ANTH 1000 Exam 2 Study Guide

A series of flashcards to aid in studying key vocabulary and concepts from the ANTH 1000 lectures, covering primate taxonomy, hominin evolution, food production, kinship, and marriage.

Homology

The existence of shared ancestry between a pair of structures, or genes, in different taxa.

Analogy

Similarity between organisms due to convergent evolution, not shared ancestry.

Convergent Evolution

The independent evolution of similar traits in different lineages.

Bipedalism

The ability to walk on two legs, significant in human evolution.

Gracile Australopiths

A group of early hominins characterized by lighter build and smaller teeth.

Robust Australopiths

A group of early hominins noted for their robust cranial and dental features.

Oldowan Tools

The oldest known stone tools, associated with early hominins.

Punctuated Equilibrium

The theory that species evolution is marked by isolated episodes of rapid speciation between long periods of little or no change.

Kinship

The web of social relationships that forms an important part of the lives of most humans in most societies.

Patrilineal Descent

A system of lineage in which descent is traced through the father.

Matrilineal Descent

A system of lineage in which descent is traced through the mother.

Affinal Kin

Relatives by marriage.

Consanguineal Kin

Relatives by blood.

Bridewealth

A payment made by the groom or his family to the bride’s family, often in the context of marriage.

Exogamy

The practice of marrying outside one's social group.

Endogamy

The practice of marrying within a specific social group.