Physical Biological Anthropology

Histories of American Physical Anthropology in the Twentieth Century chronicles the history of physical anthropology--or, as it is now known, biological anthropology--from its professional origins in the late 1800 up to its modern transformation in the late 1900s. In this edited volume, 13 contributors trace the development of people, ideas, traditions, and organizations that contributed to the advancement of this branch of anthropology that focuses today on human variation and human evolution. Designed for upper level undergraduate students, graduate students, and professional biological anthropologists, this book provides a brief and accessible history of the biobehavioral side of anthropology in America.

Physical (Biological) Anthropology theme is a component of Encyclopedia Of Biological, Physiological And Health Sciences (EOLSS), which is an integrated compendium of twenty one Encyclopedias. Biological anthropology, also known as physical anthropology, is a scientific discipline concerned with the biological and behavioral aspects of human beings, their related non-human primates and their extinct hominin ancestors. It is a subfield of anthropology that provides a biological perspective to the systematic study of human beings. This volume is aimed at the following five major target audiences: University and College Students Educators, Professional Practitioners, Research Personnel and Policy Analysts, Managers, and Decision Makers, NGOs and GOs.

Welcome to Explorations and biological anthropology! An electronic version of this textbook is available free of charge at the Society for Anthropology in Community Colleges' webpage here: www.explorations.americananthro.org

An extensive overview of the rapidly growing field of biologicalanthropology; chapters are written by leading scholars who havethemselves played a major role in shaping the direction and scopeof the discipline. Extensive overview of the rapidly growing field of biologicalanthropology Larsen has created a who’s who of biologicalanthropology, with contributions from the leadingauthorities in the field Contributing authors have played a major role in shaping thedirection and scope of the topics they write about Offers discussions of current issues, controversies, and futuredirections within the area Presents coverage of the many recent innovations anddiscoveries that are transforming the subject

Chapter-by-chapter resources for the student, including learning objective outlines, fill-in-the-blank chapter outlines, key terms, and extensive opportunities for self-quizzing.

The unique contribution made by biological anthropology to human welfare lies in the fundamental understanding it can provide of the dynamic interrelationships between physical and social factors. By understanding these patterns, we can interpret the significance of variation in such measures of human well-being in terms of the incidence of disease and mortality rates. Topics covered in this book include reproductive ecology and fertility, nutritional status in relation to health, and the effects of pollution on individual growth. In later chapters, the concepts of physiological adaptation and Darwinian fitness and their relation to individual physical fitness are explored.

The comparative study of humans as biological organisms, their evolution, and their physiological and anatomical functions and ecology of primates surveys the entire field and summarizes and organizes the basic knowledge, fundamental principles and development.

Applauded for its outstanding art program and engaging writing style, this text is praised by instructors and students alike, and continues to set the standard for a market-leading Physical Anthropology textbook. It provides a current and accessible synthesis of the core concepts and latest developments in the field of Physical Anthropology. It presents a balanced and thorough introduction to field using helpful tables, charts, boxed inserts, photo essays, multimedia, and an engaging writing style to bring the study of Physical Anthropology to life for today's students.