Introduction to Anthropology 2200 Exam 1 Study Guide Introduction to Anthropology Subfields of Anthropology 1 Cultural Anthropology 2 Archaeological Anthropology 3 Linguistic Anthropology 4 Physical Biological Anthropology Subfields of Physical Biological Anthropology 1 Human Biology 2 Primatology 3 Paleoanthropology 4 Skeletal Biology and Osteology 5 Paleopathology 6 Forensic Anthropology The Biocultural Concept scientific exploration of the relationships between human biology and culture Franz Boas July 9 1858 December 21 1942 was a German American anthropologist and a pioneer of modern anthropology who has been called the Father of American Anthropology The Scientific Method Observation exploration and discovery Hypothesis Gathering Data testable statement or explain a phenomenon Test Hypothesis Replicate build a theory publish Community feedback and analysis Benefits and Outcomes Law descriptive generalizations laws can be broken Theory explanation of a law logical Most Important Facts Confirmed Observation Least Important History of Evolutionary Thought Evolution change in the gene pool of a population from generation to generation by such processes as mutation natural selection and genetic drift Jean Baptiste Pierre Antoine de Monet Chevalier de Lamarck 1 August 1744 18 December 1829 often known simply as Lamarck was a French naturalist He was a soldier biologist academic and an early proponent of the idea that evolution occurred and proceeded in accordance with natural laws Giraffes stretched their necks and passed that to offspring Inheritance of Acquired Characteristics Lamarck s Idea is the idea that an organism can pass on characteristics that it acquired during its lifetime to its offspring Carolus Linnaeus 23 May 1707 10 January 1778 was a Swedish botanist physician and zoologist who laid the foundations for the modern biological naming scheme of binomial nomenclature how species are named He is known as the father of modern taxonomy and is also considered one of the fathers of modern ecology James Hutton 3 June 1726 26 March 1797 was a Scottish geologist physician chemical manufacturer naturalist and experimental agriculturalist He originated the theory of uniformitarianism a fundamental principle of geology which explains the features of the Earth s crust by means of natural processes over geologic time Hutton s work established geology as a proper science and thus he is often referred to as the Father of Modern Geology Uniformitarianism is the assumption that the same natural laws and processes that operate in the universe now have always operated in the universe in the past and apply everywhere in the universe Thomas Robert Malthus 13 February 1766 29 December 1834 was an English cleric and scholar influential in the fields of political economy and demography Developed the Malthusian Catastrophe also known as Malthusian Check was a prediction of a forced return to subsistence level conditions once population growth had outpaced agricultural production Darwin and Natural Selection Biological Species Concept defines a species as members of populations that actually or potentially interbreed in nature not according to similarity of appearance Although appearance is helpful in identifying species it does not define species Charles Darwin 12 February 1809 19 April 1882 was an English naturalist and geologist best known for his contributions to evolutionary theory He established that all species of life have descended over time from common ancestors he introduced his scientific theory that this branching pattern of evolution resulted from a process that he called natural selection in which the struggle for existence has a similar effect to the artificial selection involved in selective breeding Darwin s Two Discoveries 1 Variation in the environment Variation in physical traits 2 Similar species in different locations have a common ancestor The Galapagos Islands The islands are famed for their vast number of endemic species and were studied by Charles Darwin during the voyage of the Beagle His observations and collections contributed to the inception of Darwin s theory of evolution by natural selection where he studied variations in mockingbirds Natural Selection Differential Reproduction 1 Variation was related to the environment of an animal 2 Heritability these traits are inherited by offspring 3 Selection more individuals are born than can survive to reproduce Adaptations characteristics that enhance an organism s ability to survive Increase parents fitness Fitness average number of offspring from a parent with a given trait variant 1 Allopatric Speciation geographic isolation results in reproductive isolation 2 Peripatric Speciation Founder Effect group moves away from parental population 3 Parapatric Speciation adjacent populations evolve independently create hybrids in 4 Sympatric Speciation New species evolve in the same geographic region Types of Speciation overlap zone Biological Basis of Life DNA Structure Double Helix DNA is a polymer The monomer units of DNA are nucleotides and the polymer is known as a polynucleotide Each nucleotide consists of a 5 carbon sugar deoxyribose a nitrogen containing base attached to the sugar and a phosphate group There are four different types of nucleotides found in DNA A is for adenine G is for guanine C is for cytosine T is for thymine Phosphate Nucleotides are organic molecules that serve as the monomers or subunits of nucleic acids like DNA and RNA which are made up of Nitrogenous Base Pair Rules Certain nitrogenous bases only pair with specific other ones In DNA thymine pairs with adenine and guanine pairs with cytosine In RNA adenine pairs with uracil instead of thymine Nitrogen Sugar A T DNA C G DNA A U RNA DNA vs RNA DNA uses Deoxyribose Nucleic Acid DNA is double stranded DNA uses thymine as a base to match adenine Versus RNA is Ribose Nucleic Acid RNA is usually single stranded RNA uses uracil as a base to match with adenine Messenger RNA mRNA is RNA that carries information from DNA to the ribosome sites of protein synthesis in the cell Transport RNA tRNA is an RNA molecule shaped like a three leaf clover that has an amino acid attached to one end The tRNA transport the amino acid to the ribosome The Modern Synthesis refers to a blending of Mendelian Genetics and Darwinian Evolution Somatic Cells any cell of the body except sperm and egg cells Somatic cells are diploid meaning that they contain two sets of