an anthropological spin
You know those viral internet images that are hilarious and sometimes stinging? They have their roots in the late 70s, directly coined by an Oxford zoologist who was inspired by geneticists, anthropologists, and ethologists in coming up with it.
Anthropology is the study of humans. It’s the study of our cultural diversity and developments. Our similarities and differences. It’s the study of our history–hopefully without some of the drawbacks of nationalism that History is criticized for.
It’s the study of our shared heritage. And that includes or place in the Animal Kingdom.
So in order to understand the biological aspects of the field of anthropology, we need to have a basic understanding of evolution.
Neanderthals are the original “missing link.” That hypothesized link in the chain that connects us to our ever-more-apelike ancestors. Neanderthals have long been assumed to be “less than” human. In anthropological circles, even in lower level anthropology courses, that assumption has been under debate.
This is a huge post. I’ve been asked if I intend to make it into a book. It’s an account of my initial draw towards paleoanthropology, and my first field experience in it, in the Turkana region of Kenya.
