ANTH 196 Lecture Notes - Lecture 9: Lithic Reduction, Primatology, K–Ar Dating
Document Summary
Paleoanthropology: the study of human evolution as a biological and cultural process. Mostly a historical science, but we can use bits & pieces to reconstruct. Mercurial quickly changeable by nature: new species constantly being discovered. Disproportionately represented in popular media: only dinosaur paleontology is as publically popular. Strategy of paleoanthropology: find suitable field sites where fossil humans may be found. Initial survey of site for fossils, some initial dating of rock strata. Exam 3 review: full scale excavation for fossils, analysis & interpretation, chronology, paleoecology, archaeology, anatomy. Hominid: a bipedal member of the evolutionary lineage leading to modern humans. Phylogenetic definition: any species that evolved after the human lineage split off from the evolutionary lineage leading to chimpanzees. Bipedalism: a diagnostic trait that defines all hominids. Shorter toes, big toe in line with other toes. Fossils: happenstance material evidence of past life a frag(cid:373)e(cid:374)tary (cid:862)wi(cid:374)dow(cid:863) i(cid:374)to the past.
