In anthropology, an analogy is a comparative reasoning tool used to interpret cultural practices, artifacts, or social systems by drawing parallels with other known examples, even when they do not share a common origin. It helps anthropologists make sense of unfamiliar societies or archaeological finds by relating them to something more familiar. 🌍 Definition Analogy:…

In anthropology, analogies are comparative tools used to interpret cultural practices, artifacts, or social systems by drawing parallels with other known examples. They help anthropologists make sense of unfamiliar societies, technologies, or behaviors by relating them to something more familiar. 🌍 Definition Analogy: A reasoning method where similarities between two phenomena are used to infer…

In anthropology, amino acid racemization (AAR) is a dating technique used to estimate the age of biological materials such as bone, shell, and teeth. It relies on the chemical process by which amino acids gradually convert from their biologically active L-form (left-handed) to the D-form (right-handed) after death. 🌍 Definition Amino Acid Racemization (AAR): The…

In anthropology, ambilocality (also called bilocal residence) refers to a postmarital residence pattern in which a newly married couple may choose to live with or near either the husband’s family or the wife’s family. It is one of several kinship-based residence rules studied in cultural anthropology. 🌍 Definition Ambilocality: Flexibility in residence after marriage; couples…

In anthropology, an altruistic act refers to behavior in which an individual helps another at a cost to themselves, without immediate or guaranteed personal gain. It is studied across human societies and primate groups as a key element of cooperation, kinship, and social bonding. 🌍 Definition Altruism: Selfless concern for the well-being of others. Altruistic…

In anthropology, the “Altithermal” refers to a warm, dry climatic period during the Middle Holocene (roughly 8200–5000 years BP), which profoundly influenced human subsistence, settlement, and cultural adaptation in regions such as the North American Great Plains, the Great Basin, and parts of Mexico. 🌍 Definition and Chronology Altithermal Period: Also known as the Holocene…

In anthropology and archaeology, “alternate biface bevel flaking” refers to a specific stone tool production technique used in shaping bifacial implements (tools flaked on both sides). It is a diagnostic flaking pattern studied in lithic analysis, helping archaeologists understand technological traditions and cultural identities of prehistoric peoples. 🌍 Definition Biface: A stone tool flaked on…

In anthropology, “alternate” is a kinship term used to describe a person who stands in as a substitute or counterpart within a social or genealogical system. It often appears in discussions of kinship diagrams, descent groups, and social roles where individuals may serve as alternates to others in ritual, political, or familial contexts. 🌍 Meaning…

In anthropology, alloying refers to the cultural and technological practice of combining metals to create alloys, which has profound implications for human societies, material culture, and social organization. It is studied not only as a metallurgical process but also as a transformative cultural innovation that reshaped economies, warfare, ritual, and identity. 🌍 What Is Alloying?…

In anthropology (and more broadly in evolutionary biology), “allopatric species” refers to species that arise through allopatric speciation—the process by which new species form when populations are geographically isolated from one another. 🌍 Definition Allopatric Speciation: Occurs when a population is split by a physical barrier (mountains, rivers, oceans, deserts), preventing gene flow. Over time,…

In anthropology, allometric growth refers to the study of how different parts of the body grow at different rates relative to overall size. It is a concept borrowed from biology and applied to human development, physical anthropology, and evolutionary studies. 🌍 Definition Allometry: The relationship between the size of a body part and the size…

In anthropology, allogrooming refers to social grooming—when one individual grooms another of the same species. It is a key affiliative behavior studied in primates and humans, used to maintain hygiene, reduce stress, and strengthen social bonds. 🌍 Definition and Scope Allogrooming: The act of cleaning, maintaining, or touching another individual’s body surface. Contrast: Self-grooming: An…