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Exam One
Exam one terms.
120
Anthropology
Undergraduate 1
09/28/2008

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Term
Physical (Biological) Anthropology
Definition
Studies the evolution of humans and their relatives (living and and past.)
Term
Linguistics
Definition
The study of how language is used and the relationship between speech and culture.
Term
Biocultural
Definition
A focus on the interrelationships between what humans inherit geneticaly and what they inherit culturally.
Term
Hypothesis
Definition
Possible explaination
Term
Paradigm
Definition
A set of preconcieved notions, practices, and assumptions about how the world works
Term
Taxonomy
Definition
A way of classification
Term
Catastrophism
Definition
The idea that changes in the earth's history were caused by catastrophes rather than gradual evolutionary processes.
Term
Uniformitarianism
Definition
The theory that processes that occurred in the geologic past are still at work today
Term
Allele
Definition
One or more alternative form of a gene
Term
Dominate allele
Definition
Expressed when present
Term
Phenotype
Definition
The physical characteristics of an organism
Term
Prokaryotes
Definition
Single-celled organsims
Term
Somatic cell
Definition
Body cell
Term
Genome
Definition
The complete set of chromosomes for an organism or species that represents all the inheritable traits.
Term
Complimentary base
Definition
The pairing of nitrogen bases in DNA and RNA
Term
Sex chromosome
Definition
The pair of chromosomes that determine the sex of an organsim (XX for females and XY for males.)
Term
Mitosis
Definition
Occurs in somatic cells and the new cells are diploid.
Term
Diploid
Definition
A cell that has a full complement of paired chromosomes.
Term
Recombination (Crossing over)
Definition
The exchange of genetic material between homologous chromosomes
Term
Regulatory Gene
Definition
The genes that determine what is turned on and off for protein synthesis.
Term
Regulatory Protein
Definition
Proteins involved in the expression of control genes.
Term
Transcription
Definition
The first step of protein synthesis involving the creation of mRNA based on the DNA template
Term
tRNA
Definition
Transport amino acids to the ribosomes during protein synthesis
Term
Hox Genes
Definition
Determine an organisms form and the arrangement of its tissues and organs.
Term
Homozygous
Definition
Alleles that are the same
Term
Monogenic
Definition
Controlled by one pair of genes.
Term
Pleiotrophy
Definition
One gene that affects more than one phenotypic trait
Term
Microevolution
Definition
Small scale evolution, such as changes in allele frequency, that occurs from one generation to the next
Term
Population
Definition
The number of organisms in an area
Term
Macroevolution
Definition
Large scale evolution that occurs after hundreds or thousands of generations
Term
Point Mutation
Definition
Replacements of a single nitrogen base wih another base, which may or may not affect the amino acid for which the triplet codes
Term
Monosomy
Definition
Refers to the conditions in which only one of a specific pair of chromosomes is present in a cell's nucleus
Term
Spontaneous Mutation
Definition
Random changes in DNA that occur during cell division
Term
Mutagen
Definition
Substances, such as toxins, chemicals, or radiation, that may induce genetic mutations
Term
Diretional Selection
Definition
Selection for one allele over other alleles causing he allele frequencies to shift in one direction
Term
Balancing selection
Definition
Selection for multiple alleles over other alleles
Term
Sexual Selection
Definition
The frequency of traits that change dueto those traits attractiveness to memebers of the opposite sex
Term
Genetic drift
Definition
The random change in allele frequency from one generation to the next, with greater effect in small populations
Term
Founder effect
Definition
The accumulation of random genetic changes in a small population that has become isolated from the parent population due to genetic input of only a few colonizers
Term
Systematics
Definition
The study and classification of living organisms to determine their evolutionary relationships with one another
Term
Morphological Species Concept
Definition
Organisms are classified in the same species if they appear identical by morphological criteria
Term
Anagenesis
Definition
The progressive evolution of a species
Term
Sympatric Speciation
Definition
The formation of two or more descendant species from a single ancestral species all occupying the same geographic location
Term
Adaptive Radiation
Definition
The diversification of an ancestral group of organisms into new forms that are adaptes to specific environmental niches
Term
Punctuated equilibrium
Definition
A hypothesis that the evolution of a species proceeds in a characteristic pattern of relative stability for long periods of time
Term
Homology
Definition
Similarity based on common descent
Term
Derived trait
Definition
A trait that has changed from the ancestrial condition
Term
Omnivorous
Definition
Varied diet
Term
Folivore
Definition
Diet of leaves
Term
Quadrupedal
Definition
Walks using all four limbs
Term
Archaeology
Definition
Re-creates past cultures and studies cultural changes throughout time
Term
Cultural Anthropology
Definition
Studies modern culture diversity (culture as a learned behavior.)
Term
Empirical
Definition
Verified through observation and experiment
Term
theory
Definition
A set of verified hypothesis that explain related phenomena
Term
Great Chain of Being
Definition
Hierarchy -> Starts with God and works its way down
Term
Binomial nomenclature
Definition
A system of catagorization in which each species is given a unique name that consists of a generic and specific term.
Term
Gene
Definition
The basic unit of inheritance, a sequence of DNA on a chromosome, coded to producea specific protein
Term
Adaptation
Definition
Changes in physical structure, function, or behavior that allow an organism or species to survive and reproduce in a given enviorment
Term
Genotype
Definition
The genetic makeup of an organsim, the combination of alleles for a given gene
Term
Recessive allele
Definition
Present only if the dominate allele isn't
Term
chromosome
Definition
The strand of DNA found in the nucleus of eukaryotes that contains hundreds or thousands of genes
Term
gamete
Definition
Sexual reporductive cell (ova or sperm) that have a haploid number of chromosomes and that can unite with a gamete of the opposite sex to form a new organism
Term
nucleotide
Definition
The building block of DNA and RNA, comprised of sugar, a phosphate group, and one of four nitrogen bases.
Term
Autosome
Definition
All chromosomes, except the sex chromosomes, that occur in pairs in all somatic cells
Term
Karyotype
Definition
The characteristics of the chromosomes for an individual organsim or species, such as number, size, and type
Term
Meiosis
Definition
The production of gamates through one DNA replication and two cell divisions, creating four haploid gametic cells
Term
Haploid
Definition
A cell that has a single set of unpaired chromosomes, half of the genetic material
Term
Translocation
Definition
Rearrangements of chromosomes due to the insertion of genetic material from one chromosome to another
Term
Structural gene
Definition
Genes coded to produce particular products, such as an enzyme or hormone, rather than for regulatory proteins
Term
Structural Protein
Definition
Proteins that form an organsim's physical attributes
Term
Translation
Definition
The second step of protein synthesis, involving the transfer of amino acids by tRNA to the ribosomes, which are then added to the protein chain.
Term
mRNA
Definition
The molecules that are responsible for making a chemical copy of a gene needed for a specific protein, that is, for the transcription phase of protein synthesis
Term
Polymorphism
Definition
Refers to the presence of two or more separate phenotypes for a certain gene in the population
Term
Heterozygous
Definition
Refers to the condition in which a pair of alleles at a single locus on a homologous chromosome are different
Term
Polygenic
Definition
Refers to one phenotypic trait that is affeted by tow or more genes
Term
Coding DNA
Definition
Sequences of a gene's DNA that are coded to produce a specific protein and are transcribed and trnaslated during protein synthesis.
Term
Gene pool
Definition
All the genetic information in the breeding population
Term
Mutation
Definition
A random change in a gene or chromosome, creating a new trait that may be advantageous, deleterious, or neutral in its effects on the organsim
Term
Frameshift mutation
Definition
The change in a gene due to the insertion or deletion of one or more nitrogen bases, which cause the subsequent triplets to be rearranged and the condons to be read incorrectly during translation
Term
Trisomy
Definition
Refers to the condition in which an additional chromosmoe exists with the homologous pair.
Term
Induced mutation
Definition
Refers to those mutations in the DNA resulting from exposure to toxic chemicals or to radiation
Term
Fitness
Definition
Average number of offspring produced by parents with a particular genotype comapred to the number of offspring produced parents with another genotype
Term
Normalizing Selection
Definition
The removal of alleles that produce divergence from the average phenotype in a population by selecting against deviant individuals
Term
Disruptive selection
Definition
Selection for both extremes of the phenotypic distribution
Term
Gene flow
Definition
Admixture or the exchange of alleles between two populations
Term
Natural Selection
Definition
The process by which some organisms, with features that enable them to adapt to the environment, preferentially survive and reproduce, therby increasing the frequency of those features in the population
Term
Hybridization
Definition
To fuse two cells of different genotypes into a hybrid cell
Term
Biological species concept
Definition
Species are groups of interbreeding natural populations that are reproductively isolated from other such groups
Term
Semi-species
Definition
Two organisms on their way to being different species, that can interbreed and produce hybrids.
Term
Cladogenesis
Definition
Evolutionary change by the branching off of new species from common ancestral types
Term
Allopatric speciation
Definition
Geographic seperation
Term
Gradualism
Definition
A theory that species evolve slowly and continuously over long periods of geological time
Term
Homoplasy
Definition
Correspondence in form or structure, owing to a similar environment.
Term
Primitive trait
Definition
An original trait
Term
Aboreal
Definition
Most of time spent in the trees
Term
Frugivore
Definition
Diet of fruit
Term
Insecivore
Definition
Diet of insects
Term
Terrestrial
Definition
Most of time spent on the ground
Term
Vertical clinging/leaping
Definition
Swinging from branch to branch
Term
Rhinarium
Definition
The naked surface around the nostrils, typically wet in mammals
Term
Anthropoid
Definition
Belonging to the primate suborder Anthropoidea, characterized by a relatively flat face, dry nose, small immobile ears, and forward-facing eyes, comprising humans, apes, Old World monkeys, and New World monkeys
Term
Catarrhine
Definition
Belonging to the group Catarrhini, comprising humans, anthropoid apes, and Old World monkeys, having the nostrils close together and opening downward and a nonprehensile, often greatly reduced or vestigial tail.
Term
Suspensory adaptation
Definition
Adaptations (especially in the shoulders and arms) to help move through the trees.
Term
Brachiation
Definition
Arm swinging
Term
Pongidae (Great Apes)
Definition
Orangutans, Gorillas, Chimpanzees, and Bonobos
Term
Bunodont
Definition
Having molar teeth with crowns in the form of rounded or conical cusps
Term
Infanticide
Definition
The killing of a nursing infant
Term
Kin Selection
Definition
Altruism for kins
Term
Home range
Definition
The area exploited by primate groups within their lifetime
Term
Prosimian
Definition
Belonging to the primate suborder Prosimii, characterized by nocturnal habits, a long face with a moist snout, prominent whiskers, large mobile ears, and large, slightly sideways-facing eyes, comprising the lemur, loris, potto, bush baby, and aye-aye
Term
Tooth comb
Definition
Anterior teeth that have been tilted forward, creating a scraper
Term
Dental formula
Definition
The numerical description of a species' teeth, listing the number, in one quadrant of the jaws, of incisors, canines, premolars, nd molars.
Term
Platyrrhine
Definition
Having a broad, flat-bridged nose
Term
Sexual dimorphism
Definition
A difference in a physical attribue between the males and females of a species
Term
Hylobatidae (lessor apes)
Definition
Gibbons
Term
Hominidae
Definition
Humans
Term
"Y-5" morphology
Definition
Hominoids' patern of lower molar cusps. Five "points" and a ridge that looks like a "y"
Term
Altruism
Definition
Act to benefit others
Term
Reciprocal altruism
Definition
"Return the favor"
Term
Culture
Definition
Behavior transmitted repeatedly thorugh social learning
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