Human Origins Test 2

prehensility

The ability of an organism to grasp or hold objects with its limbs.

arboreal

Referring to animals that live in trees.

diurnal

Active during the daytime.

rhinarium

The wet, hairless surface at the tip of the nose in some mammals, including primates.

dental (tooth) comb

A dental structure formed by the lower incisors and canines that is used for grooming.

infant parking

A behavior where mothers leave their infants in a safe place while they forage.

digitigrade

Walking on the toes, as seen in some primates.

palmigrade

Walking on the palms of the hands, as seen in some primates.

omnivorous

Eating both plants and animals.

dental formula

A shorthand way of expressing the number and types of teeth in an animal's mouth.

estrus

The period of sexual receptivity in female mammals.

frugivorous

Eating primarily fruits.

Platyrrhini

The infraorder of New World monkeys.

Catarrhini

The infraorder that includes Old World monkeys and apes.

Y-5

A type of molar tooth pattern found in apes.

bilophodont

A type of molar tooth pattern with two ridges, characteristic of some Old World monkeys.

fusion-fission

A social structure where groups split and merge frequently.

behavior

The actions or reactions of an organism in response to external or internal stimuli.

social structure

The organized pattern of relationships and social arrangements within a group.

behavioral ecology

The study of the evolutionary basis for animal behavior due to ecological pressures.

dispersal

The movement of individuals away from their place of birth.

philopatric

Staying in or returning to one's natal area.

natal

Relating to birth or origin.

dominance

The social ranking of individuals within a group.

affiliative behavior

Social behaviors that promote social bonds and relationships.

reproductive strategy

The methods by which an organism maximizes its reproductive success.

K-selected

Species that produce fewer offspring but invest more resources in their upbringing.

r-selected

Species that produce many offspring with less investment in each.

sexual selection

A form of natural selection where individuals with certain traits are more likely to attract mates.

Jane Goodall

A primatologist known for her studies of wild chimpanzees.

encephalization

The increase in brain size relative to body size.

neocortex

The part of the brain involved in higher-order brain functions such as sensory perception and cognition.

Broca's area

The region of the brain associated with speech production.

Wernicke's area

The region of the brain associated with language comprehension.

prosocial behavior

Voluntary behavior intended to benefit another.

altruism

Selfless concern for the well-being of others.

fossil

The preserved remains or traces of ancient organisms.

taphonomy

The study of the processes that affect the remains of dead organisms.

stratigraphy

The study of rock layers and layering, used in dating fossils.

superposition

The principle that in undisturbed layers of rock, older layers are at the bottom.

plesiadapiforms

An early group of mammals that are considered to be closely related to primates.

euprimates

The first true primates that appeared in the fossil record.

adapids

An extinct group of primates that are considered to be related to modern lemurs.

omomyids

An extinct group of primates that are considered to be related to modern tarsiers.

Aegyptopithecus

An early primate that lived around 30 million years ago, considered a precursor to later primates.

Proconsul

An early ape that lived around 20 million years ago, known for its similarities to both monkeys and modern apes.

Victoriapithecus

An extinct genus of Old World monkeys from the Miocene epoch.

Branisella

One of the earliest known platyrrhines, dating back to the late Oligocene.

Sivapithecus

An extinct genus of primates that is closely related to modern orangutans.

Gigantopithecus

The largest known primate that lived during the Pleistocene.