Assignment Task: Challenged by big questions about the origins and evolution of our species, anthropologists not only study stone tools, fossil bones, and genes, but also prehistoric art, including paintings preserved on cave walls for thousands of years. Reflecting on the distant future, 10,000 years from now, do you think anything of significance about you and your culture will be left for future study? If so, what would that be?
Some aspects of human variation derive clearly from biological adaptations to the environment. As humans came to rely more upon cultural adaptations (as we see with the short readings above) what were the effects on our biology? How has culture shaped our interpretations of our biology?