This text introduces physical anthropology, the science of human biological evolution and variation. It addresses the major questions that concern biological anthropologists: "What are humans?" "How are we similar to and different from other animals?" "Where are our origins?" "How did we evolve?" "Are we still evolving?" "How are we different from one another?" and "What does the future hold fo…
Written by a professor who has spent eleven years teaching and practicing biological anthropology and who takes care to relate its significance to everyday life, this new text focuses on central contemporary issues: genetics and genomics, "natural" behavior, evolution, and human variation. The book tells the story of biological anthropology and evolutionary theory, our bio-history, in a way tha…
Synopsis: This concise introduction to biological anthropology discusses the core areas of the discipline within a unique framework modeled on the scientific method. The text emphasizes themes and theories: facts are presented as supportive evidence rather than dissociated pieces of information. Each chapter poses questions that get at the heart of the field, answers them, and then reexamines t…