Bio Anthro Exam 2 FRQs

Why do we study non-human primates?

Find common ancestry and the common divide. Find what makes us special. L - CH: 5

What characteristics do all mammals have in common?

We all nurse with milk from parents and we all have hair or fur. L - CH: 5

How long have primates been on the Earth?

91 MYA (Million Years Ago) N - CH 5

What does it mean that primitive traits and derived traits are relative terms?

First, the terms primitive and derived are relative terms. This means that depending on what taxa are being compared, a trait can be either one. For example, in the previous section, body hair was used as an example for a primitive trait among primates. All mammals have body hair because we share a distant ancestor who had this trait. L - CH: 5

Distinguish between generalized traits and specialized traits

Generalized traits are those characteristics that are useful for a wide range of things. Having opposable thumbs that go in a different direction than the rest of your fingers is a very useful, generalized trait.

Specialized traits are those that have been modified for a specific purpose. These traits may not have a wide range of uses, but they will be very efficient at their job. L - CH: 5

Describe the role of the postorbital bar.

Needed in order to protect the sides of the eyes from the muscles we use for chewing; bony ring around the outside the eye

What is the relationship between vision and sense of smell in primates?

Energy tradeoff, better vision, less smell. L - CH: 5

Describe primate's hands and feet. What do their hands and feet enable them to do?

Opposable thumbs, arboreal. Climb trees and grabbing branches. L - CH: 5

Describe the life history of Primates.

Slow life history. N - CH: 5

How are the social lives of primates different from other animals?

Primates are very social animals, and all primates, even those that search for food alone, have strong social networks with others of their species. Indeed, social networks in primates have been shown to be crucial in times of stress and to enhance reproductive success. Attributes to our slow life history. H - CH: 5

Where do primates tend to live?

Tropics. N - CH: 5

Name the types of teeth primates have along with their functions.

We have incisors, which we use for slicing; we have premolars and molars, which we use for grinding up our food; and we have canines, which most primates (not humans) use as weapons against predators and each other. H - CH: 5

What is a dental formula and how is it useful?

The dental formula tells you how many incisors, canines, premolars, and molars are in each quadrant of the mouth; reveal helpful clues about the diet of a given primate

What can teeth tell us about diet?

Teeth also tell us directly about an organism's diet. Primates are known to eat a wide range of plant parts, insects, gums, and, rarely, meat. While all primates eat a variety of foods, what differs among primates are the proportions of each of these food items in the diet. That is, two primates living in the same forest may be eating the same foods but in vastly different proportions, and so we would categorize them as different dietary types. H - CH: 5

What physical characteristics do insectivores have?

Insects can be difficult to find and catch but are not typically difficult to chew. As a result, insectivorous primates usually have small molars with pointed cusps that allow them to puncture the exoskeleton of the insects (Figure 5.6b). Once the outer shells of the insects are punctured, insects are not difficult to digest, so insectivores have simple stomachs and colons and a long small intestine. Nutritionally, insects provide a lot of protein and fat but are not plentiful enough in the environment to support large-bodied animals, so insectivores are usually the smallest of the primates. H - CH: 5

Describe the ways vertical clinger leapers, quadrupeds, and primates who use brachiation move.

TBD

Describe some of the major differences between strepsirrhini and haplorrhine.

The Haplorrhini differ from the Strepsirrhini in aspects of ecology and behavior as well. Haplorrhines are generally larger than strepsirrhines, and so we see many more species that are folivorous and frugivorous, and fewer that are insectivorous. This dietary difference is reflected in the teeth of haplorrhines, which are broader with more surface area for chewing. H - CH: 5

What groups can haplorrhini be divided into?

Catarrini, Platyrrhini, TarsiiformesW

Where do Gorillas live and what do they eat?

Africa, Folivores. L - CH: 5

What are important physical characteristics of Gorillas?

When on the ground, gorillas use a form of quadrupedalism called knuckle-walking, where the fingers are curled under and the weight is carried on the knuckles. Male gorillas have a large sagittal crest and larger canines compared with females. L - CH: 5

Why are bonobos and chimpanzees separated?

These species are separated by the Congo River, with chimpanzees ranging across West and Central Africa and bonobos located in a restricted area south of the Congo River. Chimpanzees and bonobos both have broad, largely frugivorous diets and similar social groups. H - CH: 5

If you were at a zoo, how could you tell the difference between a bonobo and a chimpanzee?

The two species differ morphologically in that bonobos are slightly smaller, have their hair parted down the middle of their foreheads, and are born with dark faces (Figure 5.44). In contrast, chimpanzees do not have the distinctive parted hair and are born with light faces which darken as they mature (Figure 5.45). H - CH: 5

The e-book tells us there is a relationship between body size and diet. What do you suppose the diets of larger primates will consist of? What do you suppose the diets of smaller primates will consist of?

However, an adult male gorilla, who may weigh up to 200 kilograms, cannot possibly consume enough insects to meet its caloric needs. And it does not need to. Because of their large body size, gorillas have a much lower metabolic rate than tarsiers, so they can consume low-quality food, like leaves, and take their time digesting it, so long as they get enough (Figure 6.6b). AKA smaller in the trees and bigger on the floor. H - CH: 6

What is the difference between food abundance and food distribution?

While food abundance determines interactions between groups, food distribution determines the interactions between individuals within a group. L - CH: 6

Describe the three types of food distribution.

CANNOT FIND

Describe some of the basic social structures common in primates.

CANNOT FIND

Why do primates live in groups?

individual members coordinate their activities, communicate with one another, and interact in both affiliative (friendly) and agonistic (aggressive or submissive) ways. N - CH: 6

Which species are likely to exhibit sexual dimorphism

Orangutans - males 2x the size of females w/ large canines, cheek phalanges, throat sacs

Gorillas - larger than females, silverbacks

How do the "sweet potato" situations provide evidence of cultural transmission?

"A juvenile female named Imo spontaneously washed a muddy sweet potato in a stream. This new food-processing technique first spread among other juveniles and then gradually to older individuals. Within 30 years, it had spread across generations" - L - CH: 6

Why was there such resistance to the idea that animals and people may have evolved over time?

Cannot find in book, hopefully obvious. People felt better than apes and that they believed they were from god. CH: 7

Explain how the theory of uniformitarianism and the theory of catastrophism are different.

uniformitarianism, the doctrine that Earth's geologic formations are the work of slow geologic forces. Uniformitarianism was a theory that clashed with the church's doctrine of catastrophism, the belief that Earth's formation was due to a set of relatively quick biblical catastrophic events. H - CH: 7

Why is the study of fossils important in anthropology?

Through the study of fossils, anthropologists are able to learn a great deal about the history of Earth. EX: Pangea. CH: 7

What is the basic idea behind stratigraphy?

Stratigraphy is based on the Law of Superposition first proposed by Nicholas Steno in 1669 and further explored by James Hutton (the previously mentioned "Father" of Deep Time). Essentially, superposition tells us that things on the bottom are older than things on the top. CH: 7

How does cultural dating work? What needs to be known in order to effectively use cultural dating?

This relative dating technique is used to identify the chronological relationships between human-made artifacts. Cultural dating is based on artifact types and styles (Hester et al. 1997, 338). For instance, a pocket knife by itself is difficult to date. However, if the same pocket knife is discovered surrounded by cassette tapes and VHS tapes, it is logical to assume that the artifact came from the 1980s or 1990s like the cassette and VHS tapes. CH - 7

How was fluorine dating used to determine that "Piltdown Man" was a forgery?

the test determined that the jaw and cranium had different fluorine signatures. Thus, these bones could not have come from the same individual. - CH: 7

What are some of the factors that lead to primate diversity and evolution?

CANNOT FIND

What two main theories are there about why humans are bipedal?

The postural feeding hypothesis (reaching for food/balancing) provides an explanation for the partial bipedalism of the earliest hominins. The savannah-based theory describes how the largely bipedal hominins that started to settle on the ground became increasingly bipedal. GOOGLE RESULT \-- CANT FIND IN BOOK

What evidence supports the first theory?

CANNOT FIND

Describe how changing environment (from forest to savannah) may have created selective pressure for bipedalism.

ALSO CANNOT FIND

Describe the selective pressures for bipedalism.

It uses less energy than walking on all floors. CLASS

When females live in groups, what mating systems tend to develop?

Polygyny, if a single male can monopolize a group of females, or polygamy, if this is not possible