Anthropology is the comparative study of past and contemporary cultures, focusing on the ways of life and customs of all peoples of the world. Specialty subdisciplines have developed within anthropology, owing to the amount of information collected and the variety of methods and techniques used in anthropological research. These subdisciplines are physical anthropology, archaeology, linguistic anthropology, ethnology and theoretical anthropology, and applied anthropology. 

Physical Anthropology is the study of the evolution and physical varieties of humankind. It includes the physical measurement of skeletal remains and of living people (anthropometry) ; the study of human genetics, with comparisons to the genetic makeup of other primates ; the study of primate behaviour for a detailed description of their social behaviour and comparative generalizations about primate social organization. Research of this kind indicates how the social behaviour of early human groups might have been organized (see ANTHROPOLOGY, PHYSICAL). 

ARCHAEOLOGY studies the prehistory, and some of the history of mankind through digging up and analysing the remains of past cultures. Archaeology also dates the origins of human occupations in various parts of the world, the origins of tools, other artifacts, art and structures that have developed over the ages. Archaeologists seek to reconstruct the development and total cultures of past peoples. 

Linguistic Anthropology, or ethnolinguistics, is the study of the organization of language, including the identification and analysis of units of speech, from the simplest units of sound to the complex and various combinations of sound and meaning that are used in the thousands of languages spoken in the world today. Historical and comparative study also makes it possible to reconstruct languages that are no longer spoken, and to establish the relationships among languages. The linguistic anthropologist may also study nonverbal forms of communication and the rules for the proper use of speech (pragmatics) (see ANTHROPOLOGY, LINGUISTICS). 

Ethnology and theoretical anthropology are the scientific core of anthropology and are described in detail in this entry. Anthropology evolved partly from the specialties mentioned above, and partly from the description of particular, living cultures (ethnography). As our knowledge of prehistory, history and the present varieties of culture increased, anthropology developed as a science that aimed at elaborating comprehensive explanations of social life (theoretical anthropology). Through the comparative analysis of individual behaviour and culture patterns, the science has tried to formulate generalizations and universal tendencies (ethnology), This development followed from improvements in research tools and practical models from which to describe reality. Ethnography is associated with exploration and descriptive work, often among distinctive, nonEuropean tribes, whereas theoretical anthropology employs abstract hypotheses and perspectives from other disciplines, as well as more abstract tools of observation and analysis. Ethnology puts the 2 together, using theoretical models and a wide empirical knowledge of different cultures to allow for comparisons and the formulation of general cultural norms. 

Applied Anthropology is the use of anthropological knowledge for solving practical problems of human groups. This application has been tried mostly in small communities struggling with problems of poverty, or of rapid cultural, technological or economic change. It is also concerned with developing new forms of education to help people cope with rapid change, or with more effective ways of improving the health of the community. 

Anthropology is a young science with high ambitions to describe, understand and explain the origins, varieties and purposes of mankind's customs, beliefs, languages, institutions and lifeways ; to find general cultural norms ; and to provide practical guidance for humankind.