Biological Anthropology

What is human biology in relation to anthro?

the study of human diversity, uses anthropometry to collect data

What is anthropometry?

use of data concerning size, shape, height, weight

What does medical anthropology study?

the study of interactions between culture and health, defining illness and variations in medical practice

What does paleopathology study?

similar to medical biol.ogy but in an ancient context, identifies cause of death as well as lifestyle, diet, health patterns in ancient populations

what does osteology study?

skeletal biology through comparitive description of bones and teeth

What is forensic anthropology?

use of osteology/ paleopathology to identify victims in mass genocides, can be used in trials as evidence

What is primatology?

The study of non- human primate behaviour, ecology, anatomy and genetics in comparison to humans, helps with conservation and understanding human evolution

is evolution a linear trend to success?

no- as long as a species can reproduce it is evilutionarily equal to all species that can do soWho

What did carolus linnaeus contribute to evolution

he invented the binomial nomenclature naming system which helped with oraganising and understanding patterns of relationship

What did comte de buffon contribute to evolution?

the first to accept the notion of biological change, related change to the environment and migration, founder of comparitive anatomy

What did thomas malthus contribute to evolution?

he asked questions about population control and resource balancing, wrote a treatise on population growth which inspired Darwin’s ideas of natural selection

his main concern was intraspecies competition when a population grows too large

What did Georges Cuvier contribute to natural selection?

he theorized how fossilized species could exist, thought early life forms were wiped out by biblical events like Noah’s flood

What did jean- baptiste lamark contribute to natural selection?

developed a theory of inheritance and required characteristics- early stages of theory of natural selection and genetic transmission

What did Charles Lyell contribute to natural selection

theory of uniformitarianism, that earths history could only be figured out in geologic time

what did charles darwin and alfred russell wallace contribute to evolution?

both figured out a theory of evolution with natural selection as the mechanism independently

What are Darwin’s 4 postulates?

1. individuals are variable in their species

2. some variations are passed on to offspring

3. more offspring are produced per generation than can survive

4. survival and reproduction isnt random, its determined by fitness via natural selection

What is the source of varitation?

DNA

What did miescher discover?

“Nuclein”- now known as DNA

What did Levene discover?

the phosphate- sugar- base model of DNA

What did Chargaff discover?

that different species have different genetic composition but similar properties

What is metheglobemia?

blue skin caused by abnormal hemoglobin

• recessive, increased by inbreedingWa

What is pleiotropy?

When 1 gene influences multiple phenotypic expressions

What causes all variation in mitochondrial DNA?

mutation- it is inherited directly from the mother so there is no chance of recombination

What is microevolution?

How populations change over time

What is macroevolution?

how new species are created

what is abiogenesis?

how life came to be

What is the biological species concept?

a species is organisms who interbreed in nature and are reproductively isolated from other such groups

cannot be applied to fossils

What is the recognition species concept?

individuals recognise each other as belonging to the same species and mate- compatible with the biological species concept

What is the ecological species concept?

a group of organisms exploiting a single ecological niche

What is the phylogenetic species concept?

a species is defined as the smallest cluster of individual organisms that are identifiably different from other organisms

List the different species concepts from earliest efficacy to latest

phylogenetic, ecological, recognition, biological

What is allopatric speciation?

speciation that occurs when a population is divided by a barrier, isolated populations diverge by adapting to their unique environments

what is parapatric speciation?

new species arise due to selection combined with partial genetic isolation→ hybrids are less fit and eliminated gradually

What is sympatric speciation?

when strong selection favors different phenotypes, not requiring geographic isolation

How are species differentiated in the fossil record?

using the phylogenetic species concept and the morphological species concept

What is homology?

similarities in organisms based on descent from a common ancestor

What is analogy?

similarities based on common function- not common descent

What is homoplasy?

seperate evolutionary development of similar characteristics in different groups of organisms

What are the orders of taxonomy from most to least specific?

species → genus → family → superfamily

what is cladistics?

a focus on descent and homology, differences are emphasised over similarities, focus on derived traits and ancestral vs derived characters

based on shared derived characteristics that arranges organisms only by their branching in the evolutionary tree

What class and order are we?

mammals, primates

What are the words for wet and dry nosed primates?

wet: strepsirhines

dry: Haplorhines

What is generalized about primate skeletal structure?

• grasping hands/ feet

• pentadactylism

• tendency towards upright posture

• flexible joints (shoulders)

What are the traits that give primates enhanced touch?

• tactile pads/ dermal ridges

• nails rather than claws

• opposable digits

What gives primates enhanced vision?

• forward facing eyes

• colour vision

• protected eye sockets- post orbital bar or fully enclosed orbits

What causes primates’ reduced smell and hearing?

• smaller olfactory region in the brain

• smaller, immobile ears (except strepsirrhines

What allows for primate’s dietary vesatility?

• fewer teeth

• generalized dentition

• eat most things

What are the 5 characteristics of primates?

• generalized skeletal structure

• enhanced touch

• enhanced vision

• reduced smell/ hearing

• dietary versatility

What are the “other” primal characteristics?

• petrosal bulla

• increased encephalization

• extreme K selection (few offspring)

• prolonged infant dependency, learning and socialization

• transfer of learned behaviours

• complex social groups

• complex communication

What is the single diagnostic feature of all primates:

Petrosal Bulla- a bony structure surrounding and protecting the inner ear, promoting balance and hearing

What is the arboreal hypothesis?

Primate condition (grasping hands, stereoscopic vision) developed to adapt to living in trees

objections: other orders have arboreal species that dont follow this, claws are better for climbing

What is the visual predation hypothesis?

primate condition is an adaptation to foraging for insects in terminal branches of trees

objections: other arboreal insect eating mammals have visual specialization, evidence of the primitive condition of an omnivorous diet, other needs of detection

What is the angiosperm co evolution hypothesis?

• primates co evolved with flowering plants- adaptive diversification to fill that niche- caused color vision

objections: angiosperms evolved millions of years before primates, earlier primates were not nectar specialists, early marsupials had grasping hands before the evolution of flowering plants

What is the grasping/ leaping hypothesis?

The primate ancestor was already arboreal, needed to rapidly jump using visual ability, herbivory evolved first, then grasping and leaping

What is the most likely hypothesis surrounding primate evolution?

• ancestors already arboreal

• grasping evolved in a 2 stage process

• ancestors lack features for leaping

• earliest primates dont have teeth for insects

Angiosperm Diversification hypothesis- they did evolve first but nothing filled that niche before primates

What is the snake- detection hypothesis?

Visual acuity evolved to detect and avoid constrictor snakes, reinforced by venemous snakes

What is the narrow niche hypothesis?

primate characteristics evolved from selection pressures from terminal branch feeding

What are the 2 suborders of the order primates?

Strepsorhini and Haplorhini

What is the suffix of a superfamily?

“oidea”

What is the suffix for families?

“idae”

What is the suffix for subfamilies?

“inae”

What are the modes of locomotion of primates?

• quadrupedal

• vertical climbing/ leaping

• brachiation (arm swinging)

• bipedalism (mainly humans use this habitually)

What infraorders is the strepsirrhine suborder split into?

Lemuriforms and lorisoformes

What are the main characteristics of strepsirrhines?

• old world monkeys

• large eyes

• nocturnal

• independently mobile ears

• inexpressive face

• wet nose (rhinarium)

• rely on scent marking

• unfused mandible

• 2.1.3.3 dental formula

• grooming claw

• multiple nppls, allowing for twins

What is the lorisoidea super family split into?

Galigidae ( galagos- bush babies)

lorisidae (lorises and pottos)

What are the traits of the lorisidae family?

• 4 genera

• slow climbers and walkers

• eat insects/ gum/ fruit

• nocturnal

• small ears

• africa= pottos asia= lorises

• solitary?

What are the slender/ robust lorisidae in africa and asia

Africa:

slender- arctocebus, robust- periodicticus

Asia:

slender- loris, robust- Nycotebus

What are the traits of the Loris and Nyctecebus?

asian lorisidae

park infants covered in toxic saliva

large eyes, small ears

What is significant about the Arctocebus and Periodicicus?

found in africa

Periodicicus= pottos- eyes filled with rage

Arctocebus= lorises

What are the traits of the galigidae family?

• 5 genera

• Vertical climbers/ leapers

• nocturnal

• eat insects, gum and fruit

• live in africa

• have large ears

• use urine for scent marking

What are the 5 families of the lemuroidea?

the cheirogaleidae, lepilemuridae, daubentoniidae, lemuridae, and Indriidae

What are the traits of the Cheirogaleidae?

• 5 genera

• quadrupedal running, walking and leaping

• nocturnal

• eat gums, fruits, insects, flowers

• smallest primates

• hibernate up to 9 months in drought

What are the traits of the lepilemuridae family?

• 1 genus

• Vertical climbers/ leapers

• strictly nocturnal

• mainly folivorous

• approx 500g

What are the characteristics of the daubentoniidae family?

• 1 genus, 1 species (Aye- Ayes)

• quadrupedal walkers/ leapers

• nocturnal

• eat fruits, seeds, insect larvae

• have lg mobile ears, large bushy tail, claw- like nails, elongated finger

• unique dental formula of 1013/1003

• weigh 2.5kg

• mostly solitary

fill the niche of woodpeckers in Madagascar

What are the traits of the lemuridae family?

• 5 genera

• quadrupedal climbing and walking

• diurnal and cathemeral

• frugivores, folivores, omnivores

• 700g-4.5 kg

• pair bonded, group living, fission- fusion groups

• more vocalizations than any non human

What does cathemeral mean?

being active in the day and night at irregular intervals

What are the traits of the Indriidae family?

• 3 genera

• VCL

• Diurnal/ nocturnal

• folivores

• female dominance→ females naturally selected to be larger

What are the traits of the tarsiidae?

• 1 genere

• intermediate morphology

• VCL, elongated tarsal bone

• nocturnal

• only true faunivore

• live in islands of SE asia

• weigh 50- 140g

What are the traits of platyrrhines?

• flat noses with sideways facing nostrils

• 2.1.3.3 dental formula (same as humans but 3 premolars

• grasping (prehensile) tail

• new world monkeys

What are the traits of the catarrhines?

• downward facing nostrils

• 2 premolars

• ischial callosities (butt pads)

• old world monkeys

What are the traits of the callitricidae?

Tamarins and marmosets

• 7 genera

• arboreal quadrupeds with claw- like nails

• no prehensile tails

• smallest monkeys (>650g)

• groups of 2-20, 1 reproductively active female

• can have twins

• eat gum, fruit, flower nectar, insects, fungus

• live in north and eastern south america

What are the characteristics of the cebidae?

squirrel and capuchin monkeys

• 3 genera

• arboreal quadrupeds

• fruits and insects

• highly social

• semi- prehensile tail

• 1.3.4.8 dental formula

• 0.6-12 kg

• intelligent, large brain:body size ratio

• live in central and south america

What are the characteristics of the siamiri?

• long legs help with jumping

• lg groups up to 75 individuals

What primate uses rocks to split open nuts?

capuchins

What are the traits of the Aotidae?

owl/ night monkeys

• 1 genus

• arboreal quadrupeds

• nocturnal

• no prehensile tail

• pair living, terrestrial

• communicate via vocalizations, scent marking

• range from panama to argentina

What are the traits of the Atelidae?

spider/ howler/ wooly monkeys

• 5 genera

• arboreal quadrupeds and brachiators

• folivores and frugivores

• prehensile tail

• Largest new world monkeys

• range from mexico to south america

What are prehensile tails?

tails that can hold the entire body weight

What is one of the loudest animals in the world?

Howler Monkeys- long calls used for spacings

What bone is larger in male howler monkeys?

the hyoid bone

What mode of locomotion do spider monkeys use?

brachiation

What is unique about the anatomy of spider monkeys?

long arms and legs, have a tubercle instead of a thumb

What do spider monkeys mainly eat?

fruit

What are the traits of the pithecidae?

Uakaris, Salais and Titi monkeys

• 4 genera

• tail signalling

• frugivorous, seed eaters

• specialized teeth for eating seeds- protruding large canines and incisors

• strange coloration

What are some unique traits of Uakaris?

• live in SAm swamp forests

• puncture fruit and eat the seeds

• daredevil jumpers

• short tails

What are the catarrhines comprised of?

apes, humans, old world monkeys

What are some anatomical traits of the colobines?

• closer eyes

• muti chambered stomachs

• longer tails and legs

• reduced thumbs

• sheering teeth

What are some anatomical traits of ceropithecines?

• wider eye separation

• cheek pouches containing enzymes to help digestion

What is unique about silver leaf monkey’s babies?

they are bright yellow

What are the traits of the cercopithecinae?

• 12 genera

• 1-40 kg

• frugivores, omnivores, herbivores

• extreme sexual dimorphism in some

• all in africa except macacs in asia

What are the two families under the hominoidea?

the hylobatidae and the hominidae