Term
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Definition
| The scientific method- an apporach to research whereby a problem is identified, a hypotheses(or hypothetical explanation) is stated, and that hypothesis is tested through the collection and analysis of data. |
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Term
| What is Occam's Razor and how does it contribute to the scientific method? Who was Carl Linnaeus and how did he contribute to science? Who was Charles Darwin and how did he contribute to science? |
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Definition
-Occam’s Razor- the most simple explanation is the correct explanation
-Carl Linnaeus- classified humans with other animals, morphological similarity, hierarchical classification. genius->order->species.
-Darwin-observer of natural world. says: variation exists w/in every species of organism animal creed.
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Term
| What is Darwin's theory of natural selection? What are the ideas and scientists that allowed Darwin to develop his theory? |
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Definition
-3 requirements for natural selection: 1. variation exists in natural population 2. variation must be heritable 3. differential survival or reproductive success= evolutionary change between generations.
-Charles Lyell and Thomas Maithus influenced Darwin |
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Term
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Definition
| A gene is a primary unit of heredity, protein coding, the sequence of nucleotides determines the type of protein and phenotype. variants of genes are called allels the location of a gene in a genome is called locus. |
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Term
| What is the process of converting DNA to RNA to protein to phenotype? |
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Definition
| Transcription & Translation |
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Term
| What are Mendel's laws of inheritance? |
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Definition
Mendelian laws of inheritance are statements about the way certain characteristics are transmitted from one generation to another in an organism.
-Mendel inferred law of segregation, independent assortment, and genotype ratios.
-LAWS: the inheritance of 1st trait is independent of the inheritance of 2nd trait. 2 traits will always produce a 9;3;3;1 phenotype ratio.
that genetic material is passed from generation to generation in discrete units, that these units come in two forms called alleles, that each parent contributes one allele for each gene to the offspring, and that the units operate independently of each othe
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Term
| Are there exceptions to Mendal's law? |
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Definition
Continuous Variation: Mendel studied "either-or" traits (purple vs white), but many characters such as human height and skin color vary as a continuum in populations
Incomplete dominance / Codominance: (example: blood type) |
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Term
1.pleiotropy traits
2.polygenic traits |
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Definition
1.single gene may affect many different traits
2.many genes affect a single trait (like the eyes) |
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Term
| How did the Eugenics movement influence social policy? |
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Definition
| -the improvement of humanity pick specific breeds. this movement discouraged interracial marriages, sterilized feeblemindedness in 1930’s |
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Term
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Definition
| A population is the collection of inter-breeding organisms of a particular species; |
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Term
1. What is microevolution?
2.How can we measure microevolution in a population? |
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Definition
1.Microevolution- evolution resulting from small specific genetic changes that can lead to a new subspecies-
changes of allele frequencies from 1 population to the next. Allele frequencies relative proportion frequencies within populations
2. Heidi-Weinberg equation |
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Term
| What are the evolutionary forces acting on a population? Of these forces, which ones increase variation in a population? Which ones decrease variation in a population? |
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Definition
mutation variation (increase)
gene flow variation (increase)
genedrift- decrease variation
natural selection- decrease variation
non-random- decrease variation |
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Term
1.What is a species?
2. How can we use certain kinds of traits to form other groups of species? |
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Definition
1.taxonomic group whose members can interbreed isolated from other groups
2.homology-similarity present in shared ancestor
homoplasy-similarity that is not inherited from common ancestor.
autapomorphy- not present in ancestor nor other species
symplesiomoprhy-ancestral trait, found in descendent and ancestor
synapomorphy-shared desired trait (phylogeny) |
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Term
| How do humans relate to other organisms? |
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Definition
| We are closest to the chimp |
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Term
| How does homologous traits differ from homoplastic traits? |
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Definition
Homologous traits are structural similarities that are derived from two different species sharing a common ancestor. For example, a bat's wing, a human's hand, and a whale's fin, look structurally similar because all three organisms are mammals which shared a common evolutionary ancestor.Any features (DNA sequences, behavior, or anatomical features) shared by two or more species that descended from a common ancestor are said to be homologous.
Homoplastic traits - traits that are similar for some reason other than inheritance from a common ancestor.
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Term
| What is the molecular clock? |
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Definition
| is a technique in molecular evolution which uses fossil constraints and rates of molecular change to deduce the time in geologic history when two species or other taxa diverged. It is used to estimate the time of occurrence of events called speciation or radiation. The molecular data used for such calculations is usually nucleotide sequences for DNA or amino acid sequences for proteins. |
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Term
| How do we estimate the age of fossils? |
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Definition
| Relative Dating: ex stratigraphy and fluorine dating provides sequence only no estimates in actual # of years and Chronometric dating ex radio carbon gives estimates in actual # of years |
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Term
1.What is Ecology?
2.Behavioral Ecology? |
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Definition
1. Ecology- scientific study of the distributions, abundance and relations of organisms and their interactions with the environment pertaining to the relationships between organisms and all aspects of their environment (temp, predators, food,water, disease)
2. Behavioral Ecology- The study of the evolution of behavior, emphasizing the role of ecological factors as agents of natural selection. Behaviors and behavioral patterns have been favored because they increase the reproductive fitness of individuals in specific environmental contexts.
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Term
1. How can we use living primates today to learn about our ancestors?
2.What is sexual dimorphism? |
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Definition
1. testing the teeth of living primates
2.female or male physical characteristics, might determine it to be a completely different species used in archaeology. |
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Term
| What is a hominin, and what models have been proposed to account for the origins of hominins? |
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Definition
Hominin- all bipedal hominoids back to the divergence from African of great apes. The earliest evidence from dates to the end of Micocene and mainly includes dental and cranial pieces. Not only that, but hominin characteristics: bipedal locomotion, large brain size, and tool making behavior. 7 mya.
Sets us apart: Bipedalism: The most important • Teeth and jaws • Wrist and hand, especially fancy thumbs • Growth pattern • Brain size • Culture
hominoids: humans, the gibbons, and the great apes (orangutan, chimpanzee, and gorilla).Originated in Africa and radiated during Miocene (25-5 mya)
• Characteristics include brachiator anatomy, low, rounded molars; no tail; larger body and brain |
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Term
1.What is mosaic evolution?
2.What is a functional trait complex? |
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Definition
1.The pattern in which physiological and behavioral systems evolve at different rates. A pattern of evolution in which the rate of evolution in one function system varies from that in other systems.
locomotion, dental and neurological systems all developed at different rates in hominins.
2.Not all traits independent of one another, Saggital crest, zygomac arches, large molars all part of same trait complex, need to use independent traits (not part of the same complex) when making a phylogeny
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Term
| What characteristics define primates? |
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Definition
| Eyes are moved to front of head so better vision. we have a worse sense of sell, have simple teeth, opposable thumbs, 5 digits, have nails not claws, large brain and general body plan |
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Term
| What is mitochondrial DNA? What are the models for the peopling of the Americas? What kinds of data have been used to support these models? |
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Definition
| Mitochondrial DNA: inherited only from the mother. DNA found in mitochondria. The models for the peopling of the Americas has 3 genetic systems is mitochondrial genome, autosome, and Y chromosome. A,B,C,D, and X. The Last Glacial Maximum, Beringia, and OYKC was the founding lineage are examples |
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| What are the models that have been proposed to account for the origins and global spread of our species? What kinds of data can be used to assess these models? What are the implications of these models for understanding modern human diversity? What is the genetic structure of humans? How does this influence our understanding of the biological race concept? |
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Definition
There are 3 models for the origins and global spread for humans: 1) (COMPLETE REPLACEMENT) anatomically modern forms first evolved in Africa close to 200,000 ya and then migrating out of Africa, completely replaced premodern H.sapiens in the rest of the world. 2) (REGIONAL CONTINUITY MODEL) regional continuity in various geographical regions of the world, local groups of premodern H. sapiens evolved directly to anatomically modern humans. 3) (PARTIAL REPLACEMENT) partial replacement (combo of two) suggests African origin, but also accepts later hybridization outside of Africa.
Molecular evidence, dramatic new fossil finds in Ethiopia, and the early culture innovations seen archaeologically in S. Africa. Some interbreeding could have taken place.
*Genetic structure of humans: -mircrosatellite DNA and Alu sequences.
*we are interlinked somehow
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Term
| Stepsirhine, Platyrrhine, and Catarrhine? |
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Definition
Strepsirhine: most ancestorial characteristics w primates than others do, heavy reliance on sense of smell, rhinarium(wet pad on nose), longer snout, has dental comp, long projecting fense.
Platyrrhines: "NEW WORLD MONKEYS" only found in central and South America, earhole in skull, most are arborial and will hever come down, have prehensial tail
Catarrhine: tube shaped ear, includes "old-world monkeys and apes" large canines tube like auditory, quadrapedal. |
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Term
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Definition
Genes are to be found on Chromosomes.
And Chromosomes are singular pieces of DNA, which contain many genes, regulatory elements and other nucleotide sequences. |
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Term
| Homozygous vs. heterozygous |
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Definition
homo- has 2 copies of the same allele (no variation)
hetero- has 2 different alleles (more likely for variation) |
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Term
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Definition
The sugar in DNA is deoxyribose. The sugar in RNA is ribose
RNA molecules can have a much greater variety
of nucleic acid bases. DNA has mostly just 4 different bases with a few
extra occasionally. |
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Term
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Definition
| A set of genetic material splits, so offspring gets 1 copy from mother and 1 from father when they come back together |
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