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Physical anthropology chapter 9
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Recommended: Physical anthropology chapter 9
Prior to the nineteenth century, the existence of god and the fixity of species was accepted by the people. Governments and churches were one. They ruled it all, and punished anyone that would challenge them. In 1859 the book, The Origin Of Species, was published. The author, Charles Darwin, was attacked by the media, and mocked by many. He became the face of a generation for the idea that man were descendants of apes. The theory of evolution was dismissed. In today's society, there is much more evidence leading to the possibilities of it being a reality. The field of physical anthropology is now responsible for ideas and theories that might contribute to the Theory of Evolution.
Physical Anthropology is a field focused in explaining the past in order to understand the present. In order to understand humans and the evolutionary process, the field goes really in depth with the biology of organisms. Anthropologists study DNA, bones, and any aspect and or abilities that a certain specie performs. The ability of speech for example, is a characteristic that only humans can perform, and although chimpanzees have a DNA that is nearly
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identical as humans. The difference in the FOXP2 gene could make the difference. Physical Anthropologists might never find the purpose for living, but they could perhaps one day save humanity from extinction or warn of upcoming genetic modifications. Becoming a Physical Anthropologist demands a lot from an individual.
An extreme knowledge of the human anatomy is required, due to the fact that they focus only on the biology and physical aspect of subjects. They are mostly known for studying the fossils of prehistoric species, however they do a lot more than that. Once the fossils have been studied they have to date them. It is critical for Anthropologist to figure out when the specie was alive to compare them to their new modified specie, if there are any. What is commonly unknown is that Physical Anthropologist do more than that. They as a matter of fact have a deep understanding in blood types and genetics. Being a scientist of society, it is important for them to be aware of the diseases that affect certain populations, and what type of hereditary traits they must
possess. Due to the fact that Anthropology is such a big field, Physical Anthropology has a lot to do with the other fields such as Cultural Anthropology, Archeology, and linguistic anthropology. They have one thing in common, that is to study the cultural and physical behavior of past populations. To be a great Physical Anthropologist, a lot more knowledge is required. George Cuvier was an innovator and set an example for newer Physical Anthropologist to follow. The complete understanding of bones and muscles is a must know when it comes to fossils. Further than that, they have to be biologist experts in DNA and the way the body works in a deeper level. Human Beings are very complex organisms, scientists are still puzzled of the beginning and question if there will be an end. The results are exponential, but as complicated as research may be. Physical Anthropologist have performed an outstanding job analyzing and answering the questions humans seek. Everyone has their own role in society and in this culture, for these people Analyzing making new discoveries is their role. It is because of them the human population can tell how they were 1000 years from now, and if it becomes possible it will be becomes of them that Humans will know how they will change in 1000 years. From Physical to genetic characteristics and anything that comes Physical Anthropologist will keep a close look for any change.
Charles Darwin, the Father of Evolution, was a British scientist who laid the foundations of the theory of evolution, transforming the thinking of the entire world about the living things around us (Charles Darwin (1809 – 1882)). After working on his theory for nearly 20 years, he published On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection in 1859. As soon as the book was released, the controversy began with each sides gaining followers until the climax on July 10, 1925. The idea that animals could “evolve” and change into new species, including humans, was one that challenged not only how people thought about the natural world, but challenged the story of the creation from the Bible itself. Even though Darwin himself never said that humans “evolved” from apes, everyone took it as a logical extension of his new theory. It went against the idea of argument for design that had unified theology and science for decades (Moran 5). This new threat to Christianity and the social culture of the time was one that would transform state laws on their educational curriculum.
Anthropology is the study of humans through the ages. It aims to understand different cultures and practices that have existed from the origins of mankind as well. It differs from sociology in that it takes into account humans and cultures that no longer exist.
Forensic anthropology is adapted from forensic science and anthropology. Anthropology studies how an entire culture lived its life. It also pertains to the skeletal remains of a person, in order to obtain historical data on the individual
Keith Henson a writer in evolutionary psychology once said that “Evolution acts slowly. Our psychological characteristics today are those that promoted reproductive success in the ancestral environment.” Evolution was first introduced by a naturalist by the name of Charles Darwin. Darwin had written an autobiography, at the age of 50, On the Origin of Species (1859) explaining how species evolve through time by natural selection; this theory became known as Darwinism. “Verlyn Klinkenborg, who writes editorials and vignettes on science and nature for the “New York Times”” (Muller 706) questions Darwin’s theory in one of his essays he wrote called Darwin at 200: The Ongoing Force of His Unconventional Idea. Both articles talk about the theory of Darwinism, but the authors’ use different writing techniques and were written in different time periods. Darwin himself writes to inform us on what the theory is, where as Klinkenborg goes on to explain why Darwinism is just a theory. Today, evolution is still a very controversial topic among many. It comes up in several topics that are discussed everyday such as in politics, religion and education.
a) In the case study presented to us on Tuesday October 17, 2017, the role of the forensic anthropologist was to recover and process the remains of a recently uncovered crime scene, examine the remains to determine whether or not they were human, and determine the victim’s characteristics (age, sex, race, height, nature of physical injury) (Saferstein 2018:116).
In order to understand Forensic Anthropology we must break it down into the components. According to Oxford American Dictionary the term Forensic is significant to the use of scientific methods to investigate a crime. Anthropology is defined by Oxford American Dictionary as the study of societies, cultures, and human origins. The combination of both, Forensic and Anthropology, consists of applying the principles which are introduced by Anthropologists to solving a crime. Forensic Anthropology is currently a small field but is expected to grow in the upcoming years due how it is being portrayed in books, television shows, classes, and many other resources. The usage of this field is becoming crucial because of how gruesome the crimes being committed by criminals are becoming. Although Forensic Anthropology is currently a small field it requires a lot of education, carries plenty of job responsibilities, and continues to aid in the solving of crimes.
Alfred L. Kroeber once said: “Anthropology is the most humanistic of the sciences and the most scientific of the humanities.” For centuries, anthropologists have studied various cultures in search of answers about humanity. What are other cultures like? How are other cultures different from ours? Why are they different? Anthropology originated from the Greek words Anthropos (human being), and -logia (study). In the field of Anthropology, there are four sub-fields: Biological, Cultural, Linguistic, and Archaeological. Each of these sub-fields can be beneficial to study the theory of evolution, and all of the sub-fields are important in their own respect. However, the biological and cultural fields are, perhaps, more significant than the others regarding evolution.
Many students decide to become a forensic anthropologist after watching highly glamorized television shows that depict these scientists as intuitive crime solvers. The field of forensic anthropology is heavily involved in the criminal justice system, but biological anthropology is equally important.
To do so, the anthropologist examines the overall sturdiness of the bones, as males tend to have larger bones and joint surface...
Forensics Anthropology is the study that goes beyond the human skeleton. A forensics anthropologist can find out. How a person lived, the food that person ate, and the overall make-up of a human. The use of forensics has grown in recent years, it is used to solve crimes and locate missing persons. Snow, (1982) Forensics anthropology is not a new science. The first case forensics anthropology was used on was the Jezebel case, dating back to the nineteenth century. This case involved a person, who was thrown from a window. Snow, (1982) The remains found in this case were the skull, feet, and the palm of the victim’s hands.
...a much easier and more accurate approach to studying humans. By using quantifiable measures you can put a number on whatever you are studying rather than a vague guess, people want exact numbers and details. Anthropology is and will always be seen as a hard science.
Is necessary to develop the new social sciences because it exists as a result of the impact of two things happening in western intellectual traditions at the being of the 19th century. One is social theorists are becoming more and more interested in generalizing about human nature, its making statements about the general nature of human beings it is not just the history of the English people anymore, it’s the nature of human society. Two, is the impact of science on the thought processes of the European intellectual. What they are saying is that they discovered that science affords them the best results to understand the physical world because human beings are part of it. Science says you will believe only those conclusions that are logically derived from a body of empirical evidence. When you apply the concept of science in the study of human nature, so there is was a problem the problem is that their empirical data is logically insufficient to support any generalization about human nature and their empirical data was such a narrow biased sample, we know mostly about ourselves so if you want to generalize about human nature, you need a truly representative sample of human experience on earth but the existing social sciences aren’t providing it, so we need to get that information, therefore, we invented anthropology to do that. Anthropology is the discipline that is created to fill the informational gaps left by the other social sciences to provide information about all the other people on earth, so that combined with what we already know about us we get a truly representative sample and the truly representative sample provides the logical bases for generalization for human nature.
On the other hand, Anthropology is the study of the biological and cultural aspects of all humans in all places in all times. Forensic Sciences is defined as fields of study in medicine and jurisprudence that deal with legal issues, both criminal and civil.
One cannot generalize or predict all human behaviors, thought processes, morals, and customs. Because human nature is dominated by different types of cultures and societies in various parts of the world, this can often lead to misunderstanding which ultimately leads to the illusion of cultural superiority, and in most cases this can lead to genocide - the systematic murder or annihilation of a group of people or culture. Anthropology is the study of humans, our immediate ancestors and their cultural environments this study stems from the science of holism - the study of the human condition. Culture is crucial in determining the state of the human condition, as the cultures are traditions and customs that are learned throughout an individual
Forensic anthropology can be an application of anthropology anatomical science and it is subdivided into various subfields. Some of the forensic anthropology fields include archaeology as well as forensic taphonomy and the subfields are applicable in legal settings. However, forensic anthropologists are important because they can identify deceased individuals if the remains are burned, unrecognizable, decomposed or mutilated. Such incidences happen when an accident occurs due to an inferno, road car crash, plane crush or a fierce war among two or more parties. In addition, forensic anthropologists are instrumental in the investigation as well as the documentation mass graves and genocides.