Socio-cultural anthropologists study different societies that currently exist throughout the world. They usually do fieldwork that involves living in a particular culture or society to study it from the inside. Socio-cultural anthropologists examine how different societies live, how they handle government and socialization, and how they make philosophical sense of the world.
Physical anthropology, also called biological anthropology, studies the origins and evolution of human beings. Physical anthropology draws information from several specialized fields. Paleontology studies fossils and organisms that predate humans. Bioarchaeology examines people of the prehistoric era. Primatology studies man's closest relative, primates. The research from the different fields helps physical anthropologists understand humanity's place in history and get a better overall understanding of humans as a species. Physical anthropology examines human adaptation to environments and conditions, behavioral development, growth, disease and death.
Archaeology studies societies that no longer exist. Archaeologists examine everything they can find about an extinct society, including architecture, art, artifacts and, in literate societies, documents and texts. They try to gain an understanding of how a particular society functioned. Areas of study include the political, cultural and religious aspects of a society.
Linguistic anthropology examines the effect of language on human interaction in daily life. It also studies how language can shape or reflect a society's worldview and belief system.
Urban anthropology and forensic anthropology are two more recent additions to the field. They fall under the other categories, but are used in different ways from the other branches. Urban anthropologists concern themselves with diversity and cultural interaction in major cities. Forensic anthropologists work to help identify decomposed remains. Forensic anthropologists frequently work with medical examiners' offices and government institutions.