Midterm Essay Topics – Anthropology 101
You will be required to write an essay in class on ONE of these topics. Two of the four will
appear on the midterm exam. You should bring in a BLANK Blue Book. The blue books will be
collected before the midterm and redistributed. You may not use any notes on the midterm exam.
1. Describe the four sub-disciplines of anthropology. How does Physical Anthropology differ in
the theory and methods used and in the aspect of humanity studied?
2. How do physical anthropologists incorporate biology into their research? In your explanation,
give examples of various types of research (i.e. DNA, genetics, etc.) and explain what they tell
us about humans.
3. Describe the various types of primates and how they differ physiologically and behaviorally?
4. Discuss how the theory of evolution first came about. Your essay should include the early
theorists who paved the way for Charles Darwin and how Mendel, the discovery of DNA, and
the modern synthesis have changed our understanding of evolution.