ANTH Lab 1

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Anthropology

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Apr 3, 2024

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Lab 1: An Introduction to Biological Anthropology Prelab Concept Review Questions 1) The two fundamental ideas in anthropology are the importance of context and the use of a comparative approach. 2) C – Biological Anthropology 3) The biocultural approach in biological anthropology is an approach that recognizes human biology and culture are closely intertwined and as such need to be examined and understood simultaneously. 4) B – Paleoanthropology 5) A – Forensic Anthropology 6) D – Interpretation 7) In the context of the scientific method, the hypothesis is a testable explanation to an observation. The hypothesis can be supported or rejected by evidence obtained during data collection. It is different from a scientific theory by that a hypothesis can become a theory, but only after the same interpretation is supported by evidence from many different researchers and is widely accepted by the scientific community. 8) Scientific theories are not absolute truths. Scientific theories are still open to reinterpretation and rejection in the face of new evidence; therefore, they cannot be considered absolute truths. 9) A scientific theory is not a guess. It is an explanation that is supported by substantial evidence. 10)According to the American Association of Physical Anthropologists (AAPA) Code of Ethics, an anthropologist is primarily responsible to the people, species, and materials they study, as well as the people they partner with in their work. Exercise 2 1) I selected Scenario A. 2) The primary subfield of biological anthropology addressed in this research is Paleoanthropology. 3) This research relates to human evolution by discovering a new closer ancestor to humans and chimpanzees than any other previously known species. It can also possibly give us a better understanding of human variation and adaptation based on the environment contexts over time.

4) One scholarly discipline outside of anthropology that might be interested in this research is biology, specifically evolutionary biology. Evolutionary biologists study the processes and patterns of evolution that produced the diversity of life on Earth. The discovery of a previously unknown fossil species that lived closer in time to the last common ancestor of humans and chimpanzees would be highly relevant to evolutionary biology. Especially with its adaptations for climbing and trees as well as for walking on two legs on the ground. Exercise 4 Scenario B 1) Human females have evolved over time to have wider pelvic openings compared to males in order to facilitate the passage of a baby during childbirth. 2) To test this hypothesis, researchers could ideally collect data comparing the measurements of pelvic openings in males and females. They could also collect observational data on childbirth difficulties due to pelvic dimensions as well as data on the evolutionary changes in pelvic size and shape over time. 3) The hypothesis would be supported if we found data that indicated significant differences in pelvic width between males and females in a diverse sample as well as a positive correlation between wider pelvic openings females and successful childbirth outcomes. 4) The hypothesis would be rejected if we found data that indicated no significant difference between male and female pelvic opening width and no correlation between pelvic width and childbirth outcomes. 5) If the hypothesis is rejected, a revised hypothesis could be “While females may have evolved to have wider pelvic openings than males to accommodate childbirth, other factors may also contribute to the pelvic differences we see between males and females.” Exercise 7 1) The anthropologist should obtain informed consent from the local residents and living descendants from the east African village as well as whoever controls access to the fossils. 2) If the anthropologist continues to work at the site for the next 10 years, he should reobtain informed consent each year before starting the field work. Informed

consent should be done at regular time intervals and especially if something changes, like moving to a different excavation site. 3) Although it may seem as if the anthropologist is adequately reciprocating with local residents by paying them a wage comparable to their local income, however, when the field season ends, he just ups and leaves. He should create a contract with the local residents that pays them comparable to US standards and think of a way to support the community even after the field season ends and they leave until next summer. 4) While this situation is difficult, he should try his best to explain to the residents the high importance and value of the fossil materials and try his best to salvage any fossil remains still viable before moving on to another area on the site. The anthropologist must also understand the residents are dependent on the land to survive and do his best to still allow them to make a living off the land while also protecting the remaining fossils in other areas of the site for the future. 5) Although it is okay to be cautious, if he truly cares about the work he is doing as an anthropologist he should preserve his fieldwork data and seriously consider sharing the results of his research with Jane and any other scholars whenever possible. 6) To spread the word about the work he has done, he should share it with the university, students, funding agencies, and other non-anthropologists. He should make sure the information is contextualized and explained so that people can understand and use the knowledge responsibly. He should also keep in mind and consider limiting the information he shares with the public if it would interfere with their primary responsibility and/or cause harm to their research participants or colleagues. Critical Thinking Questions 5) In the scientific method, it is important to generate a hypothesis before collecting data because you need to know what you are going to test for, before developing how you are going to collect the data and do the actual testing. 6) The scientific method is a continuous cycle in the sense that there is no end all be all. Although there are steps within the scientific method there is no straight line it is a continuous loop of revising and retesting. Experiments are repeated and hypotheses are retested and revised. 7) A nonscientist’s view of a theory differs from a scientist’s view by a nonscientist might see a theory as something that never changes or something that is

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absolute, while a scientist’s view of a theory is something that should always be retested and revised to further the advancement of knowledge. 9) One way the American Anthropological Association (AAA) code of ethics is similar to the American Association of Physical Anthropologists (AAPA) code of ethics is they both say the primary responsibility is to do no harm and always protect the people, species, and material they study as well as the people they work with. The AAA code of ethics is different from the AAPA is in how they say an anthropologist should preserve and protect their records. The AAA discusses more about potential conflicts over ownership of research as well as who and how records should be stored, preserved, and disposed of – giving more authority to the researcher owning their work when the AAPA does no such thing. One thing I would change about the AAPA code of ethics is giving more ownership of research and work to the anthropologists that complete it while still prioritizing the importance of sharing research and collaboration between other scholars.

ANTH Lab 1

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