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Chapter 5: The Primates
The Human Species: An Introduction to Biological Anthropology, John H. Relethford
41
Anthropology
Undergraduate 1
10/03/2012

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Term
Primates
Definition
The order of mammals that has a complex of characteristics related to an inital adaptation to life in the trees.
Term
Chordata
Definition
A vertebrate phylum consisting of organisms that possess a notochord at some period during their life.
Term
Notochord
Definition
A flexible internal rod that runs along the back of an animal.
Term
Vertebrata
Definition
A subphylum of the phylum Chordata, defined by the presence of an internal, segmented spinal column and bilateral symmetry.
Term
Bilateral Symmetry
Definition
Symmetry in which the right and left sides of the body are approximately mirror images.
Term
Placenta
Definition
An organ that develops inside a pregnant placental mammal that provides the fetus with oxygen and food and helps filter out harmful substances.
Term
Prenatal
Definition
The period of life from conception until birth.
Term
Postnatal
Definition
The period of life from birth until death.
Term
Homeotherm
Definition
An organism capable of maintaining a costant body temperature under most circumstances.
Term
Homodontic
Definition
All teeth are the same.
Term
Heterodontic
Definition
Having different types of teeth.
Term
Incisor
Definition
The chisel-shaped front teeth, used for cutting, slicing, and gnawing food.
Term
Canine
Definition
The teeth located in the front of the jaw behind the incisors, which are normally used by mammals for puncturing and defense.
Term
Premolar
Definition
One of the types of back teeth, used for crushing and grinding food.
Term
Molar
Definition
The teeth farthest back in the jaw, used for crushing and grinding food.
Term
Dental Formula
Definition
A short-hand method of describing the number of each type of tooth in one-half of the jaw in a mammal.
Term
Cerebrum
Definition
The area of the forebrain that consists of the outermost layer of brain cells, associated with memory, learning, and intelligence.
Term
Arboreal
Definition
Living in trees.
Term
Terrestrial
Definition
Living on the ground.
Term
Prehensile
Definition
Capable of grasping.
Term
Specialized Structure
Definition
A biological structure adapted to a narrow range of conditions and used in very specific ways.
Term
Generalized Structure
Definition
A biological structure adapted to a wide range of conditions and used in very general ways.
Term
Binocular Stereoscopic Vision
Definition
Overlapping fields of vision with both sides of the brain receiving messages from both eyes, thereby providing depth perception.
Term
Strepsirrhini (strepsirhines)
Definition
One of two suborders of primates.  Strepsirhines are primates that have a moist nose (lemurs and lorises).
Term
Haplorrhini (haplorhines)
Definition
One of two suborders of primates.  Haplorhines are primates without a moist nose (tarsiers, monkeys, apes, and humans).
Term
Post Orbital Bar
Definition
The bony ring that separates the eye orbits from the back of the skull in strepsirhines.
Term
Nocturnal
Definition
Active during the night.
Term
Diurnal
Definition
Active during the day.
Term
Loris
Definition
A nocturnal strepsirhine found today in Asia and Africa.
Term
Lemur
Definition
A strepsirhine found today on the island of Madagascar.
Term
Tarsier
Definition
A nocturnal haplorhine found today in Indonesia.
Term
Anthropoids
Definition
A group of haplorhine primates consisting of monkeys, apes, and humans.
Term
Platyrrhines
Definition
Anthropoids native to the New World that have broad and flat noses with nostrils on the side.  This group consists of New World monkeys.
Term
Catarrhines
Definition
Anthropoids native to the Old World that have narrow noses with downward-facing nostrils.  This group consists of Old World monkeys, apes, and humans.
Term
Quadrupedal
Definition
A form of movement in which all four limbs are of equal size and make contact with the ground, and the spine is roughly parallel to the ground.
Term
Hominoid
Definition
A superfamily of anthropoids consisting of apes and humans.
Term
Cusp
Definition
A raised area on the chewing surface of a tooth.
Term
Suspensory Climbing
Definition
The ability to raise the arms above the head and hang on to branches and to climb in this position.
Term
Hominid
Definition
A family (Hominidae) within the hominoids.
Term
Hominine
Definition
The subfamily of hominoids that includes humans, chimpanzees, and bonobos.
Term
Hominin
Definition
Humans and their ancestors since the time of divergence from the common ancestor of humans, chimpanzees, and bonobos.
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