Intro into Human Evolution Exam 2

Fossil

Any preserved remains from a once living organism (bones, teeth, coprolites)

Subfossil

Fossilization is only partially complete

Petrification

The process of how a fossil is made; death, sediment, mineralization

Paleontology

study of ancient life through the discovery, description, and study of fossils

Functionalism

Behavior doesn’t fossilize

Paleogenetics

study of past life through preserved genetic material

aDNA

Ancient DNA; recovery is difficult due to contamination and poor preservation

Paleocology

Study of ancient life interactions with their enviornment

Paleothermometer

proxies for past temperatures

Paleopluviometer

proxies for past rain and humidity

Stable Isotop

Variant of an element, does not radioactively decay

Fractionate

Isotopes move through natural cycles at different rates

Pangea

Singular continental land mass

Relative dating

Comparative, qualitative statements

Stratigraphy

Study of rock/soil layers and formation

Absolute dating

Age is calculated, quantitative value

Radioisotopes

atom form with an unstable nucleus

Half-Life

Time frame at which half of a radioactive sample is expected to have decayed

calibration

turning date into a useable calendar range

Therapsids

1st true mammals

Angiosperms

Flowering plant, pollenates, enclosed seeds

Kpg Extinction Event

Cretaceous-Paleogene extinction event. 75% terrestrial life extinct

Rafting Hypothesis

Primates survived ocean crossings on large vegetarian mats swept out by storms

Hominoids

All apes

Hominids

Humans, great apes, and ancestors

Hominins

modern and extinct humans

Savannah Hypothesis

Expansion of grasslands and constriction of forests encourages bipedalism

Postural Theory

Bipedalism encouraged for feeding from fruit trees, and can see predators better

Male Provisioning Hypothesis

Upright posture is useful to females/sexual dimorphism

Diastema

gap between bottom incisors and canine; creates space for upper canine

Knapping

Technique for making stone tools via the process of reduction. Flakes, cores, and hammer stone