nbb 201 - exam 1

explanations for behavior

proximate, ultimate, phylogenetic, developmental

ultimate

"why did this behavior evolve/what is its function"

phylogenetic

"what is the evolutionary history of this behavior"

developmental

"how did she develop the ability"

function of brains

allow organisms to actively seek out resources important for survival and reproduction and avoid hazards

5 steps of how brains work

sense environment, integrate sensory information from different modalities, decide on a course of action, formulate a motor plan, enact a motor plan

evolution

change in the gene pool of a population over time

gene pool

all genes within the interbreeding population

genotype

the genetic composition (sequence of DNA base pairs) underlying a trait

phenotype

the observable trait

darwinian fitness

proportion of an individual's genes passed on to the next generation

peppered moths example of evolution

white in rural area, but dark in polluted environments; but when the industrial revolution happened, the frequency of dark moths increases and the frequency of light decreases

three types of natural selection

directional, stabilizing, disruptive

proponents of natural selection

darwin and wallace

for natural selection to occur

there must be variation, variation must be heritable, variation must influence differential survival and reproductive success

directional selection

selection favors one phenotype, change in mean value of a trait in the population

stabilizing selection

selection is favoring the intermediate phenotype, no change in the mean value of a trait in the population

disruptive selection

selection is favoring extreme phenotype, loss of intermediate phenotype

mechanisms of evolution

natural selection, genetic drift

genetic drift

a change in the gene pool of a population due to chance

bottleneck effect

northern elephant seals; the individuals that survived are the ones who comprise the genetic makeup of next generation

founder effect

afrikaner people; a few individuals from the population start a new population with a different allele frequency than the other population

mechanisms for variation

mutation, recombination, gene flow

mutation

a permanent change in the DNA sequence that makes up the gene

recombination

genetic reshuffling during mitosis produces offspring with a combination of traits that differs from either parent

gene flow

transfer of genetic variation from one population to another; migration between gene pools

artificial selection

an evolutionary process in which humans consciously select for or against particular features in organisms

microevolution

evolutionary change within a species over a short period of time

macroevolution

evolution of a new species or higher taxonomic groups

different types of species

biological and ecological

biological species

a set of organisms that can breed and produce fertile offspring; reproductively isolated from other such groups (chimps + gorillas)

ecological species

a set of organisms adapted to a particular set of resources/niche in the environment

speciation

when a population divides into 2+ species

allopatric speciation

physical barrier isolates population preventing mating and gene flow

parapatric speciation

partial geographic isolation often occurs when dispersed over large areas or different adjacent niches/ecosystem

sympatric speciation

no physical barrier, but mutation, behavior changes, seasonal reproduction

facts about evolution

- individuals don't evolve, populations do

- survival of the fitness enough to reproduce

- it's not always linear/complex

- we share a common ancestor with monkeys/apes

- it's always happening & results in progress

lamarck's theory

individuals can acquire traits during their lifetime and pass them onto their offspring; giraffe's neck

epigenetics

the study of environmental influences on gene expression that occur without a DNA change

primate classification

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Mammalia

Order: Primates

features primates share with other placental mammals

homeothermy, heterodonty, expansion of neocortex, placenta, mammary glands

distingushing features for primates

1. hands and feet

2. reliance on vision

3. large brains

4. lengthening of life history traits

features of the hands and feet

pentadactylism, elongation of fingers and toes, opposable thumbs/toes, nails instead of claws

pentadactylism

5 digits on hands and feet for grasping mobility

exception to pentadactylism

spider monkeys

purpose of elongated fingers and toes

enhanced mobility

purpose of opposable thumb and big toe

precision grip allows for handling and holding on to small objects

exception to elongated fingers and toes

humans

exception to opposable big toe

humans; it makes it hard to stand upright

purpose of nails instead of claws

protective barrier backing to fingertips that allow for sensitive skin exposure for grasping and feeling objects

exception to nails instead of claws

aye-aye; they are completely arboreal

stereoscopic vision

forward facing eyes that allow for accurate depth perception

hypothesis for stereoscopic vision

arboreal and visual predation

arboreal hypothesis

living in the trees; the depth perception becomes importance; we have forward facing eyes to manage life in the trees

visual predation hypothesis

because we are visual predators, prey species tend to have eyes to the side (panoramic visual fields), we are predators

color vision

we are trichromatic, whereas most mammals are dichromatic

postorbital bar/closure

full enclosure of the eye socket

reduction in olfaction

less prognathic face (snout reduction), reduced olfactory brain regions

facets of increased reliance on vision

steroscopic vision, color vision, postorbital bar/closure, reduction in olfaction

what does it mean to have a large brain

larger neocortex for cognition and decision-making

lengthening of life history traits

later age at first reproduction, longer maximum lifespan, lower fertility

phylogeny

evolutionary history of a group of animals

suborders of primates

strepsirhine and haplorhine

characteristics of strepsirhine

long snouts, wet noses, divided upper lip, nocturnal (most), eyes reflect light because of tapetum, solitary (most), smaller body size, smaller relative brain size, faster life histories

superfamilies within strepshrine

lemuroidea and lorisoidea

traits of lemuroidea

madagascar, small bodied, nocturnal, solitary, reliant on scent, 100+ species

exception to lemuroidea traits

ring tailed lemur - unusually social, primarily diurnal, females dominate males

traits of lorisoidea

11 species, found in SE Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa, predominantly nocturnal, single offspring, slow moving, world's only venomous mammal

traits of tarsioidea

18 species, elongated tarsus (ankle bone), vertical clinging and leaping, insectivorous, found in philippines and indonesia

traits of tarsoidea that are strepsirrhine

nocturnal, small bodied, solitary

traits of tarsoidea that are haplorhine

lack tapetum, huge eyes, dry nose

characteristics of haplorhine

short snouts, dry noses, single upper lip, diurnal, eyes lack a tapetum, social, larger body size, larger relative brain size, slower life histories, monkeys/apes/tarsiers

subfamilies of haplorhine

platyrrhines and catarrhines

characteristics of platyrrhines

broad nose with outward facing nostrils, smaller body size, 3 premolars (2133), all are arboreal, some have a grasping prehensile tail, most have dichromatic

types of platyrrhines

callitrichidae, ceboidea, aotidae, pitheciidae, atelidae

traits of ceboidea

mostly arboreal, small to medium bodied, prehensile tail

examples of ceboidea

spider monkeys, saki, howlers, capuchin

characteristics of capuchins

prehensile tail, highly gregarious and intelligent, multimale and multifemale, biggest brain relative to body size of any nonhuman primate, cooperative, use tools, have odd social conventions

catarrhines

old world monkeys, apes, humans

platyyrhines

new world monkeys

characteristics of catarrhines

narrow nose with downward facing nostrils, larger body size, 2 premolars in each quadrant of mouth (2123), arboreal and terrestrial, no prehensile tail, 3 color vision

superfamily of catarrhines

cercopithecoidea, hominoidea

characteristics of cercopithecoidea

132 species, mostly terrestrial, omnivorous, strong linear dominance hierarchies, strict matrilines, cheek pouches, sexual coloration and swellings, large social groups

examples of cercopithecoids

geladas, mandrills, baboons

gelads

live in largest group of any nonhuman primates, grass eating primate, wide rank of vocalization, fission fusion, chest patch

families in hominoidea

hylobatidae and hominidae

characteristics of hylobatidae

20 species, found only in SE Asia, gibbons & siamangs, monogamous, lesser apes, brachiators

characteristics of hominidae

large brains and intelligence (tool use, culture, communication), solitary/large groups, highly social, all endangered or critically endangered

genuses in homindae

pongo, gorilla, pan, homo

genus pongo

- borneo and sumatran orangutauns

- most arboreal of great apes

- solitary

- dominant and submissive mating strategies

genus gorilla

- 4 subspecies

- largest great ape

- knuckle walking

- large sexual dimorphism

genus pan

- chimpanzees and bonobos

- closest living relatives (98.7% dna)

- highly cooperative and aggressive

- cognitively complex

chimpanzees

territory defense and border patrol; male dominated/allied; widespread tool use for multiple purposes; one of the first animals where we consider the word culture

bonobos

- south of the congo river

- less sexual dimoprphism

- female dominated/allied

- socio-sexual behaviors to reduce stress

- less tool use

humans as primates

forward facing eyes, reliance on vision, longer lived, larger brain, hands that reflect arboreal origins, nails and sensitive finger paths

humans as anthropoid primates/haplorhines

diurnal, stronger reliance on trichromatic color vision, living in stable mixed sex social units, larger brains, slower development

humans as great apes/hominoids

larger body size, slower development, longer lifespan, fission-fusion, larger brains, sleeping in self made shelters, theory of mind

distinguishing between cerocopithecoids and hominoids

cerecopithecoida - old world monkeys with tails, smaller, fixed shoulder joints, quadrupedal

apes - no tail, larger, flexible shoulder joints, brachiators

what is pan troglodytes

chimpanzee scientific name

what is pan paniscus

bonobo scientific name