ANTHRO 349 Glossary Terms

This is specifically terms from the Textbook and quizzes.

Affiliative bonds

Strong, prosocial associations among individuals

Ontogenetic

Processes or mechanisms involved in development. (developed during gestation?)

Anthropocentric

Human-focused perspective

Phylogeny

Evolutionary relationships of species to one another.

Folivores

Consumers of non-reproductive parts of plants (>50% of diet)

Population

Individuals of the same species that share a common gene pool.

Behavioural ecology

Study of behaviour through an evolutionary and ecological lens.

Fitness

A relative measure of an individual’s reproductive success.

Frugivores

Consumers of fruit (if fruits constitute >50% of an animal’s diet).

Hierarchy

A pecking order, usually established through direct contests.

Phenotype

Observed characteristics reflecting gene x environment effects.

Habituated

When animals cease to alter behaviour in the presence of humans.

Study groups

Social group that is typically the focus of behavioural research.

Proximate

Regulation of behaviour by neural and physiological mechanisms.

Reproductive success

An individual’s genetic contributions to future generations.

Provisioned

Primates that obtain all or some food from humans.

Arboreal

Tree-dwelling

Ultimate

The adaptive significance of a trait

Territorial

Defence of an exclusively used area from conspecifics.

Niche construction

The alteration of physical and social environments via behaviour

Genotype

The genetic composition of an individual.

Egalitarian

Access to resources not based on hierarchy, but upon timing

Matriline

Related to one another through maternal descent.

Matrilocal

Living in the same group as one’s matrilineal kin.

Natal groups

The group into which individual is born.

Semiterrestrial

Primates that spend significant time on the ground.