Fascinating Facts

Biological Anthropology: The Study of Human Biology and Behavior

• Biological anthropology is a scientific discipline that studies the biological and behavioral aspects of human beings, their extinct hominin ancestors, and related non-human primates, particularly from an evolutionary perspective.
• This subfield of anthropology is further divided into several branches, all united in their common orientation and/or application of evolutionary theory to understanding human biology and behavior.
• The origins of biological anthropology date back to ancient Greece, when humans were placed on the scala naturae, a system that included all things from inanimate objects to deities.
• Scientific physical anthropology began in the 17th to 18th centuries with the study of racial classification, and the first prominent physical anthropologist was Johann Friedrich Blumenbach, who argued for the division of humankind into five major races.
• In the 19th century, French physical anthropologists focused on craniometry, while the German tradition emphasized the influence of environment and disease upon the human body.
• In the late 19th century, Franz Boas strongly impacted biological anthropology by emphasizing the influence of culture and experience on the human form.
• However, scientific racism still persisted in biological anthropology, with prominent figures such as Earnest Hooton and Aleš Hrdlička promoting theories of racial superiority and a European origin of modern humans.
• In 1951, Sherwood Washburn introduced a "new physical anthropology" that focused on human evolution, moving away from classification towards evolutionary process.
• Advances in the understanding of the molecular structure of DNA and the development of chronological dating methods opened doors to understanding human variation, both past and present, more accurately and in much greater detail.
• Notable biological anthropologists include Johann Friedrich Blumenbach, Franz Boas, Sherwood Washburn, and Jane Goodall.
• Biological anthropology has made significant contributions to understanding human evolution, genetics, and behavior, as well as addressing issues of race, health, and disease.
• Biological anthropology continues to evolve and expand as new discoveries and technologies emerge, offering new insights into the biological and behavioral aspects of human beings and their closest relatives.