Biological Anthropology at the University of Georgia

The traditional subfield of Biological Anthropology focuses on humans and the nonhuman primates as biological organisms, encompassing both their evolutionary history and present-day variation. UGA accomplishes this through the study of the fossil record, tracing the evolutionary changes which have occurred and the ecological processes which shaped those changes, and through understanding the biological, ecological and biobehavioral aspects of living humans. Biological anthropologists therefore research not only fossils, but also all of the various and integrated components of existing biological variation - from genetics and morphology to behavioral ecology in both human and non-human groups. These are studied within an ecological context, emphasizing adaptability to environmental conditions such as nutritional resources, disease, and interactions with other organisms. For humans, this is accomplished by focusing on the interface between biology and culture; biocultural adaptability is a hallmark of humans and has contributed to their past and ongoing evolution.

The expertise of faculty at UGA is concentrated in a number of the various foci within Biological Anthropology, offering undergraduates the opportunity to study human origins, human nutritional and medical ecology, human development and human cognition:

Human/Nonhuman Primate Evolution and Ecology. The extensive fossil cast collection housed in the department permits students to study "first hand" the evidence for our evolution, appreciating the complexity of the physical changes which have been documented across millions of years. This study of our physical evolution is complemented by courses which examine both the evolution and biological bases of human consciousness, cognition, and ultimately, language, drawing on data from paleoanthropology, neurology, ethology, and linguistics. The ecological and behavioral components of this important aspect of our evolutionary history are also studied, including evaluation of the principal universal categories that humans use to organize their social and natural worlds (the latter examined through the study of ethnobiology). These evolutionary and ecological approaches are also integrated in the study of the ecology and behavior of nonhuman primates, examining their patterns of social and behavioral diversity, and the relationship of these to environmental constraints. For anthropologists, the study of primate ecology is of interest not only with regard to what it can teach us about the evolution of human behavior, but also in terms of understanding and appreciating the social systems of cognitively complex animals living in varying environmental circumstances. And as human-induced environmental alteration and destruction become more and more significant, the study of primate ecology has direct implications for the conservation of the many threatened species throughout the tropics.

Faculty with expertise in these areas: O.B. Berlin (cognitive anthropology, ethnobiology); R. Bobe (paleoecology, human evolution), and S. Tanner (disease ecology).

Relevant courses offered:
Human Origins
Paleoanthropology
Evolution of Human Cognition
Cognitive Anthropology
Evolution of Language
Ethnobiology
Culture and Human Biology
Ecology and Evolution of Disease

Anthropology of Disease. Human disease and its problems have both ecological and cultural bases, often tightly interconnected. Studies of the patterns of disease within human populations in different biological and social environments and across and within populations, represent one focus of the Biological Anthropology program. Research topics include human disease in diverse ecologies (including urban, agricultural, and foraging); the health implications of diet, including studies of malnutrition, obesity, and medicinal plant use; evolutionary ecology of disease.

Faculty with expertise in this area: S. Tanner

Relevant courses offered:
Ecology of Foods, Diet, and Nutrition
Anthropology of Eating
Human Adaptability
Culture and Human Biology
Environment and Health
Evolution and Ecology of Disease
Conflict and Disease
Human Ecology of Health Research
Multicultural Health Care
Human Adaptability
Culture and Human Biology
Human Sexuality
Cross-cultural Human Development

We also offer regular courses in research methods, providing field-research training and experience, and we strongly support the University's mission to internationalize our students through a study abroad program to the South Pacific focused on the theme of "sustaining human societies and the natural environment."

Our doctoral program is focused on the department's commitment to Ecological and Environmental Anthropology.