Physical Anthropology

Physical anthropology is also called as biological anthropology is the branch of anthropology, which studies, in the context of other primates, the development of the human beings. Physical anthropology includes bio-cultural studies of the human diversity, the ancestry of the human species and comparative behavior, anatomy, ecology and history of present-day and historic primates. Physical anthropology mostly studies about the hominid fossil proof and their studies and evolution.  Physical anthropology was actually started mainly with the studies of primate fossils in the history, their contrast and comparison, when and why certain traits such as chin and mandible disappeared or evolved, environment and nature on walking, how the resources and environment which affected the primates’ fossil and whether they utilize fire or did not. Physical anthropology also deals with the primate categorization in the hominid tree and the individual naming of the proposed species and exclusion or inclusion of fossils records or evidence to and from the hominid tree.

Physical anthropology generally works with the physical evidence and paleoanthropology, since you require a tangible material in order to prove or criticize something. Physical anthropology concerns about the fossil dating as well.  For example, physical anthropology would focus  more on bipedalism, Ausralopithecus afarensis, Homo erectus (combined with arboreal or full bipetdalism multiregional models  and ) Out of Africa theory, use of fire (cooking gives more energy and nutrient ), ), jaw strength and teeth structure (sagittal crest ( if they have the crest they might eat solid foods such as nuts), whether they eat soft food or hard food), radiocarbon dating, brain size and relative height  of the species, ), chin (one of the distinctions between Homo erectus  and Homo sapiens species for instance), etc. Physical anthropology utilizes the scientific method with extensive cross revision and analysis if needed.

Questionnaire:

• What is Physical anthropology?
• Explain more about Physical anthropology.