LABORATORY MANUAL AND WORKBOOK FOR BIOLOGICAL
ANTHROPOLOGY INSTRUCTOR’S MANUAL
Lab 1: Biological Anthropology and the Scientific Method
ANSWERS TO LAB 1 CONCEPT REVIEW QUESTIONS
1. Context and comparison are the two fundamental ideas used in anthropology.
context.
7. The hypothesis is a testable explanation of observations. In contrast, a scientific theory is
10. According to the AAPA Code of Ethics, an anthropologist is primarily responsible to the
GUIDE & ANSWERS TO LAB 1 EXERCISES
Exercise 1: Fields of Anthropology Scenarios (30 to 40 minutes)
This exercise uses real examples to help students compare the four fields of anthropology
(cultural anthropology, linguistic anthropology, archaeology, and biological anthropology) and
to identify the broader significance of anthropological research. Students are asked to read the
scenarios and discuss the questions that follow. Instructors may assign some or all of the
scenarios as desired.
[Note: The answers provided may not be the only possible answers. They are given as a
representation of the types of comments that may arise in the discussion.]
SCENARIO A: SOYBEAN CONSUMPTION RESEARCH
1. What is the primary field of anthropology addressed in this research?
2. Are there any other fields of anthropology addressed in this research?
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3. What aspects of context must be considered as part of this research?
4. How might this research contribute to a comparative approach?
SCENARIO B: IMPACT ON NATIVE CALIFORNIANS BY SPANISH MISSIONIZATION
1. What is the primary field of anthropology addressed in this research?
2. Are there any other fields of anthropology addressed in this research?
3. What aspects of context must be considered as part of this research?
4. How might this research contribute to a comparative approach?
1. What is the primary field of anthropology addressed in this research?
2. Are there any other fields of anthropology addressed in this research?
3. What aspects of context must be considered as part of this research?
4. How might this research contribute to a comparative approach?
SCENARIO D: Y CHROMOSOME DNA ANALYSIS
1. What is the primary field of anthropology addressed in this research?
2. Are there any other fields of anthropology addressed in this research?
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3. What aspects of context must be considered as part of this research?
4. How might this research contribute to a comparative approach?
Exercise 2: Types of Biological Anthropology Scenarios (30 to 40 minutes)
This exercise uses real examples to help students compare different subfields or types of
biological anthropology (human biology, forensic anthropology, primatology, and
paleoanthropology) and to identify the broader significance of biological anthropology research.
Students are asked to read the scenarios and discuss the questions that follow. Instructors may
assign some or all of the scenarios as desired.
[Note: The answers provided may not be the only possible answers. They are given as a
representation of the types of comments that may arise in the discussion.]
SCENARIO A: FOSSIL SPECIES FROM 4.4 MILLION YEARS AGO
1. What is the primary subfield of biological anthropology addressed in this research?
2. How does this research relate to human evolution? In other words, what can we learn
about human evolution from research along these lines?
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3. Which other scholarly disciplines outside anthropology do you think might be interested
in this research? Why would they find this research relevant?
SCENARIO B: CHIMPANZEE SPEAR PRODUCTION AND USE
1. What is the primary subfield of biological anthropology addressed in this research?
2. How does this research relate to human evolution? In other words, what can we learn
about human evolution from research along these lines?
3. Which other scholarly disciplines outside anthropology do you think might be interested
in this research? Why would they find this research relevant?
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SCENARIO C: STRESS AND FEMALE REPRODUCTION IN RURAL GUATEMALA
3. What is the primary subfield of biological anthropology addressed in this research?
3. How does this research relate to human evolution? In other words, what can we learn
about human evolution from research along these lines?
3. Which other scholarly disciplines outside anthropology do you think might be interested
in this research? Why would they find this research relevant?
SCENARIO D: IDENTIFICATION OF FIRE VICTIMS IN AUSTRALIA
1. What is the primary subfield of biological anthropology addressed in this research?
2. How does this research relate to human evolution? In other words, what can we learn
about human evolution from research along these lines?
3. Which other scholarly disciplines outside anthropology do you think might be interested
in this research? Why would they find this research relevant?
Exercise 3: Biological Anthropology News Article Discussion (30 to 40 minutes)
This exercise requires the instructor to provide students with a current news article related to a
biological anthropology topic (e.g., a recent fossil find or a newly endangered primate). We
specifically suggest the use of a news article rather than a scholarly article because a scholarly
article may overly challenge students at this point in their training. This exercise allows students
to begin to apply their biological anthropology knowledge as informed, critical thinkers to issues
that are constantly in the headlines and often the focus of television shows. As such, we want
students to practice thinking about issues such as informed expertise and intended audience.
Students should be read the article and then discuss the questions that follow. The discussion can
be conducted in small groups or as a large class. You may also ask students to work in small
groups, where each group has a different article. This allows students to discuss their article
within their group and compare their discussion with another group.
[Note: Because the discussion will be heavily dependent on the article(s) assigned, we do not
provide specific answers to the six Exercise 3 questions.]
1. What is the overall topic of your article?
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2. How does your article relate to human evolution? In other words, what can we learn
about human evolution from the article?
3. Who do you think is the target audience for the article?
4. Is the author an expert biological anthropologist? Did the author interview or quote an
expert biological anthropologist?
5. Is there some information that might be missing from the article? If so, what might have
been left out?
6. Based on what you have discussed about this article, what biases and other factors should
you consider when following popular media coverage of biological anthropology topics?
Exercise 4: Applying the Scientific Method (15 to 30 minutes, depending on how many
scenarios are assigned)
This exercise requires students to apply the scientific method to a real biological anthropology
research scenario. The students are given a brief set of findings (observations) from previous
research. This represents the first stage of the scientific method. The students are then asked to
discuss the questions that follow in order to apply the other stages of the scientific method to
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[Note: The answers provided may not be the only possible answers. They are given as a
representation of the types of comments that may arise in the discussion.]
SCENARIO A: HUMAN BIOLOGY
1. Generate a hypothesis about what causes the observed phenomena in this scenario (larger
lungs associated with extremely high altitudes).
2. Describe the type or types of data you would ideally collect to test this hypothesis.
Data should include measurements of lung size and lung capacity of people at
3. Describe what hypothetical data might support the hypothesis—for example, “The
4. Describe what hypothetical data might reject the hypothesis—for example, “The
hypothesis would be rejected if we found data that indicated _____.”
5. If you rejected the hypothesis, how would you refine and rewrite your hypothesis to
account for your findings and begin again?
SCENARIO B: FORENSIC ANTHROPOLOGY
1. Generate a hypothesis about what causes the observed phenomena in this scenario
(pelvises are wider in females than in males).
2. Describe the type or types of data you would ideally collect to test this hypothesis.
3. Describe what hypothetical data might support the hypothesis—for example, “The
hypothesis would be supported if we found data that indicated _____.”
4. Describe what hypothetical data might reject the hypothesis—for example, “The
hypothesis would be rejected if we found data that indicated _____.”
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5. If you rejected the hypothesis, how would you refine and rewrite your hypothesis to
account for your findings and begin again?
SCENARIO C: PRIMATOLOGY
1. Generate a hypothesis about what causes the observed phenomena in this scenario
(females don’t form strong alliances and split from their group during the day).
2. Describe the type or types of data you would ideally collect to test this hypothesis.
Make observations of wild chimpanzees, with a focus on female chimpanzee daytime
3. Describe what hypothetical data might support the hypothesis—for example, “The
hypothesis would be supported if we found data that indicated _____.”
4. Describe what hypothetical data might reject the hypothesis—for example, “The
hypothesis would be rejected if we found data that indicated _____.”