(b) BiologicalAnthropology
Definition:
Biological Anthropology is also known as Physical Anthropology.
Physical Anthropology is the oldest branch of anthropology that is primarily concerned
with human evolution within the context of culture. Biological science has made a huge
contribution to Physical anthropology of these organic evolution and principles of
genetics are significant.
It is interested in the comparative study of the past, present and future of human life
from a biological point of view.
Thoughts of anthropologist:
Paul Broca defines Biological Anthropology as "the science whose objective is the
study of humanity considered as a whole in its parts and in relationship to the rest of
nature".
(b) Biological Anthropology
Sub Branches:
Primatology:
Study of living and extinct primates such as humans, apes, monkeys, prosimians.
It focuses on how the behavior of non-human primates is similar to that of the
humans
It helps to trace the evolutionary relationship between human non-human primates
because of the remarkable similarities between monkeys, apes, and humans.
Paleoanthropology:
Studies the fossil evidence of human skeletons of different stages and thereby
reconstruct the evolutionary history of humans.
It studies extinct primate and concerned itself with the evolution of man
It helps in the classification and comparison of the fossils of different stages to
determine the link between modern humans and their ancestors.
(b) Biological Anthropology
For example: Jane Goodal, a primatologist, has studied wild chimpanzees in Tanzania for more than 40
years. By living ith these primates for extended periods of time, Goodall discovered a number of
similarities between humans and chimpanzees. One of the most notable of Goodall's discoveries was that
chimpanzees use basic tools, such as sticks.
(b) Biological Anthropology
Human Genetics:
It deals with inheritance and variation thereby helping in understanding how
evolution works.
Neontology:
It studies living primates and examines comparative anatomy physiology human
variation in terms of population genetics.
Forensic Anthropology:
It is a branch of biological anthropology that helps to identify individuals, criminals,
victims of misshapes and natural calamities, etc.
From the analysis of DNA, hair with root, bloodstains, drops of semen, bodyfluids,
skin cells, cells of bone- marrow, fingerprints, skeletal remains, etc., forensic
anthropologists are able to identify such persons.
With the help of techniques, it helps one to determine age, sex and other
morphological features of the victims.
(b) Biological Anthropology
The studies of physical anthropology can be broadly divided into two:
Classical anthropology: It relies on anthropometric measurement computing indices and
other statistics. Also,it focuses heavily on data collection and tabulation.
New Physical Anthropology: It focuses on comprehending and interpreting data. The term
coined by SL washburn in (1951). It refer to the study of the mechanism of human evolution
Scope:
Physical Anthropology has contributed to the studies of primatology, primate paleontology, raciology.
eugenics forensic science etc.
It studies human evolution and human variation.
It is the branch of Anthropology that considers humans as biological organisms.
It helps to understand the physical differences and changes among humans.
Study of origin and evolution of humans and analyses their diversity.
It examines the bio-social adaptation of different human populations living in different geographical
and ecological settings.
(b) Biological Anthropology
Contemporary applications of Biological Anthropology:
Neuro-Anthropology:
Study of the human brain, evolution, and culture as neurological adaptation and
environment.
Paleopathology:
It is the study of disease in antiquity.
It studies the traces of disease and injury in human skeletal remains.
It focuses on pathogenic conditions observable in bones or mummified soft tissue.
It also studies the nutritional disorders,variation in stature or the morphology of bones
Over time.
Bio-archaeology:
It is a combination of human osteology and archaeology.
It studies the human bones associating them with the location of its recovery in order to
understand the past human populations.
