Principles of Space Anthropology

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 Anthropologyrecommends 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 Anthropologyisengaging toanthropologists across sub-disciplines, as well as scholars interested in the human dimensions of space exploration and settlement. Just as the termexobiologywas invented only a few decades ago to shape the field of space life studies,exoanthropologyis outlined to assist in the perpetuation of Earth life through human space settlement.