Ask An Anthropologist
Ask An Anthropologist is an educational resource for students, teachers, parents, and life-long learners. We encourage anyone interested in anthropology to make use of its content.
-
You are sitting in a dark movie theater. You are trying to enjoy the movie, but you keep thinking about a pesky piece of popcorn stuck between your molars, the back teeth. After fumbling for a toothpick in your pocket, you dislodge the popcorn.
Powered by Becoming Human
Becoming human brings together interactive multimedia, research and scholarship to promote greater understanding of the course of human evolution.
Listen in
Read our Stories
Solve Puzzles
View Galleries
Watch Videos
Mussels, Migration, and Microliths
ASU researcher Curtis Marean has spent over 20 years excavating caves in South Africa. He wants to learn about the relationship between climate and environmental change and human evolution.
Head to Head
The modern human brain is the largest and most complex of any living primate. As you will learn in this activity, it is also larger than the brains of our ancient human ancestors. What does brain size have to do with our biology?
Because Your DNA Says So
Your DNA is unique, and it makes you a human, not any other animal. Sequencing DNA lets us identify genetic similarities and differences that relate to species similarities and differences.
Pull it off
Even very young human children can learn simple games such as working together to pull a board. They can also figure out a fair way to share the rewards from cooperating. This activity may seem simple, but humans are the only animals with the ability and desire to work together and negotiate a fair deal in this way.