Biological Anthropology: One Year in Biological Anthropology: Species, Integration, and Boundaries in 2010

The year 2010 in biological anthropology has been marked by continuing questions regarding temporal and geographical species boundaries and by queries into what it means to be human. The lines of evidence we use to reconstruct our biosocial past often exist in a state of dynamic tension; however, op...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:American anthropologist 2011-06, Vol.113 (2), p.213-221
Main Author: Cowgill, Libby
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Anthropology
Asian history
Asians
DNA
Evolution
Genetics
Humans
Mitochondrial DNA
Paleoanthropology
Physical anthropology
THE YEAR IN REVIEW
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Summary:The year 2010 in biological anthropology has been marked by continuing questions regarding temporal and geographical species boundaries and by queries into what it means to be human. The lines of evidence we use to reconstruct our biosocial past often exist in a state of dynamic tension; however, opportunities for integration do occur, and these collaborative endeavors were notable in 2010. Here I focus on boundaries and integration in four separate areas. First, I discuss recent genetic advances in our understanding of human evolution. Second, I review a virtual issue of the American Journal of Physical Anthropology that emphasized bioarchaeology in Asia. Third, I highlight several articles in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences that focus on speciation, human genetics, and the evolution of unique human characteristics. Last, I address the recent controversy over the language used in the American Anthropological Association's Long-Range Plan.
ISSN:0002-7294
1548-1433