Anthropology 2025 Paper I 50 marks 150 words Compulsory Write short notes

Q5

Write notes on the following in about 150 words each: (a) Multispecies, Multi-sited and Critical Ethnography. (10 marks) (b) Evolutionary significance of menopause. (10 marks) (c) Fission track dating method and its applications. (10 marks) (d) Mitochondrial DNA and human evolution. (10 marks) (e) Foetal origin of adult diseases and contribution of David Barker. (10 marks)

हिंदी में प्रश्न पढ़ें

निम्नलिखित प्रत्येक पर लगभग 150 शब्दों में टिप्पणी लिखिए : (a) बहुजातीय, बहुस्थानीय तथा आलोचनात्मक नृजाति वर्णन। (10 अंक) (b) रजोनिवृत्ति का उद्विविकासीय महत्व। (10 अंक) (c) विखंडन ट्रैक कालनिर्धारण प्रविधि एवं इसकी उपयोगिता। (10 अंक) (d) सूत्रकणिकीय डीएनए तथा मानव उद्विविकास। (10 अंक) (e) वयस्क रोगों की भ्रूण उत्पत्ति तथा डेविड बार्कर का योगदान। (10 अंक)

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Directive word: Write short notes

This question asks you to write short notes. The directive word signals the depth of analysis expected, the structure of your answer, and the weight of evidence you must bring.

See our UPSC directive words guide for a full breakdown of how to respond to each command word.

How this answer will be evaluated

Approach

The directive 'Write notes on' demands concise, information-dense responses for each sub-part with equal weight (10 marks each). Allocate approximately 30 words per mark, giving ~150 words per sub-part. Structure each note with a precise definition, 2-3 explanatory points, and one illustrative example or application. No introduction or conclusion is needed for the composite answer; begin directly with part (a) and proceed sequentially through (e). Manage time strictly: ~6 minutes per sub-part to complete within 30 minutes total.

Key points expected

  • (a) Multispecies ethnography (Haraway, Tsing) on human-animal-plant entanglements; multi-sited ethnography (Marcus) on translocal fieldwork across sites; critical ethnography (Madison, Thomas) on power, reflexivity and social justice orientation
  • (b) Grandmother hypothesis (Hawkes, O'Connell) on post-reproductive longevity enhancing inclusive fitness; mother hypothesis on maternal investment trade-offs; rare occurrence of menopause among primates (only humans, orcas, pilot whales)
  • (c) Principle of spontaneous fission of 238U to 238Pu and recoil tracks in minerals/glass; etching and track counting under microscope; applications to archaeological glass, obsidian hydration, tephrochronology, and early hominin sites like Hadar, Ethiopia
  • (d) Maternal inheritance, high mutation rate, lack of recombination; molecular clock for 'Mitochondrial Eve' (~150-200 kya in Africa); haplogroups L0-L6 and dispersal out of Africa; limitations (nuclear DNA integration, selection pressures)
  • (e) Barker hypothesis on developmental origins of health and disease (DOHaD); thrifty phenotype; epigenetic programming in utero; Indian evidence from Pune, Mysore cohorts on low birth weight and adult diabetes/CVD risk; policy implications for maternal nutrition

Evaluation rubric

DimensionWeightMax marksExcellentAveragePoor
Concept correctness20%10For (a) accurately distinguishes three ethnographic approaches with correct attribution; for (b) correctly states grandmother and mother hypotheses with primate comparisons; for (c) precisely describes fission mechanism and etching process; for (d) accurately explains maternal inheritance and molecular clock; for (e) correctly articulates Barker's thrifty phenotype mechanismDefines most concepts correctly but conflates one approach (e.g., multi-sited with comparative ethnography) or misstates one technical detail (e.g., fission of 235U instead of 238U); vague on molecular clock calibrationMajor factual errors: confuses multi-sited with multispecies, describes radiocarbon instead of fission track, states paternal mtDNA inheritance, or misattributes Barker to genetic rather than developmental origins
Theoretical framing20%10For (a) situates each ethnography in postmodern/critical theory turns; for (b) frames menopause within life history theory and inclusive fitness; for (c) connects to chronometric revolution in archaeology; for (d) links to Out of Africa replacement vs. multiregional debate; for (e) positions DOHaD within epidemiological transition and developmental plasticity theoryMentions theoretical contexts superficially without explicit linkage; names theorists without explaining their conceptual contributions to the specific phenomenonAbsent theoretical framing; treats all topics as purely descriptive without any mention of evolutionary theory, postmodern turns, or epidemiological frameworks
Ethnographic / Indian examples20%10For (a) cites Indian multi-sited work (e.g., Ong on flexible citizenship, or Srinivas on village studies extended); for (c) mentions Indian fission-track applications (e.g., Siwalik tephra, K-T boundary Deccan Traps); for (d) references Indian mtDNA studies (e.g., Kivisild, Metspalu on South Asian haplogroups M, N, R); for (e) cites Pune, Mysore, or Delhi birth cohort studiesProvides generic or Western examples only; mentions India only in passing without specific study citation; or gives correct global examples (e.g., Hadar for c, !Kung for b) but misses Indian material entirelyNo examples provided, or factually incorrect examples (e.g., citing Indian grandmother studies for menopause when none exist, or confusing fission-track with thermoluminescence sites)
Comparative analysis20%10For (a) contrasts three ethnographies on field site mobility, species focus, and political stance; for (b) compares grandmother vs. mother hypotheses on empirical predictions; for (c) contrasts fission-track with K-Ar, C-14 on applicable time range and material; for (d) compares mtDNA with Y-chromosome or autosomal DNA for evolutionary inference; for (e) contrasts thrifty phenotype with thrifty genotype and predictive adaptive responseMakes one or two explicit comparisons across sub-parts but treats most as standalone definitions; limited engagement with methodological trade-offs or competing explanationsNo comparative element; each sub-part treated in isolation without any contrastive statements, alternative explanations, or methodological comparisons
Conclusion & applied angle20%10Each sub-part closes with applied significance: (a) policy relevance of critical and multispecies ethnography for climate/health; (b) implications for social support systems and demographic transition; (c) contribution to hominin chronology and site correlation; (d) forensic applications and medical genetics; (e) public health interventions targeting maternal nutrition in India (ICDS, JSY)Most sub-parts lack applied closure; or provides generic 'more research needed' statements without specific policy, methodological, or health system relevanceAbrupt endings with no applied angle; or misapplied conclusions (e.g., suggesting mtDNA for paternity testing, or Barker hypothesis supporting genetic determinism rather than developmental plasticity)

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