anthropology quiz 2

primates/primatology

achieve insights into human evolution through comparisons to other primate species, primates are a class in the system, large brains and vision more important than smell

anthropomorphism

the imposition of human characteristics on non-human animals

traditional taxonomy vs. cladistic taxonomy

traditional- primates compare phenotypes and adaptations

cladistic- primates group animals with shared and derived features

evolutionary grade

primates with similar levels of complexity in similar environments are grouped in same group

morphology

shapes and sizes of organisms are used in traditional taxonomies

homology

represent homologous evolutionary traits

homoplasy

represents cases of convergent or parallel evolution ex: wings on birds and bats

strepsirrhines

have a rhinarium/upper lip directly attached to the gums

lemurs

smaller brains, specialized grooming claw, post orbital bar not full closure, rely on scent, varied diet, social, mostly diurnal

lorises

smaller brains, specialized grooming claw, post orbital bar not full closure, rely on scent, partially social

haplorrhines

do not have a rhinarium, include tarsiers and anthropoids

tarsiers and tarsiformes

nocturnal primates characterized by large, goggling eyes and an elongated tarsus bone of the feet

diurnal

nocturnal

stereoscopic vision

fields of vision overlap, optic nerve from each eye travels to both hemispheres of the brain, result is true depth perception

jane goodall

dian fossey

birute galdikas

dentition

cranium

anthropoids

monkeys, apes, and humans

prehensile

hominoid

apes and humans differ from monkeys in teeth skeletal shape and size, and lack a tail

sexual dimorphism

ethnoprimatology

focuses on complex often contradictory interconnections between human-nonhuman primates, rejects notion humans are separate from the environment/non-human primates exist outside the sphere of human influence

anthropogenic

anthropocene

catarrhines

sharp noses primates, include apes and humans, some tree dwellers (arboreal) others terrestrial, ground dwellers, none have grasping (prehensile) tails

orangutans

live in rainforests, relatively large and sexual dimorphic, solitary species difficult to study

chimpanzees

two living species in africa, most studied of all apes, make and use tools

gorillas

live in africa are the most sexually dimorphic, single male dominates social groups

bonobos

post-cranial skeleton

primate adaptations

proconsul

relative dating

indicate which objects are older/younger in a given linear sequence ex: stratigraphic superposition, seriation

stratigraphic superposition

relies on the ordering of strata (layers of rock and soil)

law of crosscutting relationships

principle of geological interpretation stating that where old rocks are crosscut by other geological features, the intruding features must be younger than the layers of rock they cut across

seriation

based on assumptions that artifacts that look alike must have been made at the same time and differences in appearance or quantity can be ordered in a linear sequence

absolute dating/ numerical dating methods

assign a calendar age to a material object and include isotopic dating methods, nonisotopic dating methods

isotopic dating methods

based on the rate at which various radioactive isotopes transform themselves into other elements by losing subatomic particles

carbon 14

dendrochronology

paleomagnetism

hominins

humans immediate ancestors

hominoids

pliocene

omnivorous

macroevolution

deals with geological time and both the extinction of old species and the origin of new species

microevolution

punctuated equilibrium

knuckle walking

bipedalism

allowed hominins to expand their range and increase food options, see predators in the open country, carry infants, food, and tools in hands, reduce exposure of the skin to sun

foramen magnum

diastema

earliest hominins

genus australopithecus

most famous fossil is lucy, evidence for tree-climbing adaptation in long arms and curved fingers and toes, small brained and otherwise similar to chimpanzee

u-shaped arch

dental arch becomes parabolic unlike apes, adaptation to eating coarse vegetation

gracile australopithecines

lived in eastern/southern africa, small and lightly built faces, molars enlarged, brains chimp sized, evidence for stone tool use, post cranial skeletons similar to robust austras

robust australopithecines

lived in eastern and southern africa, rugged jaws and flat faces, molars enormous, brains chimp sized, evidence for bone tools used for digging, post cranial skeletons similar to gracile austras

lucy

cranial capacity

pleistocene

stone tools

genus homo

oldowan tradition

direct evidence of bipedalism

trail of fossilized footprints in laetoli, tanzania

anatomical evidence of bipedalism

position of the foramen magnum centered beneath the skull, basin shaped pelvis, femurs angled inward, big toe in line with other toes

homo erectus

either early homo evolved/ was replaced by homo erectus, had larger brains than earlier hominins , first hominin to spread out of africa into europe and asia, less sexual dimorphism than earlier homo

lower paleolithic

acheulian stone-tool tradition

tools including hand axes are found in africa and europe

homo heidelbergensis

viewed as shared ancestor of neanderthals and modern humans, developed shelter construction, domestication of fire, fabrication of spears

neanderthals’

lived in europe and western asia, associated with Mousterian tradtion of middle paleolithic, were shorter more robust than modern human, skulls massive had continuous brow ridges, teeth were larger

middle paleolithic

mousterian stone-tool tradition

denisovans

ornaments made of eggshell, precious stones and mollusk have been associated with them,were tall and robust

homo sapiens- anatomically modern humans

oldest fossils from morocco, the first and only hominins to migrate into the americas australia and oceania

replacement model

one subpopulation of homo erectus in africa rapidly developed into homo sapiens, homo sapiens moved out of africa and replaced any remaining populations of homo erectus

upper paleolithic

blade stone-tool tradition

portable art

cave painting

found in western europe, culture became more expressive during upper paleolithic

homo sapiens migration across the world

humans in australia

humans in americas

humans in the pacific