Biological Anthropology Exam 1 Practice 2026 - Free Practice Questions and Study Guide

Paradigm is a conceptual framework that guides how we interpret a body of evidence, shapes the questions we ask, and determines which methods and standards we trust. It includes the underlying theories, models, and criteria that decide what counts as valid data and how to connect findings. In science, a paradigm provides a shared lens for understanding phenomena; when new data clash with that lens, the field may shift to a different framework that better explains the evidence. An example is how the Darwinian framework reframed evidence about variation, heredity, and the diversification of life.

Immutability isn’t about interpreting evidence, but about something being unchangeable. Catastrophism is a historical idea about how Earth’s features were formed by sudden disasters, not a broad framework for evaluating all evidence. Taxonomy is a classification system for organizing organisms, not the overarching framework used to interpret a wide body of evidence.