Teaching
Biological Anthropology
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Unit 2
Nonhuman Primate Diversity
As members of the Primate order, modern humans share more genetic material with monkeys, lemurs, and apes than with other mammals. In this unit, students will learn about the diversity among nonhuman primates and what research has revealed about primate behavior, communication, and other social interactions.
Sapiens articles
Keywords
View All in Environment
![A large moose stands in the shallow waters of a lake at sunset, with the water reflecting vibrant golden and orange hues.]()
![A gnarled tree stands on a reddish cliff, beyond which stretches a landscape of deeply hued sandstone plateaus that an ox-bowed river cuts through.]()
![A whale’s tail appears above the water, creating white foam as it splashes on the ocean’s surface. A small bird flies in the background.]()
![A large metal sign with the letters S.O.S. carved through it stands in a shallow lake in front of a blue sky with pink clouds.]()
![People wearing brown and tan coats shop in front of a woman in a pink outfit beneath a neon blue sign that reads SHEIN (pronounced “she-in”).]()
![A person wearing a snorkel, wetsuit, and flippers floats underwater as sunlight streams into the ocean. In the background, another diver swims near the surface.]()
Do Moose “Belong” in Colorado?
As moose populations multiply in the Southern Rocky Mountains, decision-makers are questioning whether the animals are endemic or invaders. Archaeology can offer answers—and potential solutions.
Gathering Firewood—and Redefining Land Stewardship—at Bears Ears
At Bears Ears National Monument in Utah, a new co-management plan brings together federal agencies and a consortium of Native American tribes—revealing deep tensions over land rights and demands for environmental justice.
Protecting Ancestral Waters Through Collaborative Stewardship
The proposed Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary, along California’s Central Coast, would be the first of its kind in the U.S. to be nominated by Native peoples.
Can Art Save the “Post-Apocalyptic” Salton Sea?
In this Mad Max–like California landscape, artists and activists are inventing renewable alternatives to the capitalist system that’s developing but also destroying the region.
Can “Made in China” Become a Beacon of Sustainability?
In the epicenter of fast fashion, a small cohort of Chinese eco-friendly designers is amplifying the call for a less wasteful and environmentally destructive clothing culture.
A Freediver Finds Belonging Without Breath
An anthropologist takes us on a journey “down the line” to explore what freediving can teach us about ourselves and kinship with the sea.
View All in Evolution
![An ape-like mannequin, with protruding facial features and a body covered in fur, stands in a museum exhibition under dramatic lighting. Next to it, a text panel starts, “The human story begins.”]()
![A bearded man in a vest and red scarf holds up his two hands in loose blue gloves, with a small tooth in each hand.]()
![A historic black-and-white photograph shows a small group of workers on the floor of a pin manufacturing plant tending to rows of machines.]()
![A person with short gray hair wearing a blue shirt holds a black camera up to their face and points it at a figure that looks like a hairy unclothed person with one hand on their lap and the other on its chin.]()
![In a dark and rainy forest, a large Tyrannosaurus rex stares into a green car with its headlights on. The car has a yellow and black graphic on its hood with text that reads, “Jurassic Park.”]()
![On a paved city street fenced off and lined with people, three people wearing colorful clothing stand and hold signs. These read: “Monogamy is not for everyone,” “I love my girlfriend’s boyfriend,” and “Sharing is Caring.”]()
Lessons From Lucy
Fifty years ago, the remains of an Australopithecus afarensis ancestor, named “Lucy” by archaeologists, rewrote the story of human evolution.
Unraveling a “Ghost” Neanderthal Lineage
Remains in France found by archaeologists and geneticists suggest at least two lineages—not just one—of late Neanderthals in Europe.
How Allocating Work Aided Our Evolutionary Success
Societies divide labor by gender and age. A biological anthropologist considers when and why this behavior arose.
What’s Behind the Evolution of Neanderthal Portraits
Since the 1800s, Neanderthal depictions have evolved not only with changing science but also due to social views. An archaeologist explains why visualizations of our evolutionary cousins matter.
Celebrity Status Almost Ruined Ancient DNA Research
An evolutionary anthropologist draws lessons from paleogenetic’s journey from Jurassic Park fiction to Nobel Prize reality.
What Is “Natural” for Human Sexual Relationships?
A biological and anthropological researcher explains how humans' diverse ways of mating might have evolved.
View All in Food
![The ruins of a gray stone building stand below a cerulean sky with fluffy white clouds.]()
![An image shows a tan llama’s head and torso against a beige, sandy ground.]()
![An aerial photograph features a landscape of circular bodies of water connected by thin land bridges covered with trees. A mountain range spans the background.]()
![A photograph features a large body of water with a cityscape visible in the distance. On the left side, a person stands on a wooden pier near a white sign that reads: “PLEASE KEEP YOUR PIER CLEAN. USE TRASH CANS.”]()
![A photograph features a person wearing a collared shirt and apron in a large kitchen pouring coffee from a kettle into one of several white mugs on a wooden counter.]()
![A photograph features a person wearing torn beige clothing kneeling in the front of a cave over a stone, rubbing wooden sticks together atop the latter to create sparks. Another brown-haired person in beige clothing is barely visible in the background on the right side of the image.]()
How Colonialism Invented Food Insecurity in West Africa
Archaeological evidence and Oral Histories show people in what is today Ghana lived sustainably for millennia—until European colonial powers and the widespread trade of enslaved people changed everything.
Unearthing Culinary Pasts—With Help From Llama Poop
A food archaeologist investigates everyday eating and lean times among the ancient Moche of Peru through a remarkable discovery of thousands of llama “beans.”
Why These Hong Kong Urbanites Are Farming
An anthropologist takes readers inside a Hong Kong ecovillage, revealing a small but thriving movement built around food, sustainability, and community.
Planting Seeds for a More Ethical Future
Three contributors to a special series reflect on why slowing down and building trust between community partners is fundamental to decolonizing anthropology—and our shared future.
When Coffee Is Like Angel Cake With Strawberry Jam
An anthropologist delves into the rarefied ritualistic world of specialty coffee, where highly trained brewers and judges compete to determine which beans reign supreme.
The Paleolithic Age Cooked Up Creative Chefs
An archaeologist explains how new evidence stands to change what we thought about how ice age humans prepared food.
View All in Primates
![Two black-haired chimpanzees lie on the dirt ground in front of a blurred background of brown rocks and green, leafy trees.]()
![A black-and-white illustration depicts a large, hairy bipedal figure walking in a forest, flanked by leafless trees.]()
![A child wearing a plaid shirt and a beanie looks up and holds the hand of an adult wearing jeans and a plaid shirt but whose head isn’t visible. They stand next to a cholla cactus.]()
![A black-and-white photo features three baboons near the side of a dirt road. Two look on as a third bends over to drink from a puddle.]()
![A photograph features three macaques with red faces and beige fur soaking in hot springs as a person takes their picture with a cellphone.]()
![Four chimpanzees sit on a rock in front of trees. Two have one arm in the air and their hands are clasped.]()
Spend a Day Tracking Chimpanzees
A series of short videos captures a rare view into the lives of wild chimps through the eyes of a researcher.
What Bigfoot Teaches Us About Public Mistrust of Science
In the 1960s, credentialed scientists, including physical anthropologists, hunted for the legendary Sasquatch. How did they fall for the hoax?
Monogamy. Grandmas. Milk. The Evolution of Childhood Is Very Strange.
In a new book, Growing Up Human, a bioarchaeologist chronicles some of the most surprising evolutionary adaptations of babies, parents, and grandparents.
Extracting Hominin Evolution From Fossilized Teeth
Two scientists explain how analyses of oxygen isotopes from 17-million-year-old ape teeth could lead to new insights on early human evolution amid environmental changes.
Does “Monkeypox” Give Monkeys a Bad Name?
The debate over naming the virus known as monkeypox says a lot about the close—but fraught—relationships between humans and our fellow primates.
What Chimpanzees Know About Giving Medicine
New observations of chimpanzees in Gabon lead researchers to wonder if the tendency for self-medication and medicating others really is unique to humans.
Professor Talking Points
- Modern humans are members of the order Primates and share a large amount of DNA with others in this order, which includes lemurs, lorises, tarsiers, monkeys, and apes.
- Primates are distinguished by particular physical and behavioral traits: for example, forward-facing eyes, excellent vision, a post-orbital bar, dexterous hands, collarbones, five fingers on the hands and feet, small litters, and larger brains compared to other animals of similar sizes.
- As Homo sapiens, our closest living relatives are chimpanzees and bonobos.
- Studies on primate behavior show us what we have in common with other species in our order and where we differ in genetics, anatomy, and behavior.
Academic Articles
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Di Fiore, Anthony. 2003. “Molecular Genetic Approaches to the Study of Primate Behavior, Social Organization, and Reproduction.” American Journal of Physical Anthropology 122 (37): 62–99.
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Reed, Kaye E., and Laura R. Bidner. 2004. “Primate Communities: Past, Present, and Possible Future.” American Journal of Physical Anthropology 39: 2–39.
Student Discussion Questions
- What is the role of the environment in primate diversity?
- How does competition with non-primate animals impact primate behavior?
- What have you learned about kinship relationships in primate groups? Are there factors that might be more important than social relationships in determining how certain species, such as chimpanzees, interact with one another?
- What do the readings say about the nature of primate communication?
- Discuss what you have learned about sharing and cooperation among the primate groups you have read about.
Activities
- Have students watch Jane Goodall’s TED Talk “What Separates Us From Chimpanzees?” and write a one-page response.
- See various activities: Introduction to Primates.
Additional Resources
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Documentary: National Geographic’s Jane
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TEDx Talk: Frans de Waal’s “Moral Behavior in Animals”
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Video: Nova’s “First Primates”
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Website: Early Primate Evolution
Unit By
Eshe Lewis (2020)
Teaching
Biological Anthropology
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Unit 3
Early Homo Sapiens
