Human Evolution Notes

Vocabulary flashcards covering key concepts related to human evolution.

Hominids

A family of primates that includes humans and their ancestors.

Hominoids

A group of primates that includes apes and humans.

Ancestral traits

Features that are inherited from common ancestors.

Derived traits

Features that have evolved and are unique to a particular lineage.

Bipedalism

The ability to walk on two legs, a trait distinguishing humans and their ancestors.

Monotremes

Egg-laying mammals such as the spiny anteater and duck-billed platypus.

Marsupials

Mammals that give birth to underdeveloped young that normally crawl into a pouch.

Placental mammals

Mammals that give birth to more fully developed young via a placenta.

Phylogeny

The evolutionary history and relationships among species.

Lucy

A famous Australopithecus afarensis fossil that lived approximately 3.24 million years ago.

Neanderthals

An extinct species of hominid that lived in Europe and Asia until about 30,000 years ago.

Homo habilis

The first species in the genus Homo, thought to be around 2.4 million years old.

Homo erectus

An early human species that is known to have left Africa around 1.9 million years ago.

Homo sapiens

The species name for modern humans.

Cultural evolution

The transmission of knowledge, beliefs, and behaviors through social learning.

Tectonic plates

Large plates that make up the Earth's surface and cause geological activity.

Out of Africa hypothesis

The theory that modern humans originated in Africa before migrating to other continents.

Folate

A B-vitamin that is essential for DNA synthesis and cell division, affected by UV exposure.

Melanin

The pigment in skin responsible for color, influenced by UV light exposure.

Skin tone variability

Differences in skin color among human populations, largely influenced by geographic UV exposure.

Eve hypothesis

An idea suggesting all modern humans descended from a common ancestor in Africa.

Hominin

A member of the human lineage after the split from ancestral Chimpanzees.

Australopithecus

A genus of hominins that lived before the genus Homo and is known for bipedality.

Paranthropus

A genus of extinct hominins known for their robust cranial traits.

Sahelanthropus tchadensis

One of the oldest known species, dated around 6-7 million years ago.

Bipedal locomotion hypotheses

Theories explaining the evolution of bipedalism such as heat reduction and food carrying.

Cranial capacity

The volume of the braincase, often used to compare brain size across species.

Gene flow

The transfer of genetic material between populations, especially through interbreeding.

Denisovans

A group of archaic humans closely related to Neanderthals, known from fossil evidence.

Mitochondrial DNA

DNA inherited maternally that is used to trace lineage and ancestry.

Homo naledi

A newly discovered species of hominin with a mix of primitive and modern features.

Primates

An order of mammals that includes humans, apes, and monkeys known for their flexible limbs.

Anthropoids

A suborder of primates that includes monkeys, apes, and humans.

Prosimians

The most primitive living primates, including lemurs and lorises.

Pleistocene Epoch

A geological timeframe marked by repeated glaciations and the presence of early humans.

Pliocene Epoch

The period in which early hominins began to diverge and develop unique traits.

Genetic diversity

The total number of genetic characteristics in the genetic makeup of a species.

Acclimatization

The process whereby a human body adjusts to changes in its environment.

Morphological traits

Physical characteristics used to classify organisms.

Homo ergaster

An early human species with a larger body and brain size who lived around 1.8 to 1.3 million years ago.

Behavioral traits

Characteristics of an organism that are related to how it interacts with its environment.

Fossil record

The history of life as documented by fossil remains.

Natural selection

The process by which traits become more or less common in a population due to their impact on survival and reproduction.

Evolutionary lineage

A successive series of species that have evolved from a common ancestor.

Cultural traits

The learned practices, beliefs, and values shared among a group.

Biological anthropology

The study of the biological aspects of humans in their evolutionary context.