Final answer:
We study the human skeleton to understand the impact of farming on human health and development. By examining skeletal remains through bioarcheology and paleoanthropology, we can assess how the shift from hunter-gatherer to agricultural lifestyles influenced our ancestors' bodies and lifeways.
Step-by-step explanation:
We study the human skeleton to understand the impact of farming on human anatomy and physiology. From an evolutionary standpoint, humans spent the majority of their existence as hunter-gatherers, with farming being a relatively recent development. The University of Cambridge highlighted in 2014 that our modern sedentary lifestyles have made our bones fragile compared to those of our hunter-gatherer ancestors. This understanding comes from examining skeletal remains to see changes over time that correlate with the shift to agriculture.
Additionally, bioarcheology is instrumental in decoding the health, diet, and demographic patterns of ancient farming communities. By studying human skeletons, researchers can piece together information about ancient peoples' lifeways, including how the transition to farming affected their health. Assessing remains from communal graves and early human settlements can reveal early urbanization patterns that began with the surplus of food from agriculture.
Paleoanthropology also plays a crucial role by looking at the fossil evidence of humanity's ancestors to understand important milestones in human evolution, including the shift to agricultural lifestyles. This field provides insights into how changes in subsistence strategies affected human anatomy and health over millennia, offering a valuable perspective on the consequences of the agricultural revolution.