# paleoanthropology

> study of ancient humans

**Wikidata**: [Q7206](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7206)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paleoanthropology)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/paleoanthropology

## Summary
Paleoanthropology is the scientific study of ancient humans. It is an academic discipline and a specialized field of study that combines elements of both paleontology and anthropology to investigate human evolution and origins.

## Key Facts
- **Definition**: The study of ancient humans.
- **Classification**: An academic discipline and a field of study.
- **Parent Fields**: It is a subfield of paleontology (the study of life through fossils) and anthropology (the study of humans and societies).
- **Related Fields**: Closely associated with human evolution and paleopathology.
- **Aliases**: Also known as paleanthropology and palaeoanthropology.
- **Dewey Decimal Classification**: 569.9.
- **Sitelink Count**: 54.
- **Founder**: Founded by entity Q274226.
- **Key Image**: Associated with the file "Fossil hominids.jpg".
- **Identifiers**:
    - Library of Congress Control Number: sh2001004516
    - BNF Id: 12245000t
    - GND Id: 4173104-9
    - J9U Id: 987007537488505171
    - NARA Id: 159125
    - Scopus ID: 2704023
    - Freebase ID: /m/02hncs

## FAQs
- **What is the primary focus of paleoanthropology?**
  Paleoanthropology focuses on the study of ancient humans, serving as a bridge between the broader fields of paleontology and anthropology to understand human origins.

- **How does paleoanthropology differ from general paleontology?**
  While paleontology studies all ancient life forms through fossils, paleoanthropology is a specific subfield limited to the study of ancient humans and human evolution.

- **Who are some notable figures in this field?**
  Prominent individuals include French paleoanthropologist Yves Coppens, Kenyan paleoanthropologist Richard Leakey, British paleoanthropologist Christopher B. Stringer, and Dutch paleoanthropologist Eugène Dubois.

- **What are alternative names for paleoanthropology?**
  The discipline is also referred to as paleanthropology and palaeoanthropology.

- **What academic classification does paleoanthropology fall under?**
  It is classified as an academic discipline and a field of study, with a Dewey Decimal Classification of 569.9.

## Why It Matters
Paleoanthropology is critical for understanding the evolutionary process that led to the appearance of anatomically modern humans. By studying ancient humans, this field provides essential insights into hominization—the process of becoming human—and the biological and behavioral adaptations that define the species. It serves as a cornerstone for research in human evolution, offering evidence that contextualizes humanity's place within the natural history of life on Earth.

## Notable For
- Being a multidisciplinary field that integrates the principles of paleontology and anthropology.
- Investigating the specific evolutionary process known as hominization.
- Classifying as a specialized academic discipline with a unique Dewey Decimal Classification (569.9).
- Involving a diverse international community of researchers ranging from paleontologists and archaeologists to geneticists.
- Possessing a wide array of standardized identifiers across global library and science databases.

## Body
### Definition and Classification
Paleoanthropology is defined as the study of ancient humans. It is recognized as an academic discipline and a specific field of study, categorized under the instance of "academic discipline" and "field of study." Structurally, it is a subclass of Q7205 and Q23404. The discipline is characterized by its interdisciplinary nature, sitting at the intersection of geology, biology, and anthropology.

### Relationship to Broader Fields
As a subfield, paleoanthropology is part of both paleontology and anthropology.
- **Paleontology**: It contributes to the understanding of past life on Earth, specifically focusing on the branch of vertebrate paleontology concerned with hominids.
- **Anthropology**: It aligns with the scientific study of humans, behavior, and societies, specifically addressing the biological and evolutionary aspects of the human story.

It is intrinsically linked to the concept of **human evolution**, the evolutionary process leading up to the appearance of anatomically modern humans. Additionally, it relates to **paleopathology**, an archaeological sub-discipline concerned with the study of ancient diseases and injuries in organisms.

### Notable Figures
The field of paleoanthropology has been shaped by a vast array of international researchers and specialists.

**Pioneers and Historical Figures:**
- **Eugène Dubois** (1858–1940): A Dutch paleoanthropologist.
- **Hugh Falconer** (1808–1865): A Scottish scientist.
- **Édouard Lartet** (1801–1871): A French geologist and paleontologist.
- **Jovan Žujović** (1856–1936): A Serbian anthropologist.

**Contemporary and Modern Researchers:**
- **Yves Coppens** (1934–2022): French paleoanthropologist.
- **Richard Leakey** (1944–2022): Kenyan paleoanthropologist, conservationist, and politician.
- **Meave Leakey**: British paleoanthropologist.
- **Tim D. White**: American paleoanthropologist.
- **Erik Trinkaus**: American paleoanthropologist.
- **Christopher B. Stringer**: British paleoanthropologist.
- **Richard Klein**: American paleoanthropologist.
- **Milford H. Wolpoff**: American paleoanthropologist.
- **Alan Walker** (1938–2017): British anthropologist.
- **David Lordkipanidze**: Georgian archaeologist.
- **Zeresenay Alemseged**: Ethiopian paleoanthropologist.
- **Yohannes Haile-Selassie**: Ethiopian paleoanthropologist.
- **Gen Suwa**: Japanese paleoanthropologist.
- **Katerina Harvati**: Greek paleoanthropologist.
- **Jean-Jacques Hublin**: French paleontologist.
- **José María Bermúdez de Castro y Risueño**: Spanish paleoanthropologist.
- **Ronald J. Clarke**: Paleoanthropologist.
- **Elwyn L. Simons** (1930–2016): U.S. paleontologist and primatologist.
- **Emiliano Aguirre**: Spanish paleontologist.
- **John Napier** (1917–1987): British primatologist, paleoanthropologist, and physician.
- **Kenneth A. R. Kennedy** (1930–2014): American anthropologist.

**Associated Specialists:**
- **Mary Doria Russell**: American novelist and paleoanthropologist.
- **Viviane Slon**: French paleogeneticist.
- **Michael Cremo**: American alternative archeologist.
- **Mike Morwood**: New Zealand born Australian archaeologist.
- **Richard Potts**: American archaeologist, prehistorian, anthropologist, and paleoanthropologist.
- **Wu Xinzhi** (1928–2021): Chinese anthropologist.
- **Fiorenzo Facchini**: Italian priest, archaeologist, prehistorian, anthropologist, and paleoanthropologist.

### Identifiers and Metadata
Paleoanthropology is extensively cataloged in academic and library systems to facilitate research and classification.
- **Classification Codes**: Dewey Decimal 569.9; BNF Class XX (XX526062); UDC Class 008100.
- **Database Identifiers**:
    - BNF: 12245000t
    - GND: 4173104-9
    - LCCN: sh2001004516
    - NARA: 159125
    - Scopus: 2704023
    - Freebase: /m/02hncs
    - MathSciNet: 197698901
    - NII: C197698901
    - OpenAlex: 117616
    - BabelNet: 3953437
    - Crossref: 18947
- **Subject Headings**: P373 tag "Paleoanthropology"; P1417 "science/paleoanthropology".
- **Multilingual Labels**:
    - German: Paläanthropologie
    - Korean: 고인류학
    - Indonesian: Paleoantropologi
    - Portuguese: Paleoantropologia
    - French: Paléoanthropologie

The entity has a sitelink count of 54 and is associated with the Wikipedia title "Paleoanthropology". It is recorded as being founded by Q274226.

## References

1. Integrated Authority File
2. [Nuovo soggettario](https://thes.bncf.firenze.sbn.it/termine.php?id=26925)
3. Nuovo soggettario
4. Freebase Data Dumps. 2013
5. [Registros de autoridad de "Materia" de la Biblioteca Nacional de España. Spain open data portal](https://www.bne.es/media/datosgob/catalogo-autoridades/materia/materia-UTF8.zip)
6. [paleoanthropology](https://old.reddit.com/r/paleoanthropology/)
7. National Library of Israel
8. KBpedia
9. [OpenAlex](https://docs.openalex.org/download-snapshot/snapshot-data-format)