ANTH 196 Exam 1 (Lawler JMU)

anthropology

the study of human kind

Cultural Anthropology

studies how human societies adapt to local conditions using learned, socially-transmitted behaviors

Archaeology

study and interpretation of material remains obtained from earlier cultures to understand past human behaviors

Linguistic Anthropology

the study of human language among societies

Biological Anthropology

the study of human biology and behavior within an evolutionary context

Three major criteria of Anthropology

1. comparative:

gaining knowledge about a topic by comparing two or more groups

2. holistic:

understanding phenomena by looking at it in its entirety

3. evolutionary

primate

a group of mammals including prosimians, monkeys, apes, and humans

species

a group of similarly looking organisms capable of interbreeding

evolutionary tree

a diagram showing evolutionary relationships among species or groups of species

hominid

a bipedal member of the evolutionary lineage leading to modern humans

genetics

the study of inherited traits

transmission genetics

the study of how traits are passed on from parent to offspring

population genetics

the study of how genes are distributed within an interbreeding group

human biology

the study of human variation with respect to evolution and psychology

Paleoanthropology

the interdisciplinary study of human origins

primate paleontology

the study of primate origins

Primatology

the study of non-human primates

forensic anthropology

the application of anthropological techniques to solve unexplained deaths

three major ways of understanding our world

- religion

- science

-philosophy

science

seeks a natural (not supernatural) explanation of the world

systematic

relies on standards and standardized methodology

emperical

using observation and/or experiments

material

phenomena that can be measured. includes things we can see but can't measure, i.e. electrons

Criteria of Science

1. testability - testable statements about the phenomena

2. cumulative - builds on previous hypothesis / ideas

3. fallible - has a means to deem hypothesis and predictions as wrong

4. established method

5. emperical

6. repeatable - must allow others to verify findings

7. universal - any scientist from any country can do it

8. probabilistic / quantitative - use numbers to develop / support / reject hypothesis

9. logical - use inductive / deductive framework to form hypothesis

theory

a well-substantiated explanation of some aspect of the universe

experiment

goal = isolate causation

- all things held constant except one

independent variable

the MANIPULATED factor

dependent variable

what is measured

spurious correlation

a correlations based on an unmeasured third variable

John Ray

proposed "species"

and similar groups of species be called "genera"

- fixity of species

Carolus Linnaeus

- added "class" and "order"

- species were static and created by divine creator

George du Buffon

- species = not completely fixed

- dynamic relationship btw organisms and environment

- believed world wad OLD, not young

Erasmus Darwin

- common ancestry and life in the sea

- origin thoughts of evolution

Lamarck

- theory of evolution by inheritance of acquired characteristics

- attention to heritability

Cuvier

- recognized that fossils could be grouped with modern organisms

- rejected the concept of evolution

Charles Lyell

- challenged catastrophism

- uniformitarianism : past and current geological processes are one and the same

Malthus

- dangers of population growth

- eugenicist

Charles Darwin

"Born a naturalist"

- background in medicine and theology

The voyage of the Beagle

- Darwin was ship's naturalist

Stopped in S. Africa

- implied geological changes over time

- implied species go extinct

Stopped in the Galapagos

- lots of biological diversity

- finches : one mainland form, many island forms

adaptations

features produced by natural selection that allow them to survive and reproduce in their environment

fitness

an organism's ability to survive and reproduce

adaptation

a feature or trait that evolved via natural selection to perform a specific task that directly or ultimately leads to reproduction or survivorship

heritability

the extent to which offspring resemble their parents

problems with Darwin's theory

- could not explain why variation existed

- debate about the rate at which evolution occurs

- some individuals have traits that appear maladaptive

sexual selection theory

- some traits don't aid in survival, but help to attract mates

i.e. a peacock's tail

sexual selection

the evolutionary change that occurs bc of variation in (often male) ability to acquire mates

sexual dimorphism

differences among the sexes due to sexual selection

Human Cells

eukaryotic cells

- more complex/multicellular

- contain nucleus

Mitochondria

organelle that also contains DNA

types of eukaryotic cells

SOMATIC - components of body tissues

GAMETES - cells used for reproduction

- ova : eggs produced in female ovaries

- sperm : male reproductive cells

zygote

the union btw. a sperm and an ovum

Chromosome

composed of a DNA molecule and associated protiens

- DNA is carried on them inside of the nucleus

Autosome

A chromosome that is not involved in sex determination

Sex chromosome

associated with sex determination

- females have two X chromosomes

- males have one X and one Y

- Y chromosome or its absence specifies sex

Nucleotides

Basic units of DNA molecule, composed of a sugar, a phosphate, and one of 4 DNA bases (A,C,G,T)

DNA base pairs

C & G , A & T

genes

contain information that code for different types of proteins

amino acids

building blocks of proteins

codons

triplets of nucleotides

- code for a SINGLE amino acid, then amino acids join together to make proteins

genetic code

relationship btw. codons and amino acids

How does DNA make proteins?

1. transcription: info from DNA is transcribed to messenger RNA in the nucleus

2. translation: RNA leaves the nucleus and joins up with ribosomal RNA and transfer RNA to make a protein

- special codons will initiate and terminate the place on the DNA model where transcription will begin and end

gene

the entire sequence of DNA bases responsible for the synthesis of a protein

mutation

when the sequence of bases in a gene is altered

- may interfere w organism's ability to produce important protein and lead to evolution

- ultimate source of genetic variation

- must appear in GAMETES in order to be inherited

- most are bad or neutral

mitosis

- cell division in somatic cells

- occurs during growth an repair / replacement of tissues

- produces two diploid cells from one diploid cell

diploid

having homologous pairs of chromosomes

meiosis

when one sex cell makes four haploid sex cells

- genetic material can be exchanged during this process: recombination

haploid

having a single chromosome (from the pair) in the cell

growth

mitosis and tissue differentiation

locus

location on a chromosome where homologous genes are located

alleles

alternate forms of the DNA sequence at a locus (can be used interchangeably w/ gene)

heterozygous

having different alleles at a particular locus

homozygous

having the same alleles at a particular locus

genotype

the genetic composition at a specific locus

phenotype

the observable traits that are expressed by the genotype

- i.e. a dimple

recessive traits

those that can't be expressed in a heterozygous locus

- require two copies of the same allele to produce their phenotype

independent assortment

the random distribution of the pairs of genes on different chromosomes to the gametes

sex-linked traits

Traits controlled by genes located on sex chromosomes.

population genetics

Study of allele frequency distribution and change under the influence of evolutionary processes.

frequency

number of things that are / total number of things

- range from 0-1

- in a very large collection of things, the frequency of things X is p, then the probability of choosing X is also p.

which was false

D. curvier and Lyell both proposed ideas about uniformitarianism

which is true

C. heritability is the extent to which offspring resemble their parents

What is the expected proportion of the A1A1 genotype

D. 0.36

Carolus Linneaus

D. B and C only

During meiosis, the process in which one or the other chromosome gets into a gamete is known as

B. segregation