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Final
Review
96
Anthropology
Undergraduate 1
12/14/2008

Additional Anthropology Flashcards

 


 

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Term
physical (biological) anthropology
Definition
the study of variation among humans and their (both living and deceased) relatives
Term
linguistics
Definition
the study of language and its relationship to culture
Term
hypothesis
Definition
testable statements that potentially explain specific phenomena observed in the natural world
Term
paradigm
Definition
a set of preconceived notions, ideas, or beliefs that determine what is worth exploring
Term
catastrophism
Definition
the doctrine asserting that cataclysmic events (such as volcanoes, earthquakes, and floods) rather than evolutionary processes, are responsible for geologic changes throughout Earth's history
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 forms of a gene
Term
phenotype
Definition
the physical expression of a trait
Term
mitosis
Definition
the process of cellular division that creates two identical diploid daughter cells
Term
diploid
Definition
a cell that has a full complement of paired chromosomes
Term
homozygous
Definition
refers to the condition in which a pair of alleles at a single lcus on a homologous chromosome are the same
Term
microevolution
Definition
small-scale evolution, such as changes in allele frequency, that occurs from one generation the the next
Term
population
Definition
number of species in an area
Term
macroevolution
Definition
large-scale evolution, such as a speciation event, that occurs after hundreds or thousands of generations
Term
directional selection
Definition
selection for one allele over the other alleles, causing the allele frequencies to shift in one direction
Term
balancing selection
Definition
occurs when natural selection maintains stable frequencies of two or more phenotypes forms in a population
Term
sexual selection
Definition
the frequency of traits hat change due to those traits' attractiveness to members 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 the genetic input of only a few colonizers
Term
derived trait
Definition
a modified trait from the primitive trait
Term
omnivorous
Definition
varied diet
Term
folivore
Definition
leaf eater
Term
quadrupedal
Definition
walking on all four limbs
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
resembling a human
Term
Catarrhine
Definition
Old World monkeys, gibbons, great apes, and humans. characterized by nostrils that are close together and directed downward
Term
suspensory adaptation
Definition
long arms and flexible shoulders to aid in brachiation
Term
brachiation
Definition
swinging form branch to branch
Term
Pongidae
Definition
Great Apes
Term
bunodont
Definition
rounded cusps
Term
cline
Definition
a gradual change in some phenotypic characteristics from one population to the next
Term
postnatal growth stage
Definition
the second stage of life, beginning with birth, terminating with the shift to the adult sage, and involving substantial increases in height, weight, and brain growth and development
Term
adolescence
Definition
the period of time following puberty before adulthood
Term
senescene
Definition
refers to an organism's biological changes in later adulthood
Term
Bergmanns' Rule
Definition
the principle that an animal's size is heat-related; smaller bodies are adapted to hot environments and larger bodies are adapted to cold environments
Term
"Thrifty Genotype"
Definition
an attempt to explain why certain diseases are more prominent in some races than others
Term
micronutrients
Definition
essential substances, such as minerals or viamins, needed in very small amounts to maintain normal body functioning
Term
sedentarism
Definition
the act of being sedentary
Term
Neolithic Revolution
Definition
first agriculture revolution
Term
carrying capacity
Definition
how much a individual can carry
Term
pellagra
Definition
a deficiency disease caused by a lack of nicotinic acid or is precursor trptophan in the diet (often linked to over dependence on corn as a staple food)
Term
hypoxia
Definition
a condition in which an organism is not able to breathe in adequate amounts of oxygen, leading to low levels of oxygen in the blood, shortness of breath, and, in extreme situations, death
Term
Hox genes
Definition
genes that turn on other genes
Term
diaphysis
Definition
the main midsection, or shaft, portions of long bones; each contains a medullary cavity
Term
inbreeding depression
Definition
A decrease in the performance of inbreds, most noticeably in traits such as fertility and survivability.
Term
costly signaling
Definition
used by males to attracted females
Term
evolutionary ecology
Definition
lies at the intersection of ecology and evolutionary biology
Term
sociobiology
Definition
the study of the biological aspects of social behavior in animals and humans
Term
evolutionary psychology
Definition
proposes that human and primate cognition and behavior can be better understood in light of human evolution
Term
tolerated theft
Definition
model that tries to explain food acquisition and sharing as a form of self-interest
Term
osteoporosis
Definition
deterioration of the bone from lack of calcium
Term
epiphysis
Definition
the end portions of long bones; once they fuse to the diaphyses, the bones stop growing longer
Term
menarche
Definition
refers to he onset of menstruation in an adolescent female
Term
beriberi
Definition
a disease causing inflammation of the nerves and heart failure, cause by a deficiency of vitamin B
Term
Fertile Crescent
Definition
a crescent-shaped area of fertile land in he Middle East that was the center of the Neolithic developement of agriculture
Term
artificial selection
Definition
human intervention to determine what traits are passed on
Term
domesication
Definition
the process of converting wild animals or wilds plants into forms that humans can care for and cultivate
Term
macronutrients
Definition
essential chemical nutrients, including fat, carbohydrates, and protein, that a body needs o live and unction normally
Term
Paleolithic Diet
Definition
a diet regiment created to mimic our ancestors diet
Term
Allan's Rule
Definition
states that individuals in colder climates have shorter limbs
Term
melanin
Definition
a brown pigment that determines the darkness or lightness of a humans skin color due to its concentration in the skin
Term
life history
Definition
the details of an organism's existence from conception through senescence and death
Term
adult growth stage
Definition
the third stage of live, involving the reproductive ears and senescence
Term
prenatal growth stage
Definition
the first stage in life, beginning with the zygote in utero, terminating with birth, and involving multiple mitotic events and differentiation of the body into he appropriate segments and regions
Term
"Y-5" morphology
Definition
tooth morphology
Term
hominidae
Definition
hominid (human)
Term
Hylobatidea
Definition
lesser apes
Term
sexual dimorphism
Definition
substantial, physical differences between males and females in a group
Term
Platyrrhine
Definition
New World monkeys, marmosets, and tamarians distinguished by nostrils that are far apart and directed forward or sideways, and typically have a prehensile tale
Term
dental formula
Definition
pattern of teeth; 2.1.2.3 in humans
Term
tooth comb
Definition
front teeth pushed together, used as a grooming tool
Term
prosimian
Definition
lemurs, lorises, bush babies, and tarsiers
Term
terrestrial
Definition
living on the ground
Term
insectivore
Definition
diet of insects
Term
frugivore
Definition
fruit diet
Term
aboreal
Definition
living in the trees
Term
primitive trait
Definition
a trait original to our ancestors
Term
natural selection
Definition
the process by which some organisms, with features that enable them to adapt to the environment, preferentially survive and reproduce, thereby increasing the frequency of those features in the population
Term
gene flow
Definition
admixture, or the exchange of alleles between two populations
Term
disruptive selection
Definition
selection for both extremes of a phenotype
Term
normalizing selection
Definition
selection against the extremes of the phenotypic distribution, decreasing the ganetic diversity for this trait in the 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 organism
Term
gene pool
Definition
all the genetic information in a breeding population
Term
fitness
Definition
an individuals ability to reproduce
Term
heterozygous
Definition
refers to the condition in which a pair of alleles at a single locus on a homologous chromosomes are different
Term
haploid
Definition
a cell that has a single set of unpaired chromosomes, half of the genetic material
Term
meiosis
Definition
the production of gametes through one DNA replication and two cells (and nuclear) divisions, creating four haploid gametic cells
Term
chromosome
Definition
hold DNA
Term
genotype
Definition
the genetic makeup of an organism; the combination of alleles for a given gene
Term
adaptation
Definition
changes in physical structure, function, or behavior hat allow an organism or species to survive and reproduce in a given environment
Term
gene
Definition
the basic unit of inheritance; a sequences of DNA on a chromosome, coded to produce a specific protein
Term
Great Chain of Being
Definition
theory that everything has an order, going from lowest to highest, ending with God at the top
Term
theory
Definition
a set of hypothesis that have been rigorously tested and validated, leading to their establishment as a generally accepted explanation of specific phenomena
Term
cultural anthropology
Definition
studies past cultures
Term
archaeology
Definition
studies material remains
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