physical anthropology
noun
: anthropology concerned with the comparative study of human evolution, variation, and classification especially through measurement and observation compare cultural anthropology
physical anthropologist
noun
Examples of physical anthropology in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
In February, Enríquez became the chair of graduate studies in physical anthropology at the National School of Anthropology and History.
—
Amy Reed-Sandoval,
The New Yorker,
25 July 2024
Last summer, the Washington Post published an investigation into the Smithsonian’s holdings—particularly those collected under the watch of Aleš Hrdlička, the Institution’s first curator of physical anthropology.
—
Ellen Wexler,
Smithsonian Magazine,
22 Feb. 2024
The group worked frequently with the museum’s physical anthropology division, whose employees used the remains for their research that included human evolution and the migration patterns and characteristics of historical communities.
—
Claire Healy,
Washington Post,
15 Dec. 2023
The reason more Denisovans haven’t been found is likely due to scholarly bias; much more research has been conducted on Neanderthals in Europe compared to Asia, where a focus on physical anthropology has only picked up in recent years.
—
Joshua Rapp Learn,
Discover Magazine,
30 Nov. 2021
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Amy Reed-Sandoval,
The New Yorker,
25 July 2024
Last summer, the Washington Post published an investigation into the Smithsonian’s holdings—particularly those collected under the watch of Aleš Hrdlička, the Institution’s first curator of physical anthropology.
—
Ellen Wexler,
Smithsonian Magazine,
22 Feb. 2024
The group worked frequently with the museum’s physical anthropology division, whose employees used the remains for their research that included human evolution and the migration patterns and characteristics of historical communities.
—
Claire Healy,
Washington Post,
15 Dec. 2023
The reason more Denisovans haven’t been found is likely due to scholarly bias; much more research has been conducted on Neanderthals in Europe compared to Asia, where a focus on physical anthropology has only picked up in recent years.
—
Joshua Rapp Learn,
Discover Magazine,
30 Nov. 2021
Cite this Entry
“Physical anthropology.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/physical%20anthropology. Accessed 3 Jul. 2026.
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