Physical anthropology is the study of human beings’ biology, evolution, physical variation, and behavior. These areas of study are all included in physical anthropology’s various branches, including the biological and social sciences, human evolution and origins, and genetics and epidemiology. Physical anthropologists take the best of both worlds and combine biology and the social sciences to understand our origins better. Physical anthropologists also look into adaptations such as our throwing ability. While many may think throwing is best for baseball and football, it is argued that throwing was an important aspect of our survival at one point in our history. And while many argue that throwing was necessary for hunting, it is shown that chimpanzees mainly throw objects in conflicts with other primates and rarely for hunting, indicating that throwing may have evolved in our species from a need for warfare rather than hunting. As our species progressed, throwing became an important factor in primates, elevating those with the greater throwing capability to the top of the evolutionary ladder. Over time, as we developed weapons and tools to fight our wars, our throwing capability became something we used for pastimes. This lucidly presented book will be useful for the students of anthropology and the general readers.

Parakram Sharma is an anthropologist specializing in physical anthropology and forensic science. His research investigates human evolution, skeletal biology, and forensic applications, contributing to scientific understanding and forensic investigations. Sharma's expertise and academic leadership in anthropology underscore his commitment to advancing knowledge in human biology and forensic research.