Bioanthropology Terms and Concepts

What is a strepsirrhine? What are their qualities and what makes them different?

Strepsirrhines are the first primate divergence. Differences: wet noses, solitary behaviour, postorbital opening, unfused mandible, snout. Example would be a lemur.

What is a haplorrhine? What are their qualities and what makes them different?

They are us. They have dry noses, social behaviours, postorbital closure, fused mandibles, and no snout. Example would be an ape.

What is a platyrrhine? What are their qualities and what makes them different?

Platyrrhines are “New World” monkeys. They are small (nothing over 12kg), have three premolars (we have 2), are all arboreal, some have prehensile tails, do not have bilophodont molars. Spider monkey.

What is a catarrhine? What are their qualities and what makes them different?

Catarrhines are “Old World” monkeys. They range in size (can be over 200kg), 2 premolars, not necessarily arboreal, do not have prehensile tails, Ischial callosites (hard sitting pads on monkeys), bilophodont molars (or Y5), greater sexual dimorphism than platyrrhines. Gorilla.

What is brachiation?

The ability to move and articulate arms and shoulders to swing. Gibbons are the only true brachiators, but all apes are adapted to brachiation.

Social organisation vs mating system? What is the difference?

Social organisation=how the group is made up mating system= how the group mates

Solitary social system + example?

mostly strepsirrhines, some tarsiers. orangutans are semi-solitary, potentially because of low population numbers. Usually polygynous mating. Need tooth comb to groom themselves; no group grooming.

What shapes mating systems?

Females! They are the limiting resource and have to invest more into their offspring.

Monogamous mating system + example

One adult male, one adult female. Females hold territory and ‘tolerate’ a male. Results in low sexual dimorphism because of low competition for mates. Gibbons and siamangs

Polyandry + example

One breeding female, suppression of other female reproduction, cooperative childcare. Marmosets and tamarins.

Polygyny + example

1 male, multi-female. Alpha male, potential harem structure. Male competition to get/retain control of the group. High levels of sexual dimorphism. Sometimes infanticide. Gorillas.

Promiscuity + example

Large social groups. Both males and females mate with multiple individuals. Development of complex social relationships within the group. Dominance hierarchy based on your mother. Females stay with the group, young males disperse to find mates in other groups. Macaques.

Fission-fusion + example

Large home ranges so groups split up to forage and come together to mate. Multi-male, multi-female groups. Common in chimpanzees, bonobos, and spider-monkeys.

What are the anatomical implications of mating systems?

Sexual selection, sexual dimorphism

What defines a primate? (body part)

Petrosal bulla!!! A bone in your inner ear that occurs in all primates and no other mammals

Do primates have nails or claws?

Nails

Primates have 3 traits that take a long time. What are they?

Long lives, long period to sexual maturity, and long gestation period.

What is acclimation?

immediate physiological reaction to stress

What is acclimitisation?

Physiological change that takes longer to come into effect in the face of stress. Stress removed = back to normal

Developmental acclimatisation?

When stress occurs during the period of growth and development, the organism tends to adapt developmentally to stress (if it can). these changes do not go away

What is plasticity?

The ability to respond physiologically to environmental stress

What is the relationship between genotype and phenotype?

genotype codes for phenotype

What is the definition of evolution?

a change in allele frequency from one generation to the next

What are evolutionary forces?

Genetic drift, non-random mating, gene flow/migration, mutation, natural selection

What is the Hardy-Weinberg Model?

It is a model predicting genotype frequencies in future generations assuming that evolution is not taking place. it includes

* Random mating
* The population is large
* No movement in or out of the population (ie no migration)
* No new alleles are appearing in the population (no mutations)
* No differential fertility or mortality (no selection)

What are the 2 functions of DNA?

replication of cells and protein synthesis

What were the two missing pieces of the Darwin-Wallace theory?

1. What is the source of variation seen in populations? If there is an environmental change, what caused it?
2. What were the mechanisms of heredity? Genetics and shit.

What is Lamarck evolution?

Inheritance of acquired characteristics; given environmental circumstances, an individual can change their physical selves to adapt to said environment. Their children will inherit these changed characteristics; changes within one generation.

What are the components of Natural Selection?

resources are finite. favourable traits increase the chance of survival. favourable traits increase the chance of mating. favourable traits are passed down to the next generation; the traits manifest in the offspring

What is the importance of vitamin D/sunlight?

necessary for healthy bone growth, related to fertility, sun necessary for vitamin D synthesis