Anth

Charles Darwin

English natural scientist who formulated a theory of evolution by natural selection

Galapagos Islands

Chain of islands near South America where Darwin developed his theory of natural selection by studying the unique life there.

The Beagle

Darwin's ship

Evolution

The gradual change in a species over time to adapt to their environment.

special creation

belief that God called the universe and all that is in it into existence out of nothing

argument from design

All of nature is designed in accord with a predetermined, benevolent, and supernatural plan.

watch analogy

Darwin's finches

Several species of finch's evolved to have different beak shapes to occupy a specific niche on the Galapagos islands.

ecological niche

A specific role of a species within an ecosystem, including its use of resources, and relationships with other species.

Jean-Baptiste Lamarck

This man developed the first cohesive theory of evolution after his studies of biology; inheritance of acquired characteristics.

inheritance of acquired characteristics

Lamarckian belief that characteristics acquired during the lifetime of an organism can be passed on to offspring

Thomas Malthus

1798 said human population can outgrow food supply; result will be war, famine, disease.

struggle for existence

competition for food, space, and other resources among members of a species

Charles Lyell

effectively discredited the long-standing view that the earth's surface had been formed by short-lived cataclysms, such as biblical floods and earthquakes-his principle: uniformitarianism: same geological processes that are at work today slowly formed the earth's surface over an immensely long time

Uniformitarianism

Charles Lyell's idea that geologic processes have not changed throughout Earth's history.

artificial selection

selective breeding of plants and animals to promote the occurrence of desirable traits in offspring

Alfred Russel Wallace

British naturalist who developed a hypothesis of natural selection similar to Darwin's

blending inheritance

Early concept of heredity proposing that offspring possess a mixture of the traits from both parents

Gregor Mendel

father of modern genetics

particulate inheritance

The observation that genes from two parents do not blend together to form a new physical entity in offspring, but instead remain separate or particle-like.

DNA

A complex molecule containing the genetic information that makes up the chromosomes.

Chromosome

A threadlike, gene-carrying structure found in the nucleus. Each chromosome consists of one very long DNA molecule and associated proteins.

Gene

sequence of DNA that codes for a protein and thus determines a trait

modern synthesis

A comprehensive theory of evolution that incorporates genetics and includes most of Darwin's ideas, focusing on populations as the fundamental units of evolution.

Forces of Evolution

mutation, gene flow, genetic drift, natural selection

Homo sapiens

modern humans

cline

A graded change in a trait along a geographic axis.

continuous variation

range of small differences in a shared trait

Human Variation

The study of the physical differences and similarities of existing human populations

tooth size

-Size of teeth is less important for mastication when food is softened by cooking

-Mutations that lead to reduced dental size are not selected against

-These mutations accumulate in the gene pool of the species, and teeth reduce in size.

-Two critiques of theory: (1) mutations should lead to both decrease and increase in dental size; (2) why are 3rd molars preferentially reduced in size.

Hemoglobin S

sickle cell hemoglobin

sickle cell anemia

a genetic disorder that causes abnormal hemoglobin, resulting in some red blood cells assuming an abnormal sickle shape

Culture

Beliefs, customs, and traditions of a specific group of people.

deme

a local population of organisms that have similar genes, interbreed, and produce offspring

Population

group of individuals of the same species that live in the same area

Intra-variation

Inter-variation

probable mutation effect

Actual cessation of selection for a character would in time lead to its complete disappearance

adaptive advantage

The greater likelihood that an organism will survive, due to characteristics that allow it to be more successful than other organisms

Evolution of dark skin

Regions with high UV, damages folate, causes birth defects

Evolution of light skin

Regions with low UV, too much pigment blocks good UV needed to produce vitamin D

UV radiation effects

1. Suppress skin's immune system

2. Induce melanocyte cell division & free radical production

3. Damage melanocyte DNA

Melanin

a dark brown to black pigment occurring in the hair, skin, and iris of the eye in people and animals. It is responsible for tanning of skin exposed to sunlight. protects skin from UV rays

Melanocytes

cells that produce melanin

Pheomelanin

Melanin that provides natural hair colors from red and ginger to yellow/blond tones.

Eumelanin

Produces brown to black pigments in the hair

Folate

Vitamin B9, Darker skin produces more folate and increases reproduction

neuro tube defects

a severe condition affecting formation of nerves and spinal cord; can be present in infants born to mothers with low folate levels

spina bifida

a congenital defect that occurs during early pregnancy when the spinal canal fails to close completely around the spinal cord to protect it

Vitamin D Synthesis (Skin)

UV radiation activates a molecule in the skin that is a precursor to vitamin D. The activated molecule is modified by enzymes in the liver and kidneys to produce vitamin D.

Calcium absorption

requires vitamin D

Endogamy

the practice of marrying within one's own group

Exogamy

marriage to someone outside one's social group

Bergman's Rule (1847)

Body size tends to be greater in cold than in warm climates.

-The smaller of two bodies similar in shape has more surface area per unit of weight.

Allen's Rule

mammals living in the cold have shorter faces and limbs than mammals living in warmer areas

epicanthic fold

A fold of skin of the upper eyelid that only partly covers the eye's inner corner

Race in Antiquity

No universal hierarchy of races in the ancient world

Biblical Theology

the study of the teaching of the individual authors and sections of the Bible and of the place of each teaching in the historical development of the Bible

Curse of Ham

Because Ham was the father of black people, and because he and his descendants were cursed to be slaves because of his sin against Noah, some Christians said, "Africans and their descendants are destined to be servants, and should accept their status as slaves in fulfillment of biblical prophecy."

Moses

(Old Testament) the Hebrew prophet who led the Israelites from Egypt across the Red sea on a journey known as the Exodus

Hippocrates

"Founder of Medicine" During the Golden Age in Greece he was a scientist that believed all diseases came from natural causes. He also had high ideals for physicians & an oath was made that is still used today.

Aristotle

A Greek Philosopher, taught Alexander the Great, started a famous school, studied with Plato

The great chain of being.

Virtuvius

Medieval Jewish persecution

Persecuted Jews because they wanted them to be identified as inferior population, they accused them of witchcraft and said that they suffered from blood diseases.

Coversos

New Christians

Peasant Perspective

Simple ideals, self sufficient. Percieve differences were gradual not categorical

Proto-Racism

Ethnic and cultural prejudice that is small cale and personal. Can be forgiven

Age of Exploration

Time period during the 15th and 16th centuries when Europeans searched for new sources of wealth and for easier trade routes to China and India. Resulted in the discovery of North and South America by the Europeans.

Protestant Reformation

A religious movement of the 16th century that began as an attempt to reform the Roman Catholic Church and resulted in the creation of Protestant churches.

Enlightenment

A movement in the 18th century that advocated the use of reason in the reappraisal of accepted ideas and social institutions.

Classification

New observations had to be put into categories for comparative purposes

Taxonomy

The scientific study of how living things are classified

Carl Linnaeus (1707-1778)

developed a hierarchical classification scheme of nested groups. He formalized binomial nomenclature.

Systema Naturae

written by Carolus Linnaeus (Carl Linne); grouped plants and animals based on their morphology

Species vs. Varieties

Species is a reflection of primordial forms and varieties are clusters within species who acquired variations.

psychic unity

A concept popular among some 19th century anthropologists who assumed that all people, when operating under similar circumstances, will think and behave in similar ways

Dispositions are:

internal factors, such as beliefs, values, personality traits, and abilities, that guide a person's behavior

Compte de Buffon (1707-1788)

Histoire Naturelle (1749)

Animals that migrate to new climates often change in response to new environments

One of the first to suggest that the external environment is an important agent of biological change

Variation observed in organisms today may reflect environmental influences

Johann Blumenbach

one of the first to explore the study of mankind as an aspect of natural history, whose teachings in comparative anatomy were applied to classification of what he called human races, of which he determined five. caucasian, mongolian (yellow), malayan (brown), negroid (black), american (red) did this based on the shapes of crania he collected these were static (did not change overtime)

Ethnocentrism

belief in the superiority of one's own ethnic group

Herbert Spencer

English philosopher and sociologist who applied the theory of natural selection to human societies (1820-1903)

Social Darwinism

The application of ideas about evolution and "survival of the fittest" to human societies - particularly as a justification for society to believe that Europeans are superior to other races because they claim to have characteristics that are better than other races

Phrenology

The study of the conformation of the skull based on the belief that it is indicative of mental faculties and character.

Anthropometry

the scientific study of the measurements and proportions of the human body.

Racial types

Scientists invented the concept of race to organize the world's physical diversity:

-Caucasoid

-Negroid

-Mongoloid

Race Science

Scientific racism is the use of scientific, findings and method to investigate differences among the human races to support racist world-views, usually based upon belief in the existence and significance of racial categories — typically with a hierarchy of superior and inferior races.

biological

explore the links between brain and mind