Final answer:
The origins of physical anthropology were concerned with the evolution of primates and comparative anatomy. This field sought to understand human evolution, comparing the physical features of various humans and primates and using fossil evidence to form evolutionary hypotheses.
Step-by-step explanation:
Origins of Physical Anthropology
The origins of physical anthropology, now often referred to as biological anthropology or evolutionary anthropology, specifically arose from two main areas of interest among 19th-century scientists. These were C) the evolution of primates and comparative anatomy. Early anthropologists were captivated by understanding the similarities and differences between various Indigenous societies through ethnology. They studied the evolution of humanity's ancestors, looking at fossil evidence, and explored the physiology of primates in relation to human beings. The goal was to form hypotheses about human evolution, and this field later expanded to include genetic anthropology, where molecular science contributed to interpreting the history of human origins and migration.
Anthropologists like Sherwood Washburn shifted the focus of physical anthropology from racial typology to the study of human evolution and the process of evolution, encompassing paleoanthropology and primatology. This shift broadened the scope of anthropological studies to understand evolutionary processes that influenced the physical and cultural development of humans. It includes studying nonhuman primates to comprehend our biological and social traits and examining fossilized remains to chart the evolution of early hominins and modern humans.