anthro exam

Anthropology

The study of what it means to be human, past and present, exploring the full range of human experience across time, place, and culture.

Cultural anthropology

The subfield that studies living human societies and cultures—including beliefs, practices, and social organization—often through ethnographic fieldwork.

Archaeology

The subfield that studies past human societies through material remains such as artifacts, structures, and sites to reconstruct behavior and history.

Biological anthropology

The subfield that studies humans as biological organisms, focusing on evolution, genetics, primatology, and the fossil record.

Linguistic anthropology

The subfield that studies language, including its structure, use, and role in shaping social life and culture.

Cultural relativism

Evaluating a culture based on its own values and standards rather than judging it by the standards of another culture.

Ethnocentrism

Judging other cultures based on the standards and values of one's own culture.

Ethnography

An intensive research method used to identify and illustrate cultural patterns by gathering data through systematic interpretation to describe the world from an insider's perspective.

Emic view

The insider's perspective of a culture's world and social practices.

Participant observation

A research method where a researcher immerses themselves directly in a social setting to observe behaviors, interactions, and practices firsthand.

Archaeological survey

The systematic mapping of a region to identify sites and features indicating past human activity.

Archaeological survey

Systematic mapping of a study region and identifying archaeological sites and their features: sign of past human activity that loses its form when moved (e.g.,building)

Excavation

The systematic, scientific process of uncovering and recording a site and its artifacts based on the principles of stratigraphy.

Stratigraphy

The sequence of soil layers (strata) used to establish relative age in archaeological contexts.

Provenience

The precise placement and spatial association of archaeological materials within the archaeological record.

Relative dating

A method that determines the age of an artifact or stratum by comparing it to another based on stratigraphy.

Absolute dating

A method that determines age in exact calendar or numerical years, such as through radiometric decay.

Biological evolution

A change in a population's genetic makeup over time.

Mutation

A permanent change in the DNA base-pair sequence that creates a new allele, serving as the ultimate source of all genetic variation.

Natural selection

Differential reproductive success of individuals based on advantageous traits suited to their environment.

Gene flow

The exchange of genetic material between populations through interbreeding, which maintains species cohesion.

Genetic drift

Random, chance-driven changes in allele frequencies within a population over time.

Chromosome

A structure inside the cell nucleus that carries and organizes genes.

Gene

A specific sequence of DNA bases.

Homologous genes

Genes that serve the same purpose or function across organisms or chromosomes.

Alleles

Variant forms of a gene that code for different expressions of a trait.

Heredity

The passing of genetic traits from parents to offspring.

Genotype

An organism's underlying genetic makeup.

Phenotype

The physical expression of alleles as observable traits or characteristics.

Evolutionary adaptation

A trait favored by natural selection because it improves fitness in a specific environment.

Founder effect

A change in gene frequency occurring when a small group splits off from a larger population, carrying only a subset of genetic variation.

Genetic bottleneck

A sharp reduction in population size that dramatically alters gene frequencies and restricts genetic variation.

Primate general characteristics

Anatomical and behavioral traits including arboreal adaptation, nails, stereoscopic vision, postorbital bar, opposable big toe, high parental investment, and relatively large brains.

Strepsirrhines

The primate group consisting of lemurs, lorises, and galagos, noted for a strong reliance on olfaction.

Haplorhines

The diurnal primate division encompassing tarsiers, New World monkeys, Old World monkeys, apes, and humans.

New World monkeys

Primate group characterized by arboreal lifestyles and prehensile tails.

Old World monkeys

Primate group characterized by having two premolars per quadrant and pronounced sexual dimorphism.

Miocene epoch

The epoch marked by the adaptive radiation of early apes.

Pliocene epoch

The epoch during which fully bipedal hominins and the genus Homo evolved.

Pleistocene epoch

The epoch marked by the beginning of stone tool use and the adaptive radiation of the genus Homo.

Hominin

A classification comprising modern humans and their extinct bipedal relatives.

Bipedal anatomical skeletal traits

Skeletal features including a centered foramen magnum, S-curved spine, wide bowl-shaped pelvis, lockable knees, and non-opposable big toe.

Ardipithecus ramidus

A small-bodied ground-dwelling hominin ($5.8\text{--}4.4$\,mya) with thin tooth enamel and ape-like skull traits suggesting close ancestral ties to chimpanzees.

Australopithecus afarensis

The hominin species of "Lucy" ($3.9\text{--}3.3$\,mya), exhibiting bipedal adaptations such as arched feet alongside apelike long arms and short legs.

footprints

A site in Tanzania featuring fossilized hominin footprints that provide physical evidence of early bipedal locomotion. Australopithecus afarensis

Australopithecus africanus

The hominin species represented by the Taung Child fossil, which demonstrates ocular socket puncture marks from eagle predation.

Paranthropus

A genus of robust australopithecines possessing sagittal crests adapted for chewing a tough, plant-based diet.

Homo habilis

An early Homo species associated with Oldowan stone tools made via the percussion method.

Oldowan tool tradition

The earliest known stone tool industry, produced by striking one stone against another to create sharp flakes.

Homo erectus

The first hominin species to radiate out of Africa, known for utilizing Acheulean handaxes.

Neanderthals

Cold-adapted hominins of Europe and Asia possessing bulky builds, occipital buns, and Mousterian spear tools.

Homo sapiens

Modern humans characterized by high foreheads, rounded skulls, forward-projecting chins, large brain capacity, and global dispersal out of Africa.

Foramen Magnum

An opening in the skull where the spinal cord passes, indicating bipedalism in hominins or non bipedal depending where.

Mousterian Tool Tradition

A cultural tradition associated with Neanderthals, featuring a distinctive style of stone tools used for hunting and processing animals.