anthropolgy exam 1

holism

refers to the study of the whole of the human condition: past, present, future; biology, society, language, and culture

antropology

study of humans around the world and through time

culture

a system of knowledge, beliefs, patterns of behavior, artifacts, and institutions that are created, learned, shared, and contested by a group of people

adaption

process by which organisms cope with environmental forces and stresses

cultural anthropology

comparative, cross-cultural study of human society and culture

ethnography

fieldwork in a particular cultural setting

ethnology 

study of sociocultural differences and similarities 

archaeology

study of human behavior and cultural patterns and processes through a cultures material remains

biological anthropology

study of human biological variation through time and as it exist today

linguistic anthropology 

study of language and linguistic diversity in time, space, and society 

sociolinguistics

study of language in society

applied anthropology

use of anthropological data, perspectives, theory, and methods to identify, assess, and solve contemporary social problems

cultural resource management

deciding what needs saving and preserving significant information about the past when sites cannot be saved

science

a field of study that seeks reliable explanations, with reference to the material and physical world

hypothesis

proposed explanation for something

theory

set of logically connected ideas formulated to explain not just one, but many associations

paleontology

study of ancient life through the fossil record

palynology 

study of ancient plants through pollen samples

LiDAR

light detection and ranging; uses lasers to map 3D surfaces and visualize landscapes

Fossils

remained (bones), traces, or impressions (footprints) of ancient life forms

excavation

digging through layers (strata) of deposits that make up an archaeological site

strata 

composition helps archaeologist establish the time of order of materials

superposition 

in an undisturbed sequence of strange, the oldest layer is at the bottom

experimental archaeologist

try to replicate ancient techniques and processes under controlled conditions

historical archaeologist

use written records as guides and supplements; work with remains more recent than the advent of writing

cultural resource management (CRM) archaeologist

utilize archaeologist techniques to assess sites that are threatened by development, public works, and construction of roads

taphonomy

study of processes that affect the remains of dead animals

negative evidence

absence of evidence is not (necessarily) evidence of absence

relative dating

establishing a time frame in relation to other strata or materials rather than absolute dates in numbers

stratigraphy 

study of earth sediments deposited in demarcated layers (strata)

absolute dating

establishing dates in numbers or ranges of numbers

dendrochronology

tree ring dating; methods of absolute dating based on the study and comparison of patterns of tree-ring growth

carbon-14

organic material effective up to 40,000 years

potassium-argon

volcanic rock; older than 500,000 years

biological anthropology (i)

interested in varied and encompassed recent and living, ancient and deceased humans and other primates

forensic anthropology

biological anthropologist provide assistance to law enforcement agencies

primatology

investigates the anatomy, behavior, ecology, and genetics of living and extinct nonhuman primates

code of ethics

do not harm

NAGPRA

Native American graves protection repatriation act

informed consent

agreement to take part in research after being fully informed about its purpose, nature, procedures, and potential impact

creationism

biological similarities and differences originated at creation

catastrophism

divinely authored worldwide disasters destroyed ancient species represented in the fossil record

evolution

the gradual transformation of species through descent with medication over generations

Charles Darwin

became the best known of the evolutionist 

lamarckians evolutions

inheritance of acquired characteristics

dominant traits

an allele that masks another allele in a heterozygote

recessive traits

a genetic trait masked by a dominant trait

gene

place on a chromosome that determines a particular trait

allele

variant to a particular gene

genotype

an organisms hereditary makeup

phenotype

expressed biological characteristics of an organism 

natural selection

selection of favored forms through differential reproductive success in a population

mutations

changes in the DNA molecules from which genes and chromosomes are built

gene pool

all the genetic material in a breeding population

genetic drift

random changes in gene frequencies

gene flow

exchange of genetic material between populations of the same species 

species

group of related organisms whose members can interbreed to produce offspring that can live and reproduce

speciation

formation of new species

microevolution

genetic changes in a population or species over a few, several, or many generations, but without speciation 

macroevolution

larger-scale or more significant genetic changes in a population or species, usually over a longer time period, which result in speciation

sexual selection 

selection of traits that enhance mating success

adaptive

favored by natural selection

racial classification

attempt to assign humans to discrete categories based on common ancestry. guided by two incorrect assumptions

race

a geographically isolated subdivision of a species that is capable of interbreeding with other subspecies within the same species

3 obstacles to race in humans

gene flow

clinal variation

concordance

clinal variation

display a limited number of discrete physical characteristics that are visibly or genetically differentiated

concordance

the ability to predict the presence of a given trait based on the presence of another related trait

skin color

complex biological trait influenced by several genes

melanin

“natural sunscreen” produced by skin cells responsible for pigmentation

vitamin D vs folate hypothesis

Loomis focused on the role of UV radiation in stimulating manufacture of vitamin D by the human body. Said that in colder areas there will be lighter skin and in areas that are warmer people will be darker.

thomsons nose rule

longer noses tend to be found in colder areas

short noses tend to be found in warmer areas

bergmanns rule

larger bodies are found in colder areas and smaller bodies in warmer areas

phenotypical adaption

adaptive changes that occur during an individual’s lifetime

lactose intolerance 

one genetically determined biochemical difference among human groups involves the ability to digest large amount of milk via lactase. Some populations can tolerate very little or no milk, but others are able to metabolize much greater quantities. People who move from no-mik or low0mil diets to high-milk diets can increase their lactose tolerance.

terrestrial

monkeys and apes: primates that live on the ground rather than in trees

arboreal

in the trees

taxonomy 

branch of science concerned with classification and assignment of organisms to categories

homologies

traits inherited from a common ancestor

analogies

similar traits that can arise if species experience similar selective forces and adapt to them in similar ways

convergent evolution

process by which analogies are produced

primates in order (7)

Domain

Kingdom

Phylum

Class

Order

Family

Genus Species

hominid

zoological family that includes fossil and living humans, chimpanzees, gorillas, and their common ancestor 

hominin

describes all human species that have ever existed, excludes chimps and gorillas

early primates

tarsiers

lorises

lemurs

primate evolution 

depth perception (binocular vision; eyes become forward facing)

Example of proto-apes

gigantopithecus

New World Monkeys

ceboidea, live in the forest of Central and South America. 

Old World Monkeys

cercopithecoidea, are native to Africa and Asia (formerly Europe), more sexual dimorphism, have their own separate superfamily

gibbons

have skilled brachiation; hand-over-hand movement through the trees, also described as under-the-branch swinging

orangutans

marked sexual dimorphism

gorillas

exhibit marked sexual dimorphism, spend little time in trees, eat fruit and vegetation, live in troops of males and females with offspring

chimpanzees have what two species

common

bonobo 

common

pan troglodytes

bonobo

pan paniscus; sex is often used to avoid conflict

what is K selected 

long life spans (elephants) and significant parental care

what is R - selected

short life spans (frogs) and little parental care

bipedal locomotion

the act of walking on two feet

what evidence showed bipedalism

skeletal material from Arthipithecus, the earliest recognized hominin genus, indicates the capacity for upright bipedal locomotion

sahelanthropus tchadensis

oldest possible human ancestor, found in Chad 6-7 million year old skull