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PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 11TH EDITION BY PHILIP STEIN - Test Bank
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, Chapter 1 Investigating the Nature of HumankindCHAPTER 1
INVESTIGATING THE NATURE OF HUMANKIND
Chapter 1 sets the stage for the study of human evolution. This is especially critical in a discipline that is
new to the majority of students in our classrooms. This chapter covers the four critical introductory areas:
What is anthropology, primarily physical anthropology? What is science and how does science work? How
has physical anthropology, especially the study of human evolution, developed historically? And, finally,
what’s the fuss about creationism and intelligent design?
A course in physical anthropology may be a part of the social science curriculum at your college, but
it often falls into the biological science curriculum. In fact, many college students enroll in Physical
Anthropology to satisfy their biological science general education requirement, and this will be all of the
science they get in college. To us falls the responsibility of attempting to instill a degree of science literacy
in our students, a rather formidable task in today’s times. Hopefully this chapter not only sets the stage but
will lay to rest, at least on the surface, concerns over creationism.
Chapter Summary
Anthropology, or the study of humans, is a broad discipline that is divided into many subfields, including
physical anthropology. Physical anthropology is the study of human biological evolution. Specific areas
studied within physical anthropology include human genetics, primatology, human biological variation,
human growth and development, human ecology, osteology, and forensic anthropology. Other subfields
within the discipline of anthropology include cultural anthropology, anthropological linguistics, and
archaeology.
Science is the activity of seeking out reliable explanations for phenomena. Science is also the search
for order and a method for discovery. Scientific thinking provides a systematic way of investigation and
includes the identification of variables, hypothesis formation, tests of the validity of the hypothesis and
postulating theories.
Evolutionary theory has been shown to be a valid and reliable explanation of basic questions about
life. Modern evolutionary theory grew out of a European intellectual climate. Prior to the nineteenth
century, most Europeans saw humans as the superior center of a world populated by spontaneously created
organisms that did not change once created. Each of these ideas ultimately failed in light of new knowledge
gathered by hundreds of scholars, including Copernicus, Linnaeus, Buffon, Lamarck, Lyell, Boucher de
Crèvecoeur de Perthes, Darwin, Wallace, and Mendel. Darwin’s concept of natural selection has fused with
Mendel’s concept of genetics; to this mixture new ingredients continue to be added.
Student Learning Outcomes for Chapter 1
Upon satisfactory completion of Chapter 1, students should be able to:
1. Explain the nature of science and apply the scientific method to an understanding of the biological world.
2. Discuss the historical development of the theory of evolution and the role that Charles Darwin and the
concept of natural selection plays in biology.
Learning Objectives for Chapter 1
Upon satisfactory completion of Chapter 1, students should be able to:
1. Describe the field of physical anthropology and list some of the subfields within it.
2. Apply the process of science to problem solving situations and formulate procedural steps necessary for
a scientific investigation.
3. Explain the development of an understanding of human’s place in nature through the study of the
historical development of biology and physical anthropology.
4. Explain the role that Charles Darwin played in the study of biology and be able to explain the essentials
of the concept of natural selection.
5. Differentiate between scientific and nonscientific explanations of phenomena, between scientific and
religious explanations.
Stein, Physical Anthropology, 11e IM-1 | 1
© 2014 by McGraw-Hill Education. This is proprietary material solely for authorized instructor use. Not authorized for sale or
distribution in any manner. This document may not be copied, scanned, duplicated, forwarded, distributed, or posted on a website, in
whole or part.
, Chapter 1 Investigating the Nature of Humankind
6. Analyze and evaluate the arguments of creationism and intelligence design and demonstrate the fallacies
of these points of view as scientific theories.
Chapter Outline
The World of Physical Anthropology
Studies of Physical Anthropology
Physical Anthropology in the World of Anthropology
Conclusion
The Nature of Science
Hypotheses and Testing Hypotheses
Science and Religion
Summary
Views on the Essence of Humans, Nature, and Time
Questioning the Old Ideas
A Brief History of the Development of Modern Evolutionary Theory
What is the Age of the Earth?
Humans before Adam and Eve?
Darwin’s Voyage of Discovery
Darwinian Natural Selection
Evolution and Anti-Evolution Movements
Evolutionary Theory after Darwin: The Grand Synthesis
Summary
Box 1-1 William “Strata” Smith
Box 1-2 The Scopes Trial
Box 1-3 Kitzmiller v. Dover Area School District
Discussion Launchers
1. Words often take on different meanings in different situations. For example, in everyday language a
theory is a vague idea that may or may not be correct. However, in science a theory is something quite
different. How do scientists define facts, hypotheses, and theories?
2. How are scientific explanations different from religious ones? Do you feel that the two systems are
inherently opposed to one another? Is there any possibility of a philosophical combination of science and
religion into one concept of reality?
3. Just as we can see evolution in physical characteristics of a group, we can also see changes in popular
styles as well. Changes in car styles, fashion, and hairstyles can be seen as an analogy to evolution. What
are some examples of how these things have changed over the years? How is this similar to or different
from biological evolution?
4. The year 2009 marked the 200th anniversary of the birth of Charles Darwin and the 150th anniversary of
the publication of On the Origin of Species. There were many magazine articles and blogs about Darwin in
2009, as well as movies and other media events. Do you think that this attention did anything to increase
the general populations understanding of evolutionary concepts? Do you believe that it mobilized anti-
evolution groups?
5. What has been the impact of evolutionary theory on the development of modern society in the 20th and
21st centuries?
6. How widely do you think Darwinian evolution is accepted today? Does this acceptance vary in different
regions of the world? Why do you think some people still do not accept this view?
Films and Videos
Charles Darwin and the Tree of Life (52 minutes). Marking the 150th anniversary of the publication of On
the Origin of Species, shows how Charles Darwin developed his theory of evolution and explores its
ramifications in today’s scientific community. [Films Media Group]
Darwin’s Dangerous Idea (120 minutes). Explores why Darwin’s “dangerous idea” matters perhaps even
more today than it did in his own time and how it conveys the power of science to explain the past and
predict the future of life on earth. [PBS VIDEO]
Stein, Physical Anthropology, 11e IM-1 | 2
© 2014 by McGraw-Hill Education. This is proprietary material solely for authorized instructor use. Not authorized for sale or
distribution in any manner. This document may not be copied, scanned, duplicated, forwarded, distributed, or posted on a website, in
whole or part.
, Chapter 1 Investigating the Nature of Humankind
Darwin’s Darkest Hour (102 minutes). A drama on the crisis that compelled Darwin to publish his theory
of evolution. [PBS VIDEO]
The Darwinian Revolution (30 minutes each). In this lecture series, Frederick Gregory introduces the story
behind Charles Darwin’s ideas, explains how scientific and religious leaders reacted to them, and
considers the sea change in human thought that resulted. He covers such topics as the meaning of
evolution, evolutionary theories before Darwin, On the Origin of Species, social implications of
evolution, heredity, natural selection, and changes to evolutionary theory. [Insight Media]
Essence of Anthropology (30 minutes). Introduces the four fields of anthropology. It explains how
anthropologists employ a holistic and comparative cross-cultural perspective, presents the concept of
bioculturalism, discusses such subfields as forensics and paleoanthropology, and looks at field work.
[Insight Media]
The Evidence for Evolution (30 minutes). An introduction to the theory of evolution and the evidence
supporting it. [Carolina Biological Supply]
Evolution (480 minutes). Series on evolution. [PBS VIDEO]
Galapagos: The Islands That Changed the World (150 minutes). Tells the story of the Galapagos Islands as
a living laboratory. [PBS VIDEO]
The History of Evolutionary Theory (27 minutes). Explores the history and basic elements of the theory of
evolution. Explains what constitutes a scientific theory and contends that intelligent design is not
supported by science. [Insight Media]
In Darwin’s Garden: Evolutionary Theory and Nature’s Laboratory (3 parts, 58 minutes each). Series re-
creates many of Darwin’s crucial studies of plants and animals which he undertook near Down House.
[Films Media Group]
Judgment Day: Intelligent Design on Trial (102 minutes). Story of the Kitzmiller v Dover trial. [PBS
VIDEO]
Of Apes and Men: The Culmination of Darwin’s Research (58 minutes). Explores Darwin’s ideas on human
evolution, which he developed and made public toward the end of his life. [Films Media Group]
Origin of Species: Charles Darwin (50 minutes). Explores Charles Darwin’s On the Origin of Species,
examines evolutionary theory from its beginnings with Jean-Baptiste Lamarck, and considers the
ways in which political leaders have twisted Darwinian theory for political gain. [Insight Media]
What Is Anthropology? (40 minutes). Introduction to the diversity, methods, and significance of
anthropological studies. [Insight Media]
TED TALKS: There are many interesting talks in the TED TALK lectures that relate to this first chapter.
Two of the speakers are Richard Dawkins and Dan Dennet. For a complete list see:
http://www.ted.com/talks/tags/evolution
Other Resources Including Resources for Distance Learning
If you wish to further explore the field of physical anthropology you can go to the websites of the following
organizations:
American Anthropological Association http://www.aaanet.org
American Association of Physical Anthropologists http://physanth.org
For more information about Charles Darwin, go to the AboutDarwin.com website at
http://www.aboutdarwin.com. The complete works of Charles Darwin, including correspondence and
journals, can be found at http://Darwin-online.org.uk, a project of the University of Cambridge.
For further information on these issues, visit the following websites:
National Center for Science Education http://www.ncse.org
The Talk.Origins Archive http://www.talkorigins.org
University of California Berkeley Museum of Paleontology
Understanding Evolution http://evolution.berkeley.edu
The PBS series NOVA posts material on many of its programs. See the following companion websites:
“Darwin’s Darkest Hour” at http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/darwin.
Stein, Physical Anthropology, 11e IM-1 | 3
© 2014 by McGraw-Hill Education. This is proprietary material solely for authorized instructor use. Not authorized for sale or
distribution in any manner. This document may not be copied, scanned, duplicated, forwarded, distributed, or posted on a website, in
whole or part.
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