Anthropology studies humans. It looks at humans in both biological and cultural contexts, and studies nonhuman primates. Anthropology deals with the beginnings of humanity, and stretches to ideas about humanity's future. We hope to discover what makes different human populations unique in the ways they respond to the challenges that they face. And, we hope to discover what makes us all human, in spite of some of the superficial differences we observe.
Anthropology introduces a unique biocultural perspective to many areas of study.
This approach is useful in any field that involves interaction with people because it helps students to put humans into a broader context and gives these students ways to approach the issue of human diversity productively. The advantages are endless in this course of study. Students will learn about human origins and development, the similarities and differences between humans and other possible life forms, and the variations within the human species. Geneticists work to understand the biological basis of human characteristics and apply this knowledge to attempt to improve health conditions. Population Genetics Population geneticists attempt to understand how various populations are similar and dissimilar.