Principles of Space Anthropology (eBook)

This book shows how anthropology can provide an innovative perspective on the human movement into space. It examines adaptation to space on timescales of generations, rather than merely months or years, and uses evolutionary adaptation as a guiding theme. Employing the lessons of evolutionary adaptation, Principles of Extraterrestrial Anthropology recommends evolutionarily-sound strategies of space settlement, covering genetics at the organismal and population levels. The author organizes the concept of cultural adaptation to environments beyond Earth according to observed patterns in human adaptation on Earth. He uses original artwork and tables to help convey complex information in a form accessible to undergraduate and graduate students. Though primarily written to engage students interested in space settlement and exploration, who will eventually build a full anthropology of space settlement, Principles of Extraterrestrial Anthropology is engaging to anthropologists across sub-disciplines, as well as scholars interested in the human dimensions of space exploration and settlement. Just as the term exobiology was invented only a few decades ago to shape the field of space life studies, exoanthropology is outlined to assist in the perpetuation of Earth life through human space settlement.

Cameron M. Smith, PhD, is Adjunct Assistant Professor at the Department of Anthropology, Portland State University, Oregon. He has been conducting archeological fieldwork for the past 3 decades and has been teaching human evolution and prehistory courses since 1999. He has published both in technical journals ranging from the American Journal of Physical Anthropology and Antiquity to Acta Astronautca, as well as, in popular science articles and books, chiefly on evolution. As much as he is interested in the human past, however, he is equally fascinated by the human future. To this end Dr. Smith has in recent years been steadily building and publicizing an anthropological approach to the issues of human biological and cultural evolution beyond the boundaries of Earth.