Biological Anthropology Review Flashcards

Flashcards about biological anthropology, hominin evolution, and genetics.

Which hominin representatives are found at the Plio-Pleistocene boundary?

Homo and Paranthropus

What is the evolutionary relationship between gracile australopithecines and robust australopithecines?

Evolučně starší než robustní australopitéci (Evolutionarily older than robust australopithecines)

When do we date the origin of the genus Homo?

2.5-2 million years

Which term best describes the process by which human genetic variability changes and adapts?

Adaptation

How quickly does acclimatization occur in humans?

In the order of hours

Cirkadiánní změny ve výšce meziobratlové ploténky se odvozují od? (Circadian changes in the height of the intervertebral disc are derived from?)

Acclimation to mechanical stress

What causes the fluctuation of a person's height during the day?

Compression of the individual discus intervertebralis

What does biological plasticity refer to in humans?

The ability of an organism to physiologically respond to a changing environment

What aspect of adaptation does the height vs. bi-pelvic width (pelvic width) ratio relate to?

Adaptation to climate

What are Subsaharan human groups characterized by?

Narrow, linear body and long limbs

Where are people with narrow and long bodies found?

Sub-Saharan Africa (related to more efficient heat dissipation per unit mass)

Which developmental period is unique to humans compared to primates?

Post-reproductive period in women

Compared to gorillas and chimpanzees, is the menarche in humans delayed or accelerated?

Delayed

How is the timing of the eruption of the first molar in humans different from apes?

Retarded

Compared to the reproductive organs, is brain development in humans accelerated or slowed down?

Slowed down

Do humans have a relatively longer development of the brain or the birth interval period?

Of the brain than the birth interval period

What mechanism controls the birth weight of a newborn?

Selection in the range of optimum 3.6-3.8 kg

The Amish are an example of what genetic effect?

Founder effect

What is an example of the founder effect?

Syndrome EVC (Ellis–Van Creveld) in Amish

Is genetic drift important in human populations?

It is important in human populations because it affects more small populations.

What effect does the presence of gene flow have on a human population?

Will increase the variability of a given population

What effect does inbreeding have on a human population?

Will reduce the variability of a given population

What affect does inbreeding have?

Reduces variability in the population

What effect does gene flow have on variability between populations?

Reduces variability between populations

What does genetic drift ensure in humans?

Genetic transmission of human variability can have a stochastic component

How is polytypism defined in humans?

Morphological difference within a reproductive unit

What is polytypism in humans?

Morphological difference in the reproductive unit

What is the relationship between polymorphism and polytypism in human populations?

Polymorphism > polytypism

What is true for natural selection?

A normalizing selection removes individuals with extreme values of the trait from the population

Which statement about speciation is incorrect?

In the course of sympatric speciation, there is no spatial separation of the parental population, although it takes place in one geographical area.

The idea of race as an immutable and static unit of human groups was refuted by what finding?

Polymorphism greater than polytypism

The notion of race as an 'immutable and static' unit of human grouping was challenged because:

“Racial mothers” are within the races

For the concept of race to be valid, what must be true?

Characters must match within the racial unit (character concordance)

For the concept of race to be valid, what properties must the traits possess?

Racial traits are non-adaptive

What does forensic anthropology study?

Studies human remains associated with a criminal act

What is the definition of biological anthropology?

Study of the biological nature of humans in the context of human evolution and variability

What is auxology; the study of?

Science of human growth and development

What does the 'four fields' of anthropology refer to?

Division of anthropology into biological, cultural (social), linguistic and archaeology

Which of the following do we consider to be retrospective fields of anthropology?

Taphonomy

What is taphonomy in anthropology concerned with?

None of the answers are correct

To what does the fossil find OH 24 belong?

Homo habilis

What species does the fossil find Lucy (AL-288-1) belong to?

Au. afarensis

Which of the answer options represents a robust form of Australopithecus?

A. aethiopicus (= Paranthropus aethiopicus)

From where are findings of the fossil human known as Homo antecessor known?

Spain

What is behind the term Sinanthropus?

Old name for the discoveries of fossil man in China

Where does the first find of australopithecus (A. africanus) come from?

None of the answers are correct (Taung, South Africa)

Where are Australopithecines in East Afrika found?

In sites of open terrain

Locations in South Africa?

Sterkfontein (in Cradle of Humankind)

What ensures the growth of a long bone in adulthood?

Periosteum

The intersexual difference in adult body height arises from the different growth dynamics of boys and girls during which period?

Pubertal

What is biological plasticity?

The ability to physiologically adapt to external conditions

What is the most important sense of primates?

Sight

What did the Piltdown find have?

Skull similar to modern humans and lower jaw of an ape

What was the significance of Piltdown?

Forgery

According to morphological ('external') features, is chimpanzee closest to gorillas or orangutans?

Gorillas

Symphysis are morphologically (outwardly) most similar to?

Gorilla

What is Linnaeus' classification of life?

Medieval concept (chain of being) Scala Naturae

What applies to the numerical dating of fossils?

Dating with an absolute numerical value

What does comparison of isotope 14C enable?

Dates fossil finds with an absolute method

How do we interpret the reduction in canine size in hominins?

As a reduction in competition between males for females

Human populations are not primarily adapted to?

Low air humidity

Is human height monogamously inherited?

None of the answers are correct

What did Boas' research on immigrant children (see Boas, 1912) prove?

The height of the children differed from their parents

Does high socioeconomic status (SES) correlate to birth weight or sexual dimorphism?

None of the answers is correct

How do monogenists (18th century) explain the origin of different groups of humans?

Evolution from a limited number of common ancestors (LCA)

What is cladogenesis?

Branching of the lineage of sister taxa

What are the mechanisms that limit the loss of body heat?

Cold-induced vasoconstriction

Ligament imbalance:

Is a random association of alleles of two loci.

Check the correct statement:

Variable expressivity allows a greater range of phenotypic manifestations for a mutation.

The Law of Purity of Slides and Segregation:

Says that the conditional drafts are…

Choose the correct statement:

Technological factors that could influence the evolution of mankind include assisted reproduction and gene therapy.

The first hominization complex refers to the set of these anatomical-morphological changes

Elongation of the lower limbs, stretching and widening of the pelvis, the emergence of …. spinal curvature

Findings of robust Australopithecus come from::

From southern and eastern Africa

Blood groups (0AB) cannot be used for classification into races because:

Are non-adapting

Clinical Variability of Characters Means:

Geographic distribution of characters shows gradient characteristics

By what mechanism does bone adapt to an individual's behavior in their life

Ontogenetic Plasticity

What does the term offensive adaptation mean

Adaptation by changing behavior (behavioral adaptation)