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The whole story of human evolution – from ancient apes via Lucy to us
In pursuit of knowledge, the evolution of humanity ranks with the origins of life and the universe. And yet, except when an exciting find hits the headlines, palaeoanthropology and its related fields have gained far less scientific support and funding – particularly for scientists and institutions based in the African countries where so many landmark Continue reading
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Understanding Gene Expression in Anthropology
Gene expression refers to the process by which the genetic information stored in DNA is converted into functional products, primarily proteins, that perform various functions within the cell. This process typically involves two main steps: transcription, where the DNA is transcribed into a messenger RNA (mRNA) molecule, and translation, where the mRNA is then translated Continue reading
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International Day of World’s Indigenous Peoples – August 9
The International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples is observed on 9 August every year. There are an estimated 476 million indigenous peoples in the world living across 90 countries. They make up less than 5 per cent of the world’s population, but account for 15 per cent of the poorest. They speak an overwhelming Continue reading
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Self-medicating Chimpanzees!
An adult chimpanzee named Suzee was seen medicating the wound of her adolescent son Sia, using insects in the process. This behaviour was found amongst the chimpanzees in Loango National Park in Gabon. The incident was reported by a group of researchers in Current Biology in February 2022 and is considered the first of such Continue reading
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DNA study reveals modern humans emerged from several groups in Africa, not one.
Past studies of human genetics have proposed the theory that modern humans originated from a single population in Africa. But a new paper, published last week in the journal Nature, put this idea to the test—and concluded it doesn’t hold up. The paper relies on modeling using the genomes of 290 living people from southern, eastern Continue reading
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The Hakki Pikki Tribe
The Hakki Pikki Tribe from Karnataka were recently in the news because they are stranded in violence-hit Sudan. “Hakki Pikki” translates to “Bird Catchers”. Hakki Pikki is a semi-nodamic tribe whose members were traditionally involved in hunting, but had to give up the activity due to India’s Wildlife Protection laws. They are now involved in Continue reading
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The evolutionary adaptation of wrinkling of fingers submerged in water.
Have you wondered why your fingers wrinkle when submerged in water? This response of the skin has an evolutionary advantage to the humans. Read this interesting article published by the BBC. https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20220620-why-humans-evolved-to-have-fingers-that-wrinkle-in-the-bath Feature Photo by Andre Moura: https://www.pexels.com/photo/photo-of-person-s-hand-submerged-in-water-2499417/ Continue reading
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Answer Writing Tips in Anthropology
What’s the difference between “examine” and “evaluate” or “elucidate” and “discuss”? This blog provides you with important tips about answer writing in civil services mains eamination. Continue reading
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Irawati Karve
𝐕𝐢𝐝𝐮𝐬𝐡𝐢: 𝐖𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧 𝐢𝐧 𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐌 | Irawati Karve Irawati Karve was the first woman anthropologist in India. She headed the Department of Sociology and Anthropology at Deccan College, Pune and also presided over the Anthropology division of the National Science Congress in 1947. Her book, Yuganta: The End of an Epoch, won the Sahitya Akademi Award. Courtesy: Continue reading
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Anthropology Optional for UPSC – Revision Tips and FAQs
Q. Can I revise in any order, or only in the sequence in which I have learnt? You can surely revise in any order, and in fact, if physical anthropology is something that was new to you, I recommend that you start with that, or a topic that you like. You can go in any Continue reading
i think, therefore i am.
Cogito, ergo sum is a Latin philosophical proposition by René Descartes usually translated into English as “I think, therefore I am”, probably the one thing that defines our specie.
Kartic Godavarthy 