Physical Anthropology

Physical Anthropology: Selections from Pop Science to Primary Research is a unique reader that introduces students to physical anthropology through a mix of popular science pieces, book chapters, and research articles. The inclusion of primary research articles is intended to prepare students for upper division university courses. Readings were also chosen to highlight learning objectives for general education science courses, which often include requirements such as having students obtain knowledge from current scientific inquiry to question existing explanations, demonstrate ways in which science is influenced by political issues, and recognize scientific methods.

Each section begins with an overview that is designed to help students understand the readings within that section. Each reading is also accompanied by a short introduction providing background for the specific piece. Pull-quotes and information boxes are utilized to retain student interest and tie each piece into a broader context. Physical Anthropology also provides a set of questions to help students to think about the processes of science, variety of reference types, and the connections these articles make to understanding humans.

Elizabeth Weiss (Ph.D., University of Arkansas) is an Associate Professor of Anthropology at San José State University in California, where she teaches physical anthropology courses, including Introduction to Human Evolution, Human Origins, Primates, and Bioarchaeology.