Sir Arthur Keith (1866-1955) was a Scottish anatomist and physical anthropologist who specialized in the study of human evolution.

Arthur Keith was born on February 5, 1866, at Quarry Farm, Persley, near Aberdeen, Scotland, the sixth of ten children and the fourth son of John and Jessie (Macpherson) Keith. In his autobiography, Keith stated that as a youth he had been so impressed by Charles Darwin's then recently published book Origin of Species (1859) that he resolved to prepare for a medical education. In 1884 he entered Marischal College of the University of Aberdeen, where he came under the influence of the botanist James Trail and (Sir) John Struthers, the anatomist.

On graduating with the highest honors in 1888, Keith accepted a post as medical officer to a mining company in Siam (Thailand). Although his original intention had been to use this as an opportunity to collect botanical specimens, he found himself becoming...