Eric Alden Smith

Most anthropologists agree that a comprehension of adaptation and adaptive processes is central to an understanding of human biological and behavioural systems. However, there is little agreement among archaeologists, cultural anthropologists, and human biologists as to what adaptation means and how it should be analyzed. Because of this lack of a common underlying theory, method, and perspective, the subdisciplines have tended to move apart, and anthropology is no longer the integrated science envisaged at its inception in the nineteenth century. In this book, the authors–both biological and cultural anthropologists–use a common theoretical framework based on recent evolutionary, ecological, and anthropological theory in their analyses of biological and social adaptive systems. Although a synthesis of the subdisciplines of anthropology lies somewhere in the future, the original essays in this volume are a first attempt at a unified perspective.

Most anthropologists agree that a comprehension of adaptation and adaptive processes is central to an understanding of human biological and behavioural systems. However, there is little agreement among archaeologists, cultural anthropologists, and human biologists as to what adaptation means and how it should be analyzed. Because of this lack of a common underlying theory, method, and perspective, the subdisciplines have tended to move apart, and anthropology is no longer the integrated science envisaged at its inception in the nineteenth century. In this book, the authors–both biological and cultural anthropologists–use a common theoretical framework based on recent evolutionary, ecological, and anthropological theory in their analyses of biological and social adaptive systems. Although a synthesis of the subdisciplines of anthropology lies somewhere in the future, the original essays in this volume are a first attempt at a unified perspective.

The Arctic may be the last frontier of colonialism, where industrial societies are aggressively exploiting the resources and undermining the social cohesion of indigenous peoples. In fact, this colonization of the circumpolar north is only now reaching its full momentum. Among the new conquistadors are oil company geologists, loggers, even resource biologists, bringing not only industrial pollution but also cultural pollution in their wake. For centuries, the aboriginal Arctic population has efficiently used resources to meet modest human needs, developing a special relationship to the land, water, and wildlife. But at the intersection of national ambitions and Arctic ecosystems, native communities are being relentlessly squeezed between the ravages of resource extraction and the often naive agendas of environmentalists in urban centers far away. This volume explores some of the major threats to the Arctic environment and indigenous people’s responses to these threats. Case studies discuss the push for oil and gas development in Canada, Alaska, and Russia; the toxic legacy of the former Soviet Union; land tenure conflicts in Russia; and wildlife management in Canada and Scandinavia.

"à required reading for anyone interested in the economy, ecology, and demography of human societies." --American Journal of Human Biology "This excellent book can serve both as a text¼book and as a scholarly reference." --American Scientist

"à required reading for anyone interested in the economy, ecology, and demography of human societies." --American Journal of Human Biology "This excellent book can serve both as a text¼book and as a scholarly reference." --American Scientist