Hobbies And Interests
Anthropology
Anthropology is the study of human groups and cultures. Anthropological studies examine the past and present, exploring four main areas of study. According to the University of North Carolina, the four major subfields within anthropology are linguistic anthropology, socio-cultural anthropology (sometimes called ethnology), archaeology and physical anthropology. Recombination can take place and affect each of these areas of study.
Linguistic recombination
Linguistic anthropology refers to the study of language and how it has developed throughout human history. Recombination is observed in linguistics whenever words, phrases or sounds are combined to create a new facet to a language. This occurs when words among cultures are recombined, or when two languages intersect to create a new language.
Socio-cultural recombination
Ethnology deals with the origins of cultures and races. This view of anthropology examines modern cultures and explores their history. Recombination plays an exponential role in culture. As cultures grow, they create a greater amount of cultural elements. The more elements a culture contains, the more chance for recombination of these elements into new cultural elements, thus creating even more elements and greater chances for recombination.
Archeological recombination
Archeology is the study of past human cultures through artifacts left behind by those cultures. Anthropologists can gain insight into the living conditions, customs and norms of a society by examining the objects with which they were surrounded. Cultural artifacts are subject to a type of recombination. When a cultural innovation is created by combining two existing ideas or items, it is archaeological recombination. For example, when the steam engine was combined with the plow, the steam plow was created. This recombination had a lasting effect on American and European culture in the 1800s, and these types of recombinations are witnessed throughout human history.
Physical recombination
Physical anthropology examines the genetic recombinations that affect the evolution of humans throughout history. When chromosomes are crossed over during meiosis, DNA is exchanged between a pair of chromosomes. When genetic recombination occurs during human mating, called crossing-over, each chromosome exchanges a piece from its mate, thus creating entirely new characteristics in the offspring. It is because of this crossing-over
that humans are born uniquely different from one another. Anthropologists use this to study the evolution of cultures and the traits passed on through generations.