Subfields of anthropology:
Biological anthropology documents the nature of man. Its ultimate goal is the description, analysis, and evolutionary interpretation of the Hominidae (Primates, Euarchontoglires, Mammalia). “Biological” emphasizes the major difference in relation to “cultural” anthropologies – however, many interconnections do occur.
Research and teachings primarily challenge man’s nature by molecular genetics of non-human primates and (pre-) historic and extant Homo sapiens.
Population genetics in primatology analyses 
primate species in order to document how geographic separation of subgroups influences the fate of genetic and social aspects. The importance of ecological parameters is also considered. Factors which describe the genetic variability deliver the basis for the adaptation and the survival of species.
A phylogenetic perspective tries to explain patterns and processes of primate evolution by comparing DNA-sequences.
Palaeoanthropology considers the process of hominisation. Since fossils do not tell “the whole truth”, morphological, ecological, and sociobiological concepts of primatology have to be considered as well as current systematic and taxonomic approaches.
Extinct populations are analysed by Prehistoric Anthropology. Innovative archaeometric methods do elucidate our prehistory and early history. Furthermore, extinct DNA is extracted at the laboratory of molecular archaeology to deliver insight. The interaction of human and environmental spheres are considered. Sophisticated methods investigate genetic relationships, reconstruction of nutrition and migration patterns as well as palaeopathological aspects.
Further research is focused on extant populations dealing with human biology (e.g. physiology, gerontology), sociobiological, and demographic questions (e.g. mortality, migration). Biostatistics is a useful medium to interpret those topics.
Links to lecturers
