Physical anthropology

High school (ages 12+)
Human Body

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/physical-anthropology

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is physical anthropology?Physical anthropology, also called biological anthropology, studies the biology and behavior of humans and our extinct ancestors. It looks at how we evolved, how our bodies differ, and how we are related to other animals.
2. How do scientists learn about ancient humans like Lucy?Scientists find fossils in layers of earth that are millions of years old. They study the shape and size of the bones to understand how these early humans lived and moved.

Hominin: The taxonomic tribe that includes modern humans and our extinct bipedal ancestors, diverging from the chimpanzee lineage.
Bipedalism: The ability to walk upright on two legs, a defining characteristic of hominins that evolved millions of years ago.
Encephalization: The evolutionary increase in the size of the brain relative to body size, a significant trend in human evolution.