Physical Anthropology: (take home exam) - Assignment Example

1. What is meant by the term ‘Hominid’? Be specific. ‘Hominid’, in its new context, is commonly referred to as a group in the animal kingdom that includes all modern humans. The meaning of Hominid has also expanded on a broader coverage that includes all modern and extinct kinds of apes such as orangutans, gorillas, chimpanzees and all their immediate related members belonging to the family Hominidae to which humans were classified in. ‘Hominids’ must be distinguished from ‘Hominins’.

Hominins are referred to as “the extinct human species and its other immediate related ancestral members under the genera Homo as in Homo- neandertahlensis” (Foley, 2010)2. Is there a difference between a Paleoanthropologist and an Archeologist? Yes, absolutely there is a difference! The work of an archeologist involves the study of cultures, more recent or ancient civilizations. Paleoanthropologist deals with or refers back to pre-historic origins or evolutions of the human race, biotic communities , among others which appears to be older in context.

They may have some similarities like finding artifacts, remains and other evidences as proof of life and culture which is why confusion sometimes arise in the academic field. But somehow, they differ in their areas of pursuits considering that the field of Archeology is known to be a subfield or branch of Anthropology. Paleoanthropology is presented in some sources as a multidisciplinary field requiring the involvement of a team of archeologists, geologists and paleontologists or even a geography expert for a paleoanthropology research_ each of which contributes his own distinctive expertise and information when pieced together provides a better understanding and perspective of their find.3. Explain Cuvier’s notion of catastrophism.

George Cuvier (1769-1832) was one of those who belonged to the pre-Darwinian evolutionary theorists. Catastrophism was a proposed concept of Cuvier in relation to evolution. It is better known to be his formulated doctrine which emphasized that there is a certain point in time when the earth experiences unexplained, unpredictable major geological upheavals such as great floods, high intensity of earthquakes, eruptions of super volcanoes, among others which consequently bring physical changes to the earth’s crust.

In effect, Cuvier also asserts that organisms (fauna and flora) populations living in these areas experiencing catastrophic changes are erased from the face of the earth. However, these wiped out organisms are quickly restored by the replacement of new forms of living organisms coming from different parts of the world, not to disregard the existence of migratory groups 4.1 What is natural selection? Charles Darwin’s greatest contribution in his Theory of Evolution was his ability to draw up or formulate a logical mechanism that explains how evolutionary changes take place through his natural selection theory.

Understood in layman’s term, natural selection is known to be a process by which organisms show their capacity to adapt themselves with their environment and those that adapt themselves best, becomes the survivors which are generally the ones left to reproduce more of their kind with their best genes passed unto a next generation. These surviving individuals that possess the best genes are said to possess the most resilient or most ‘fitted’ genes which they consider as a good candidate for the ‘survival of the fittest’ criteria. 4.2 Was Charles Darwin the first and only person to come up with this idea?

  Absolutely not! Darwin was not the first and only person to come up with the idea about evolution. There were prominently known “Pre-Darwinian Evolution revolutionary ideas contributed by: “Jean-Baptiste Chevalier de Lamarck (inheritance of acquired characteristics…), George Cuvier ( Catastrophism) , James Hutton and Charles Lyell (Uniformitarianism) and Dr. Erasmus Darwin, grandfather of Charles Darwin (Zoonomia or Law of Organic Life)” (Cuvier’s Catastrophism, 2005). Each of these mentioned theorists had their piece to present.

Unfortunately, early pre-Darwinian theorists did not fully substantiate their theories as compared to the works of Charles Darwin. 5. What is Mendel’s principle of independent assortment? Gregor Johann Mendel is popularly known as the “Father of Genetics”, taught and published in every science reference book from grade school to higher science education, also considered an institutionalized title in the academic and scientific communities. He was also claimed to have formulated the Principle of Independent Assortment.

According to Bailey, R., Mendel’s Principle of Independent Assortment explains “that allele pairs separate independently during the formation of gametes. This means that traits are transmitted to offspring independently of one another” (Bailey,n.d.) The Law of Independent Assortment is just part and partial of the fundamental principles that govern heredity which Gregor Mendel discovered. It goes in tandem with another Mendel’s principle, the Law of Segregation. REFERENCES Bailey, Regina. (n.d.), Mendels Law of Independent Assortment.

Retrieved fromhttp://biology.about.com/od/geneticsglossary/g/Mendels-Law-Of-Independent-Assortment.htm Foley, J. (2010). Homonid Species. Retrieved from http://www.talkorigins.org/faqs/homs/species.html What is Cuvier’s Catastrophism?. (January, 2005) Surburban Emergency Management Project . Biot Report 169. Retrieved from http://www.semp.us/publications/biot_reader.php?BiotID=169