Chapter 1: Introduction to Biological Anthropology

Question 1

biological anthropology

Answer 1

the study of the biological origins, evolution, and contemporary diversity of humans and their primate relatives

Question 2

variation

Answer 2

observable differences within a class of objects, the source of which may be genetic or environmental or both in interaction

Question 3

forensic anthropology

Answer 3

the application of anthropological knowledge to solving offences committed against people, including homicide and war crimes

Question 4

multidisciplinary

Answer 4

an investigative approach that brings the expertise of a number of disciplines to bear on a particular question within an existing field of study

Question 5

interdisciplinary

Answer 5

an investigative approach that brings diverse fields together to create a new arena of study

Question 6

anthropology

Answer 6

the global and comparative study of humankind, past and present

Question 7

holism

Answer 7

the integrated study of all aspects of human life, biological, cultural, historical, psychological, etc., in order to develop a comprehensive view of the whole of the human condition

Question 8

pandemic

Answer 8

a disease affecting populations across a large area, typically used in reference to a global occurrence

Question 9

prevalence

Answer 9

the proportion of a population exhibiting a particular feature at any one point in time

Question 10

cultural anthropology

Answer 10

the study of the structure and function of human societies, usually from a cross-cultural perspective

Question 11

ethnography

Answer 11

an account of field research exploring various practices and phenomena within a given society; in contrast, ethnology is the comparative study of different cultural systems

Question 12

archaeology

Answer 12

the systematic study of past human lifeways through an analysis of human interactions with and modifications of the environment, including the origin and development of technology

Question 13

anthropological linguistics

Answer 13

the study of the origin, evolution, and use (social context) of languages

Question 14

thermoregulation

Answer 14

the adjustment of body temperature within a normal physiological range under varying environmental conditions

Question 15

biocultural

Answer 15

a research perspective that recognizes the inter-relationship of biology and the many facets of culture, including technology and social behaviour

Question 16

applied anthropology

Answer 16

a subfield emphasizing project-based, problem-oriented, practical applications of anthropological knowledge

Question 17

cranial morphology

Answer 17

the relative size and shape configuration of the various bones of the skull

Question 18

community-based research

Answer 18

an approach in which investigators work directly with a community to develop, organize, and implement a research program

Question 19

osteology

Answer 19

the descriptive and comparative study of bones and teeth

Question 20

isotopes

Answer 20

an isotope is a measurable form of a chemical element varying in the number of neutrons within its nucleus (e.g. 12-carbon and 14-carbon are different isotopes of carbon; an atom of the former has 6 protons and 6 neutrons and the latter has 2 extra neutrons)

Question 21

paleopathology

Answer 21

literally, the study of ancient disease and trauma

Question 22

paleoanthropology

Answer 22

the study of human evolution through fossils and the circumstances in which they are found

Question 23

hominin

Answer 23

a term inclusive of modern humans and their bipedal ancestors

Question 24

taxon

Answer 24

a formal designation of biological classification; plural taxa (e.g., we are all members of the taxon homo sapiens)

Question 25

human biology

Answer 25

a branch of biological anthropology that examines modern population diversity

Question 26

anthropometry

Answer 26

the measurement of body form

Question 27

hypoxia

Answer 27

low oxygen availability, characteristically associated with high altitude

Question 28

adaptability

Answer 28

the tendency for an organism to achieve increased functional capacity through a modification of body form and/or physiological pathway when faced with an environmental stressor

Question 29

molecular anthropology

Answer 29

the study of population diversity at the level of the gene and its products (both structural and regulatory proteins)

Question 30

DNA

Answer 30

deoxyribonucleic acid, the fundamental genetic material of life

Question 31

genomics

Answer 31

the comparative and evolutionary study of the genomes of different species

Question 32

functional genomics

Answer 32

the study of the dynamic actions and interactions of genes and proteins

Question 33

mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA)

Answer 33

DNA found within the mitochondria of a cell

Question 34

whole-genome variation

Answer 34

the presence of many common genetic variants throughout the genome, the study of which permits a more detailed reconstruction of evolutionary events and population history

Question 35

primatology

Answer 35

the study of the morphology, behaviour, and evolution of nonhuman primates

Question 36

keystone species

Answer 36

a species whose ecological role produces a disproportionate impact on its environment, including the status of other species; the loss of a keystone species often has significant and deleterious consequences for the local ecosystem

Question 37

medical anthropology

Answer 37

a branch of applied anthropology examining the interplay of culture, biology, health/wellness, disease/illness, and the art of medicine, both traditional and Western

Question 38

typology

Answer 38

a static perspective of the world ascribed to the 4th-century BCE Greek philosopher Plato, in which "ideals" or "types" were perceived to be real, and variation as observed in the world was considered a deviation from ideal reality

Question 39

processual

Answer 39

a view of organismic diversity and evolution emphasizing the current and historical dynamic interactions of organisms with their environment and ecology

Question 40

mosaic evolution

Answer 40

the concept that functional complexes in organisms have evolutionary histories and have changed at different times and rates in the fossil record

Question 41

craniometry

Answer 41

literally, the metrical assessment of the size and shape of the human skull

Question 42

eugenics

Answer 42

literally "true breeding," a social philosophy proposing that humankind might be improved through direct intervention in reproduction, including the restriction or elimination of particular groups deemed unworthy

Question 43

ossuary

Answer 43

a repository for collections of human skeletal remains. In pre-contact Canada, these typically were large secondary burial pits containing the commingled remains of dozens of individuals who had earlier been interred in separate primary graves