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16.1: Stone Age Bodies, Space Age Challenges

  • Page ID
    138564
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    Graffiti of a humanoid figure holding a tray with a drink and food, depicting a blend of primitive and modern elements.
    Banksy’s Caveman by Lord Jim is under a CC BY 2.0 License
    • Format: In-person or online
    • Author: Joylin Namie, Ph.D.
    • Source: Modified from Human Anatomy & Biological Systems Laboratory Experience, Anthropology 110L, Truckee Meadows Community College
    • Time needed: 60 - 75 minutes

    Supplies Needed

    • Blood pressure wrist cuff [optional]
    • Measuring tape
    • Internet access

    Readings

    • Namie, Joylin. 2019. Chapter 16: Contemporary Topics: Human Biology and Health. Explorations.

    Introduction

    This lab activity will guide students through a series of exercises to explore selected human biological systems from contemporary and evolutionary points of view. Students will be provided with data and will also collect data from themselves and/or members of a team of other students.This data will be used to compare blood pressure readings, glucose levels, BMI, and dietary components between individuals in modern, industrialized societies, with hunter-gatherers, horticulturalists, and pastoralists as a window into modern disease patterns.

    Steps

    Review Questions

    Adapting for Online Learning

    Rank how adaptable to online learning it would be: ​​​​​​​Easy to adapt

    Tips and Suggestions

    For Further Exploration

    Websites

    Videos

    References

    1. Gurven, Michael, Aaron D. Blackwell, Daniel Eid Rodriguez, Jonathan Stieglitz, and Hillard Kaplan. 2012. “Does Blood Pressure Inevitably Rise With Age?: Longitudinal Evidence Among Forager Horticulturalists.” Hypertension 60: 25-33.
    2. Lieberman, Daniel. 2020. Exercised: Why Something We Never Evolved to Do is Healthy and Rewarding. New York: Pantheon Books.
    3. Namie, Joylin. 2019. “Chapter 16: Contemporary Topics: Human Biology and Health.” In Explorations: An Open Invitation to Biological Anthropology, edited by Beth Shook, Katie Nelson, Kelsie Aguilera, and Lara Braff. Arlington, VA: American Anthropological Association. http://explorations.americananthro.org/

    This page titled 16.1: Stone Age Bodies, Space Age Challenges was last modified on Fri, 03 Jul 2026 04:54:43 GMT and is shared under a CC BY-NC 4.0 license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by Joylin Namie via source content that was edited to the style and standards of the LibreTexts platform.