Physical Anthropology 03/04

UNIT 1. The Evoluntionary Perspectives 1. The Growth of Evolutionary Science, Douglas J. Futuyma, from Science on Trial , Pantheon Books, 1982 Before the rise of science, the causes of orderly events were sought in the divine purposes they were thought to have served. Today, patterns and designs are seen to be the result of natural selection. 2. A Theory Evolves, Thomas Hayden, U.S. News & World Report , July 29, 2002 While scientists have confirmed virtually all of Charles Darwin's postulates, new research shows that evolution works in ways that Darwin could not have possibly imagined. 3. Darwin's Influence on Modern Thought, Ernst Mayr, Scientific American , July 2000 As Ernst Mayr points out, our conception of the world and our place in it is, at the beginning of the twenty-first century, drastically different from the Zeitgeist, or "spirit of the times," at the beginning of the nineteenth century. The one person most responsible for this change is Charles Darwin. 4. 15 Answers to Creationist Nonsense, John Rennie, Scientific American , July 2002 Opponents of evolution are trying to tear down real science by setting forth a series of specious arguments. In reality, they intend to use the intelligent-design theory as a "wedge" in order to reopen science classroom to the discussion of God. This article consists of a series of rebuttals to some of the most common "scientific" arguments raised against the idea of evolution. 5. Survival of the Kindest: Of Selfish Genes and Unselfish Dogs, Frans de Waal, from The Ape and the Sushi Master , Basic Books, 2001 Some evolutionary biologists flinch at calling a behavior "altruistic," whereas others flinch at calling the same behavior "selfish." In fact, both may be right within their respective frameworks. When we freely jump from one level or perspective to another, we run the risk of forgetting to keep our language straight. 6. Curse and Blessing of the Ghetto, Jared Diamond, Discover , March 1991 Tay-Sachs disease is a choosy killer, one that for centuries targeted Eastern European Jews above all others. Jared Diamond reports that, by decoding its lethal logic, we can learn a great deal about how genetic diseases evolveand how they can be conquered. 7. The Saltshaker's Curse, Jared Diamond, Natural History , October 1991 Physiological adaptations that at one time helped West Africans and their descendants cope with unusually high salt loss may now be predisposing African Americans to hypertension and a premature death. 8. What You Can Learn From Drunk Monkeys, Meredith F. Small, Discover , July 2002 A remarkable National Institutes of Health (NIH) study on alcoholism sheds insight regarding the relationship between heredity and environment. It turns out that an individual is just as likely to become an alcoholic from a bad childhood as from bad genes. UNIT 2. Primates 9. Machiavellian Monkeys, James Shreeve, Discover , June 1991 Deception plays such an important role in primate survival that it may not simply be the result of great intelligence. James Shreeve indicates that it may also be a driving force behind the development of intelligence. 10. What Are Friends For?, Barbara Smuts, Natural History , February 1987 Barbara Smuts reports that an understanding of friendship bonds among baboons is not only destroying our stereotypes about monkeys in the wild, but it is also calling into question traditional views concerning the relationships between the sexes in early hominid evolution. 11. Fossey in the Mist, Robert M. Sapolsky, Discover , February 2001 The memory of Dian Fossey will be forever filled with contradictions and controversy. She began as a scientist studying gorillas in the wild and quickly became a conservationist. Her methods, however, would ultimately lead to the murders of both the gorillas and herself. 12. The Mind of the Chimpanzee, Jane Goodall, from Through a Window , Houghton Mifflin, 1990 It has long been recognized that the differences in anatomy and physiology between apes and humans are a matter of degree. Because of the work of Jane Goodall, we have come to realize that there is continuity in mental and emotional development as well. 13. Got Culture?, Craig Stanford, from Significant Others , Basic Books, 2001 The rudimentary cultural abilities of the chimpanzee not only sharpens our understanding of our uniqueness as humans, but it also suggests an ancient ancestry for the mental abilities that we and the chimpanzees have in common. 14. Dim Forest, Bright Chimps, Christophe Boesch and Hedwige Boesch-Achermann, Natural History , September 1991 Contrary to expectations, forest-dwelling chimpanzees seem to be more committed to cooperative hunting and tool use than are savanna chimpanzees. Such findings may have implications for the course of human evolution. 15. To Catch a Colobus, Craig B. Stanford, Natural History , January 1995 When chimpanzees in Gombe National Park band together to hunt red colobus monkeys, the most important ingredient seems to be the number of males and the presence of at least one estrous female. Craig Stanford indicates that their goals appear to be more social than dietary. 16. Disturbing Behaviors of the Orangutan, Anne Nacey Maggioncalda and Robert M. Sapolsky, Scientific American , June 2002 Some adolescent male orangutans experience an arrested state of development in the presence of an adult male. Recent research indicates that, rather than being a stress-induced response (as was once thought), delayed maturation is actually an alternative reproductive strategy. 17. Are We in Anthropodenial?, Frans de Waal, Discover , July 1997 To endow animals with human emotions and mental qualities has long been a scientific taboo, but the more we learn about them, especially our closer relatives, the more it seems that there really are similarities, as Frans de Waal's research indicates. UNIT 3. Sex and Society 18. The Myth of the Coy Female, Carol Tavris, from The Mismeasure of Woman , Simon & Schuster, 1992 It may be impossible for us to observe the behavior of other species in a way that does not mirror the assumptions of our own way of life. In this light, Carol Tavris maintains that primAngeloni, Elvio is the author of 'Physical Anthropology 03/04', published 2002 under ISBN 9780072548327 and ISBN 0072548320.