ATR 250
Chapter 1:  What is Physical Anthropology?

anatomical    Pertaining to an organism's physical structure. 
anthropology    The study of humankind, viewed from the perspective of all people and all times.
arboreal   Tree-dwelling; adapted to living in the trees.
archaeology    The study of historic or prehistoric human populations through the analysis of material remains.
artifacts    Material objects from past cultures.
biocultural approach    The scientific study of the interrelationship between what humans have inherited genetically and culture. 
biological (physical) anthropology    The study of the evolution, variation, and adaptation of humans and their past and present relatives. 
bipedalism   Walking on two legs. 
cultural anthropology    The study of modern human societies through the analysis of the origins, evolution, and variation of culture. 
culture    Learned behavior that is transmitted from person to person. 
data    Evidence gathered to help answer questions, solve problems, and fill gaps in scientific knowledge.
empirical   Verified through observation and experiment. 
forensic anthropology The scientific examination of skeletons in hope of identifying the people whose bodies they came from.
hominids    A group of extinct and living bipedal primates in the family Hominidae.
hypotheses   Testable statements that potentially explain specific phenomena observed in the natural world.
language    A set of written or spoken symbols that refer to things (people, places, concepts, etc.) other than themselves. 
linguistic anthropology    The study of the construction, use, and form of language in human populations. 
material culture The part of culture that is expressed as objects that humans use to manipulate environments.
nonhoning canine An upper canine that, as part of a nonhoning chewing mechanism, is not sharpened against the lower third premolar.
physical anthropology    The original term for biological anthropology.
primates   An order of mammals that have complex behavior, varied forms of locomotion, and a unique suite of traits, including larger brains, forward-facing eyes, fingernails, and reduced snouts.
scientific method   An empirical research method in which data is gathered from observations of phenomena, hypotheses are formulated and tested, and conclusions are drawn that validate or modify the original hypotheses.
sociolinguistics   The science of investigating language's social contexts.
theory    A set of hypotheses that have been rigorously tested and validated, leading to their establishment as a generally accepted explanation of specific phenomena.