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Paper No. : 01 Physical/Biological Anthropology v Module : 02 Relationship of Biological Anthropology with other branches Development Team Prof. Anup Kumar Kapoor Principal Investigator Department of Anthropology, University of Delhi , Delhi Paper Coordinator Prof. Subho Roy Department of Anthropology, University of Calcutta Dr. Meenal Dhall Content Writer Department of Anthropology, University of Delhi, Delhi Content Reviewer Prof. Barun Mukhopadhyay Indian Statistical Institute, Kolkata 1 Physical/Biological Anthropology Anthropology Relationship of Biological Anthropology with other branches Description Of Module Subject Name Anthropology Paper Name 01 Physical/Biological Anthropology Module Name/Title Relationship of Biological Anthropology with other branches Module Id 02 2 Physical/Biological Anthropology Anthropology Relationship of Biological Anthropology with other branches Contents 1. Introduction 2. Biological/Physical Anthropology 3. Relation of Biological Anthropology with other sciences i. Paleontology ii. Psychology iii. Forensic Sciences iv. Physiology v. Human Biology and Zoology vi. Geology vii. Anatomy viii. Medical Sciences ix. Gerontology x. Demography xi. Ecology xii. Ergonomics xiii. Sports Physiology xiv. Population Genetics and Statistics xv. Public Health and Epidemiology xvi. Chemistry xvii. Botany xviii. Geography xix. Neuroscience Summary Learning outcomes After reading this module, readers will be able to Understand about the subject matter of Biological Anthropology Know and appreciate the inter-relationship between Biological Anthropology and other sciences Know about those branches of Biological Anthropology that have come up as a result of such an inter- connection between the two fields 3 Physical/Biological Anthropology Anthropology Relationship of Biological Anthropology with other branches 1. Introduction Anthropology is the holistic and comparative study of humanity. It is the systematic exploration of human biological and cultural diversity. Examining the origins of, and changes in, human biology and culture, anthropology provides explanations for the similarities and differences while undergoing through such processes. The four subfields of anthropology are biological/physical, social/cultural, archaeological, and linguistic. All of them consider variations in time and space, along with examining the process by which organisms cope with different environmental stresses through adaptation. 2. Biological/Physical Anthropology The subject matter of biological/physical anthropology deals with human biological diversity in time and space. It includes the evolution of humans, their variability, and adaptations to environmental stresses. Using an evolutionary perspective not only the physical form of humans, such as bones, muscles and organs, are examined but their functioning that allows survival and reproduction is also examined. Within the field of biological anthropology there are many different areas of focus. The centre of all of them is biological variation that unites five special interests within biological anthropology: 1. Human evolution as revealed by the fossil record (paleoanthropology). 2. Human genetics. 3. Human growth and development. 4. Human biological plasticity (the body’s ability to change as it copes with stresses, such as heat, cold, and altitude). 5. The biology, evolution, behavior, and social life of monkeys, apes, and other nonhuman primates. Biological anthropology studies man as an animal of the animal kingdom. I. S. Weiner divides the subject into two major fields-the study of man as a product of evolutionary process, and the study and analysis of populations. Both approaches center about the common theme of human variation. Anthropologists basically seek to answer two sets of question:- (i) About the origin of humans and their evolution, this is generally studied under the topic of Human Paleontology or Paleoanthropology. The paleontologists/paleoanthropologists try to understand how humans evolved from apes to modern 'homo sapiens'. Anthropologists who specialize in study of primates are called Primatologist. 4 Physical/Biological Anthropology Anthropology Relationship of Biological Anthropology with other branches (ii) The second set includes questions about how and why contemporary human populations vary biologically; this is studied under the topic of Human variation. To understand human variation, it seeks the help of other 3 disciplines i.e. Human Genetics, Population Biology & Epidemiology. These interests link biological anthropology to other fields of science such as biology, zoology, geology, anatomy, physiology, medicine, and public health. Techniques used to date fossils and artifacts have come to anthropology from physics, chemistry, and geology. Because plant and animal remains often are found with human bones and artifacts, anthropologists many a times, collaborate with botanists, zoologists, and paleontologists. 3. Relation of Biological Anthropology with other sciences i. Paleontology A paleontologist is a scientist who studies fossils and the evolution of primates and hominids from the fossil record and from what can be determined through comparative anatomy and studies of social structure and behavior from our closest living relatives. A paleoanthropologist is a paleontologist who studies the fossil record of human evolution. Osteology—the study of bones—helps paleoanthropologists, who examine skulls, teeth, and bones, to identify human ancestors and to chart changes in anatomy over time. Paleoanthropologists often collaborate with archaeologists, who study artifacts, in reconstructing biological and cultural aspects of human evolution. Fossils and tools are often found together. Different types of tools provide information about the habits, customs, and lifestyles of the ancestral humans who used them. Fig. 1 A palaeontologist assessing the skeletal remains. Biological anthropology also includes primatology. The primates include our closest relatives—apes and monkeys. Primatologists study prosimians, monkeys and apes, in order to understand the features that make each 5 Physical/Biological Anthropology Anthropology Relationship of Biological Anthropology with other branches group distinct and those that link them together. Primatologists study their biology, evolution, behavior, and social life, often in their natural environments. Primatology also assists paleoanthropology, because primate behavior may shed light on early human behavior and human nature. Certain techniques which are used in physics are also employed by the paleoanthropologists for dating the fossil finds from various sites. ii. Psychology Another leading sub-field of biological anthropology, which is greatly contributed by Psychology, is psychological anthropology. Psychological anthropology investigates the psychological conditions that encourage endurance and change in social systems, with the goal of better understanding the relationship between culture and the individual. It approaches anthropological investigations through the use of psychological concepts and methods. The main approach used in psychological anthropology for a better understanding of human behavior is the assessment of stress level and its causes acting on a person. The consequences are then predicted, if the situation is in its preliminary stage and the required treatment is given. But when the stress levels reach great increase, situation which is non preventable, the person is cured with different psychological techniques and distressing the person as soon as possible. Such studies are not only meant for the social perspective of an individual but also helps in investigating whether it is one of the reasons for the normal/abnormal biological development of an individual and finally a population or society. Since the psychology of a person has lot to do with its behavior and growth, development and maturation of a person, hence this field is gaining lots of popularity these days. iii. Forensic Sciences Skeletal biology concentrates on the study of anatomically modern humans, primarily from archaeological sites, and aims to understand the diseases and conditions these past people experienced prior to dying. Such evidences are studied with ease with the help of palaeopathologists, who deal with all such information. Paleopathology is the study of disease in the remains of organisms, be it humans or other animals, from archaeological sites. So, it is highly associated with bioarchaeology (study of human remains from archaeological sites), archaeology and also anthropology, aiming to reconstruct the history of disease over long periods of time by placing biological evidence within cultural context to explain the patterning seen. It is multidisciplinary by nature and uses a variety of analytical methods, from visual or macroscopic analyses to ancient pathogen DNA assessment. While on the other hand, Forensic anthropology, apart from dealing with the past remains excavated from various archaeological sites it also uses the study of skeletal biology to assist in the identification and analysis of more recently deceased individuals. In addition to this, various techniques of forensic sciences such as dermatoglyphics, serology, ballistics, DNA analysis, etc are used for solving numerous situations. Such cases often involve complex legal considerations. 6 Physical/Biological Anthropology Anthropology Relationship of Biological Anthropology with other branches Fig. 2 Fingerprints can be decoded using