Untitled Flashcards Set

Holism

The approach of studying a culture by considering all its interconnected parts.

Comparison

Analyzing different cultures by comparing them to each other.

Dynamism

Emphasizes the ever-changing nature of cultures.

Fieldwork

The practice of conducting research by directly observing and interacting with people in their natural environment.

Six steps to humanness

Bipedalism, nonhoning chewing, material culture and tools, speech, hunting, domesticated foods.

Social learning

The process of learning new behaviors by observing and imitating others.

Empiricism

The theory that all knowledge is derived from sense-experience.

Scientific method

A method involving observation, hypothesis, independent/dependent variable, and the support/rejection of hypothesis.

Theory vs. Law

A theory explains why something happens, while a law describes what happens under certain conditions.

Great chain of being

A hierarchical concept that views all creation as an ordered chain with God at the top.

Judeo-Christian Young Earth

A belief that the Earth and life were created by God in a recent period of time.

Al-Jahiz

Known for the pioneering work 'Kitab al-Hayawan,' or 'Book of Animals'.

Ibn al-Haytham

Known for the earliest use of the camera obscura and pinhole camera.

European Enlightenment

Studied human behavior and societies, laying the foundation for modern anthropology.

Geology - Deep Time

The concept that Earth's history spans vast periods of time.

Uniformitarianism

The principle that geological processes observed today operated in the past.

Lamarckian Traits

Traits that are acquired as a result of new habits that can be passed via sexual reproduction.

Charles Darwin

Proposed the theory of natural selection and evolution through descent with modification.

Essential molecules

Proteins, lipids, carbohydrates, and nucleic acids, collectively known as macromolecules.

Cells

Organelle structures including nucleus, mitochondria, and cytoplasm.

Prokaryotes

Single-celled organisms that lack a nucleus.

Eukaryotes

Cells that have a nucleus.

DNA

The genetic material structured as a double helix.

Gene

A specific segment of DNA that carries instructions for a trait.

Genetics

The study of genes and trait inheritance.

Genomics

The study of an organism's entire set of genes.

Genome

The complete set of DNA in an organism.

Human genome project

Aim to map and sequence all human genome's genes.

Homologous chromosomes

A pair of chromosomes that carry the same genes from each parent.

Karyotype

The complete set of chromosomes in an organism.

Autosomes

Chromosomes that are not involved in sex determination.

Sex chromosomes

Chromosomes that determine an individual's sex.

DNA replication

The process of making an exact copy of DNA before cell division.

Mitosis

The process producing two identical diploid daughter cells from one parent cell.

Meiosis

The process producing four haploid daughter cells with half the chromosome number.

Recombination

The exchange of genetic material between chromosomes during meiosis.

Haplotype

A set of alleles inherited together on a single chromosome from one parent.

Haplogroup

A collection of related haplotypes sharing a common ancestor.

Protein synthesis

The process of creating proteins within a cell from mRNA.

RNA processing

Involving the removal of introns and joining of exons before translation.

Mendelian genetics

Laws of independent assortment and segregation regarding allele distribution.

Allele

A variant form of a gene.

Genotype

The genetic makeup of an organism.

Phenotype

Observable physical characteristics resulting from genotype.

Dominant

An allele that is expressed in the phenotype with just one copy present.

Recessive

An allele expressed only when both copies are present.

Homozygous

Having two identical alleles for a gene.

Heterozygous

Having two different alleles for a gene.

Punnett Square

A diagram used to predict possible genotypes of offspring.

More complex than Mendelian traits

Includes incomplete dominance, codominance, penetrance, and polygenic traits.

ABO blood types

Involve A and B antigens on red blood cells and anti-A/anti-B antibodies.

Pedigree

Helps identify patterns of inheritance for genetic disorders.

Modern synthesis

Combines Darwin's theory of evolution with Mendel's genetics.

Population genetics

The study of genetic variation within and between populations.

Epigenetics

Study of how environmental factors change gene expression.

Microevolution

Small genetic changes within a population over time.

Macroevolution

Large changes across multiple species over time.

Breeding population

Individuals within a species capable of interbreeding.

Gene pool

Collective genetic material present within a breeding population.

Deme

A localized sub-population that interbreeds.

Reproductive fitness

Ability to successfully reproduce and pass on genes.

Evolution as change in allele frequencies

Shift in the relative abundance of different alleles over time.

Lactase persistence

A trait allowing adults to digest lactose.

Polymorphism

Multiple forms of a trait within a population.

Balanced polymorphism

When multiple trait forms are maintained in stable frequencies.

Sickle-cell trait

A genetic condition affecting red blood cells.

PTC tasting

A genetic trait determining the ability to taste a bitter chemical.

Forces of evolution

Includes mutation, genetic drift, natural selection, and gene flow.

Mutation

Changes in genetic material.

Genetic drift

Changes in allele frequency due to random sampling.

Natural selection

The process where organisms with favorable traits reproduce more successfully.

Hardy-Weinberg Equilibrium

A principle stating genetic variation remains constant in a population.

Species

Groups of organisms that can produce viable and fertile offspring.

Adaptive radiation

Rapid diversification of a species into multiple forms.

Ecological niche

The role of a species in its environment.

Speciation

The formation of new and distinct species.

Convergent evolution

Independent evolution of similar traits in unrelated species.

Phylogeny

The evolutionary history and relationships among organisms.

Taxonomy

The science of classifying organisms.

Primate evolutionary characteristics

Shared characteristics of primates.

Dietary adaptations

Understanding primate dietary needs.

Community ecology

Niche interactions among species.

Benefits of group life

Cooperation, altruism, and kin selection in social structures.

Social systems in primates

Variety of social structures such as solitary, monogamous, or polygamous.

Mating systems

Includes polygyny, monogamy, and polyandry.

Sexual selection

The process where certain traits become more attractive to mates.

Communication in primates

Methods of vocal, visual, and tactile communication.

Primate culture

Shared behaviors like tool use and social behavior.

Primate conservation

Recognizing the threats to primate survival.

Paleontology

The study of fossilized animals and plants.

Geological time scale

Units of time like eons, eras, and periods to organize Earth's history.

Continental drift

Movement of continents causing geographic isolation.

Taphonomy

The processes involved in fossilization.

Fossilization

The process through which organic material becomes fossilized.

Relative dating

Methods like law of superposition to determine the age of fossils.

Chronometric dating

Methods to determine the actual age of materials.

Radiometric dating

Dating using the decay of radioactive isotopes.

Non-radiometric dating methods

Includes fission track and dendrochronology.

Environmental reconstruction

Methods to infer past environments from fossil evidence.

Primate origin hypotheses

Theories explaining primate evolution.