funerary behaviour based on the biological remains discovered at archaeological sites. A glimpse into the relationships between biology, society, and culture is provided by bioarchaeology. Skeletal evidence of newborn cranial boarding, a procedure carried out by several societies, including the ancient Maya, the Inca, and some Native American tribes, is an example of something a bioarchaeologist could investigate. To intentionally distort a child's skull—possibly to achieve an ideal of beauty or to indicate social status—the child's head was bound to a flat board. According to bioarcheologists, differences in the manner in which the board was fastened to the skull provide significant details about a person's social identity.