Foundations
How living beings are classified
Biological anthropology starts with taxonomy, then asks what made the human body and brain expensive to run.
- Species: a group that can interbreed and produce fertile offspring.
- Genus: several similar species (lion and tiger sit in Panthera).
- Family: several genera (cats sit in Felidae).
- Humans: Homo sapiens — genus Homo, species sapiens. Earlier Homo species (erectus, neanderthalensis, floresiensis) are gone; only sapiens remains.
| Rank | Sense | Human example |
|---|---|---|
| Species | Fertile interbreeding | Homo sapiens |
| Genus | Close related species | Homo |
| Family | Broader grouping | Hominidae |
Anatomy
The cost of thinking
- Brain is about 2–3% of body weight but can take 20–27% of resting energy.
- Early Homo brains ~600 cc at a similar body size; modern humans ~1300–1400 cc.
- That bill is paid by diet, cooking, sharing and a slower childhood — not by a slogan about ‘intelligence’.
Key points
Fire, food and the body
- Cooking and softer food cut chewing and gut work; energy can shift toward brain growth.
- Canines shrink; the diastema (gap) disappears in the later hominin mouth.
- Intestines relatively reduce as high-quality calories rise — a cascade, not one magic organ.
Examples
- Write fire → easier digestion → smaller guts/teeth → room for a costly brain, then add a fossil or ethnographic cooking example.
WRAP Exams coaching notes for UPSC Anthropology optional. Pair with the official syllabus when you need every heading in order.