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Human Evolution Exam1
Covers classification, primates, primate locomotion diet and behavior, geology and dating, climate and plate tectonics, molecular evolution, early primate evolution, miocene evolution
183
Anthropology
Undergraduate 1
02/23/2013

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Term
Taxon
Definition
any named group in Linnaean classification (genus, species, family), defined by their anatomical similarities, grouped in hierarchy
Term
Taxa
Definition
Plural of taxon
Term
Taxonomy (=classification, systematics):
Definition
Shows overall similarity
Term
Phylogeny
Definition
Evolutionary relationships
Term
Hennig
Definition
believed classification should reflect phylogeny and names matter, cladistics
Term
Cladistics
Definition
Hennig) reconstruct evolutionary relationships, identify monophyletic groups and clades (clade: monophyletic group including the common ancestor, which might not be known)
Term
Monophyletic group
Definition
a group of species descended from a common ancestor, they are more closely related to each other than to species outside the group
Term
Primitive trait
Definition
evolved long ago, now found among groups only distinctly related
Term
Derived trait
Definition
evolved more recently, reflect closer evolutionary relationships
Term
Primitive retentions
Definition
some characters retained from distant ancestor, not useful for establishing more recent evolutionary relationships
Term
Convergence (=convergent or parallel evolution)
Definition
similar traits can evolve in distantly related species, reflect adaptations to similar conditions, not evolutionary relationships
Term
Shared derived traits
Definition
used to define monophyletic groups, clades
Term
Primate traits
Definition
large body size, long life span… long interbirth interval (K selective), altrical young (helpless at birth), upright posture, large brain, short muzzle, increased reliance on vision, no tail, mobile digits, opposable thumb, no claws (flat nails), sensory pads on fingers, less reliance on sense of smell, stereoscopic vision for depth perception while leaping and grabbing, color vision for telling ripe and unripe fruit apart, boney protection around eye,
Term
Prosimian (=Strepsirrhine, “lower primates”) traits
Definition
small, some nocturnal, many primitive characeristics, nails not claws, stereoscopic vision, orbit is ring of bone (primitive), has more smaller teeth in jaw (primitive)
Term
Catarrhine (=Old World monkeys) traits
Definition
completely enclosed orbit, more monkey looking muzzle shape, increased visual cortex, arboreal, quadropedal
Term
Arboreal origins hypothesis
Definition
early primates were forest dwelling (arboreal) so the features of modern primates reflect adaptation of early primates to forested habitat
Term
Insectivory origins hypothesis
Definition
Stereoscopic vision, grasping hands and feet are also good for hunting insects (early primates were insectivores)
Term
Heterodont
Definition
having more than one type of tooth
Term
Dental formula
Definition
incisors, canines, premolars, molars
Term
Forest canopy
Definition
widely spaced trees
Term
Quadrupedalism
Definition
walking on all fours
Term
Suspensory locomotion
Definition
hanging on branches
Term
Brachiation
Definition
swinging from tree to tree using arms
Term
Jarman-Bell principle
Definition
food quality vs body size
Term
Food quality and body size
Definition
Large body size, large amount of low quality food.. Small body size, small amount of high quality food
Term
Dental formula
Definition
Incisors (biting), canines (food prep and defense), premolars and molars (food processing)
Term
Bunodont
Definition
low crowned, fruit eating, omnivory
Term
Hypsodont
Definition
high crowned, grass or leaf eating
Term
Frugivary
Definition
fruit eaters, big incisors, bunodant molars, thick enamel, short gut
Term
Folivory
Definition
leaf eaters, small incisors, sharp, high crowned molars and premolars, long gut
Term
Carnivory
Definition
meat eaters, small incisors, large canines, slicing molars and premolars, short gut
Term
Omnivory
Definition
generalists, large incisors, bunodont molars, canine variable, medium-length gut
Term
Anthropoid (=higher primate) traits
Definition
generally larger body size
• larger brain (in absolute terms as well as relative to body weight)
• more rounded skull
• complete rotation of eyes to front of face with full binocular vision
• bony plate at back of eye orbit
• no rhinarium (less reliance on smell)
• increased parental care
• increased gestation and maturation periods
• more mutual grooming
Term
Platyrrhine (=New World monkeys) traits
Definition
monkey-like anatomy;
quadrapedial locomotion;
exclusively arboreal,
some species have prehensile (grasping) tails, a unique arborial specialization;
2:1:3:3 dental formula, indicating retention of primitive primate dentition also found in prosimians.
Term
Primate dominance
Definition
established early, sometimes females are dominant, females have separate hierarchy, rank can affect reproductive success, mother’s status can affect juvenile
Term
Primate grooming
Definition
dominancy hierarchies, grooming diffuses group tension, reinforces social bonds
Term
Primate social learning
Definition
mother-infant bond, mother must be properly socialized, learning is essential
Term
Reproductive strategies
Definition
permanent bonding uncommon, female estrus cycle signaled, temporary consortships
Term
Infanticide
Definition
single male groups, dominate male replaces, new male kills some/all infants, not wasting time/energy defending infants that aren’t his
Term
Self-awareness
Definition
identify oneself as an individual, in humans not developed at birth, most animals don’t have this, some apes have this
Term
Alloparenting
Definition
8 females may hold infant on day 1, bond with others for greater evolutionary advantage
Term
Primate tool use
Definition
prepares for the future, attention to shape and size raw material, preconceived idea of finished product, complex behavior
Term
Primate communication
Definition
only humans speak, natural communication system (call system)
Term
Aggression
Definition
game of odds
Term
Volcanic rocks
Definition
derived from molten crust, important because they are dateable
Term
Sedimentary rocks
Definition
composed of particles of other rocks, important because they contain fossils and artifacts
Term
Marine sedimentary rocks
Definition
sedimentary rocks found in the ocean
Term
Lacustrine
Definition
sedimentary rocks found in a lake
Term
Eolian (=Aeolian) sedimentary rocks
Definition
wind
Term
High vs low energy environments and sedimentary rocks
Definition
fine to coarse goes from low to high energy, lower energy is better for the study of fossils (preserve more info, less likely to be broken or moved far from where the animal lived and died)
Term
Relative dating
Definition
order of events
Term
"Absolute" (chronometric) dating
Definition
finding exact age in years, amount of elapsed time
Term
Steno's law of superposition
Definition
oldest layers or strata are at the bottom and youngest are at the top
Term
stratigraphy
Definition
study of rock layers
Term
Lithostratigraphic correlation
Definition
study of layers and relating them to certain areas
Term
Biostratigraphic correlation
Definition
work out local sequences and fossils they contain, figure out order of fossils through time, compose master sequence, fit any new sites into master sequence
Term
Taphonomy
Definition
study of decaying organisms over time and how they become fossilized
Term
Potassium/Argon dating
Definition
Used on volcanic rocks, clock set at time of eruption, Works on rocks older than 200 ka
Term
Argon/Argon dating
Definition
Refinement of K/Ar, Works on volcanic rocks of any age
Term
Radiocarbon dating
Definition
Used on organic materials
Clock is set when animal dies
Dates things younger than 40 ka
Term
Paleomagnetism
Definition
study of the record of the Earth's magnetic field in rocks
Term
Paleomagnetic dating
Definition
This record provides information on the past behavior of Earth's magnetic field and the past location of tectonic plates. The record ofgeomagnetic reversals preserved in volcanic and sedimentary rock sequences (magnetostratigraphy) provides a time-scale that is used as a geochronologic tool
Term
Milankovitch
Definition
theory describes the collective effects of changes in the Earth's movements upon its climate
Astronomical forcing of global climate
Changes in shape and orientation of earth's orbit --> differences in distance and angle between earth and sun-->
changes amount of solar radiation reaching earth--> changes in global climate
Term
Angle of tilt of orbit
Definition
22.5-24.5 degrees, changes through time
Term
Eccentricity of orbit
Definition
Shape of Earth’s Elliptical Orbit Changes Through Time
Term
"Wobble"
Definition
rotation of rotational axis
Term
"Drift"
Definition
rotation of orbital axis
Term
Solar radiation
Definition
Ultraviolet radiation (UVR) has provided an evolutionary challenge to life on Earth in that it is both an agent of mutation and as well as a selective force
Term
Ice volume
Definition
Air and Sea temperatures, ice volumes, sea level affect changing insolation
Geologic features, isotopic content of fossil organisms, and fossils of plants/animals help us
detect the effects of past climate change
Term
Oxygen isotopes and sea temperature
Definition
-ice preferentially takes up 16O (light isoptope)
-in cold periods, sea water high in 18O (heavy)
-tissues of marine animals have same isotopic composition as
surrounding water
Term
Wegener
Definition
theory of continental drift
Term
Continental drift
Definition
evidence supporting it: “fit” of continents, plants and animals match, rocks match, ice movement matches, climates were different positions do not match
Term
Plate tectonics
Definition
is a scientific theory that describes the large-scale motions of Earth's lithosphere
Term
Magnetic anomalies
Definition
sea floor spreading, earth’s magnetic poles reverse at irregular intervals, position of poles recorded in iron-rich rocks, reversals have been dates by K/Ar
Term
Sea floor spreading
Definition
is a process that occurs at mid-ocean ridges, where new oceanic crust is formed through volcanic activity and then gradually moves away from the ridge. Seafloor spreading helps explain continental drift in the theory of plate tectonics
Term
Paleomagnetism
Definition
study of the record of the earth’s magnetic field in rocks
Term
Gondwanaland
Definition
the name given to the more southerly of two supercontinents which were part of the Pangaea supercontinent
Term
Faunal exchange
Definition
when all the animals chose islands when the continents spread
Term
African Rift Valley
Definition
an active continental rift zone that appears to be a developing divergent tectonic plate boundary in East Africa
Term
Rift
Definition
a linear zone where the Earth's crust and lithosphere are being pulled apart
Term
Afar Triple Junction
Definition
three tectonic rifts centered in the Afar Depression, informally known as the Afar Triangle, of northeastern Africa
Term
Watson and Crick
Definition
discovered double helix DNA
Term
DNA
Definition
molecule encoding the genetic instructions used in the development and functioning of all known living organisms
Term
Base Pair
Definition
are the building blocks of the DNA double helix, and contribute to the folded structure
Term
Double Helix
Definition
refers to the structure formed by double-stranded molecules of nucleic acids such as DNA
Term
DNA hybridization
Definition
overall differences, shows branching sequence (order of divergence, clodogenesis) (overall genetic similarity)
• Extract DNA from human and chimp
• Snip fragments of DNA from human and chimp, heat up and determine melting temperature (DNA strands unzip, hydrogen bonds are letting go from heat)
• Put strands of human and chimp DNA in petri dish, cool off and allow hybrid strands to form (1/2 human and half chimp)
• Heat up hybrid strand and determine melting temperature, hybrid strand not a perfect match so melting temp is lower (fewer hydrogen bonds to break)
• Difference in melting temperatures = difference in DNA (number of base pairs that are different) (2.4 degree difference = 2.87% difference, so human and chimps share ~97% of their DNA)
Term
DNA sequencing
Definition
precise order of nucleotides in DNA
Term
Genetic Code
Definition
coding portion of genome
Term
Condon
Definition
3 base pairs, instructs for production of one amino acid
Term
Chromosome mutation
Definition
affects whole stretches of DNA, usually has negative consequences
Term
Point mutation
Definition
change in single base pair or codon
Term
Silent mutation
Definition
change in genotype, no change in phenotype
Term
Kimura
Definition
“neutral mutation effect” many mutations are silent, neutral: no apparent effect on organism
Term
Neutral mutation effect
Definition
many mutations are silent, neutral: no apparent effect on organism
Term
Genome
Definition
total DNA in an organism
Term
Redundancy of code
Definition
64 possible base pairs (4x4x4) but only 20 amino acids, different base pairs can code for same amino acid (AAT, AAC, GAA, GAG, GAT, GAC all code for amino acid leucine)
Term
"Molecular clock"
Definition
number of genetic differences can show how recently two species shared a common ancestor, molecular differences between pairs of species are proportional to the time or their separation… Individual mutations are random, but total genome is large
Rate of mutation is uniform, genome acts like a clock… how long it takes is when fossils come into play
Term
K/T boundary
Definition
mammals survived and proliferated, extinction of dinosaurs
Term
Paleocene
Definition
Origin of primates, adaptive radiation of mammals
Term
Eocene
Definition
Strepsirhines/Prosiminans (Adapis and “Ida”), marked by the emergence of the first modern mammals
Term
Oligocene
Definition
origin haplorhines and catarrhines (“Old World” monkeys)
Term
Miocene
Definition
origin Hominins, hominoids
Term
FADs and LADs
Definition
first appearance data and last appearance data
Term
Origin of primate
Definition
Paleocene period
Term
Prosimian traits
Definition
Eocene period, More Primitive; Similar to the earliest primate ancestors.
Greater reliance on the sense of smell
Elongated snout
Small body size.
Often lacking some typical primate characteristics.
Lack color vision; Lack bony cups around eyes; Claws instead of nails on some digits.
Usual mode of locomotion is vertical clinging and leaping (VCL).
Sometimes nocturnal.
Often solitary.
Possess a tooth comb.
early primates, large brain cases, slightly reduced snouts, forward position of eye orbits but not completely walled in
Term
Adapis traits
Definition
Eocene period, small orbits (eye sockets), elongate rostra, cheek teeth adapted for folivorous orfrugivorous diets, and relatively large body mass
Term
Fayum
Definition
Term
Aegytopithecus and anthropoid traits
Definition
sagittal crest, canines larger in males, completely enclosed orbit, more monkey looking muzzle shape, increased visual cortex, arboreal, quadropedal
Term
Sexual dimorphism
Definition
different sexual behavior and morphology between males and females
Term
Sagittal crest
Definition
crest of bone that runs down the middle of skull from front to back (area of muscle attachment) happens in males
Term
Land bridge
Definition
wider land connection between otherwise separate areas, over which animals and plants are able to cross and colonise new lands
Term
Faunal exchange
Definition
land and freshwater fauna (animals at a particular time) migrated from North America via Central America to South America and vice versa, as the volcanic Isthmus of Panama rose up from the sea floor and bridged the formerly separated continents
Term
Proconsul
Definition
ape, primitive one, 19 million years ago, small, quadrupedal, suspensory behavior
Term
Kenyapithecus
Definition
possible human ancestor, reduced canine (human like), honing facet and diastema (large overlapping canines and gap in top tooth row for lower jaw teeth to rest), chimp like
Term
Begun and dryopithecus
Definition
long forelimbs, ape characteristics, fairly large, suspensory
Term
Pilbeam and ramapithecus
Definition
orang, female version of sivapithecus
Term
Sivapithecus
Definition
male version of Ramapithecus, orangutan, thought for many years to be a human ancestor but it isn’t, parabolic dental arcade, thick tooth enamel, teeth grow in crypts, then erupt through jaw
Term
Thick tooth enamel
Definition
enamel formation is cyclic, perikymata reflect daily growth cycles, numbers of perikymata show amount of time enamel developing, thickness of perikymata shows rate of enamel secretion
Term
Perikymata
Definition
incremental growth lines in tooth enamel
Term
Incisive foramen
Definition
a funnel-shaped opening in the bone of the oralhard palate immediately behind the incisor teeth where blood vessels and nerves pass
Term
Asian and African palate pattern
Definition
humans evolved in africa
Term
Comparing Sivapithecus and Australopithecus
Definition
siva had fast enamel secretion over a short period of time and austral had slow enamel secretion over a long period of time → not the same character
Term
Linnaeus
Definition
binomial nomenclature, a formal system of naming species (genus species)
Term
Malthus
Definition
More offspring produced than resources can support, Periodically eliminated by disease, war, famine
Term
Paley Cuvier
Definition
"Catastrophism"
•How explain fossils? •Successive Groups of Fossils •Periodic Extinctions & Creations
(Catastrophes)
(“Antediluvian” = Before the flood)
Term
Lyell
Definition
“Principles of Geology” Earth history •Gradual change •Long period of time
Term
Lamarck
Definition
True: One Species Can
Give Rise To Another
2. False: Mechanism: Inheritance Of Acquired
Characteristics: Characteristics Acquired
During Animal's Life Passed On To Offspring
Term
Uniformitarianism (actualism)
Definition
“Present Is Key To Past” •Processes observed today, •Operating over long periods of time,
•Can produce geological features observed in modern world.
Term
inheritance of acquired characteristics
Definition
characteristics acquired during animal’s life passed on to offspring
Term
Darwin
Definition
extinct animals (fossils) resemble living ones in same region, geographic variation, common ancestor, superficial differences show adaptation to local conditions
Term
Russell Wallace
Definition
best known for independently conceiving the theory of evolution through natural selection, which prompted Charles Darwin to publish his own ideas in On the Origin of Species.
Term
evolution
Definition
the change in the inherited characteristics of biological populations over successive generations
Term
descent with modification
Definition
long period of time, earth changes so do animals and plants (Darwins idea)
Term
Reproductive fitness
Definition
how well suited you are to conditions compared to others so you can reproduce
Term
Natural selection
Definition
sexual reproduction produces variation, some offspring better suited to conditions than others so they produce more offspring than others, over many generations they produce enough change to result in a new species
Term
Sexual selection
Definition
The sexual selection concept arises from the observation that many animals develop features whose function is not to help individuals survive, but help them to maximize their reproductive success. This can be realized in two different ways:
by making themselves attractive to the opposite sex; or
by intimidating, deterring or defeating same-sex rivals
Term
Mendel
Definition
“Particulate” nature of inheritance
• What are the particles? Genes
Term
Particulate inheritance
Definition
Mendelian genetics, characteristics can be passed on
Term
Principle of segregation
Definition
states that allele pairs separate or segregate during gamete formation, and randomly unite at fertilization
Term
Gene
Definition
codes for trait, may be a single base pair or longer section of DNA
Term
Locus
Definition
is the specific location of a gene or DNA sequence on a chromosome
Term
Allele
Definition
different versions of traits (one alle inherited from each parent)
Term
Polymorphism
Definition
two or more clearly different phenotypes exist in the same population of a species. In order to be classified as such, morphs must occupy the same habitat at the same time and belong to a panmictic population (one with random mating)
Term
Genotype
Definition
genetic info
Term
Phenotype
Definition
How genetics are expressed (affected by environment), observable
Term
Homozygous
Definition
2 alleles same
Term
Heterozygous
Definition
2 alleles different
Term
Dominant
Definition
expressed
Term
Recessive
Definition
not expressed (hidden)
Term
Codominant
Definition
a phenomenon in which a single gene has more than one dominant allele
Term
Mutation
Definition
spontaneous change in genetic material, induces novelty
Term
Synthetic theory of evolution
Definition
Synthesis of Mendelian genetics and Darwinian selection into a modern theory of evolutionary change
Term
New synthesis
Definition
Darwin’s natural selection + Mendel’s particulate inheritance+ statistics
same as modern sythesis
Term
Microevolution
Definition
small changes in gene frequencies over a short period of time
Term
Macroevolution
Definition
larger changes (appearance of new species, extinction) over a longer period of time
Term
Gene flow
Definition
population movement, migration introduces new alleles
Term
Genetic drift
Definition
small population → chance elimination of rare alleles
Term
Founder effect
Definition
small founding population → may not resemble parent population
Term
Population genetics
Definition
study of allele frequency distribution and change under the influence of the four main evolutionary processes: natural selection, genetic drift, mutation and gene flow
Term
Balanced polymorphism
Definition
in a population, the occurrence of a certain proportion of homozygotes and heterozygotes for specific genetic traits, which is maintained from generation to generation by the forces of natural selection
Term
Gene sequencing
Definition
many different methods, many different methods
• DNA strands usually cut into gragments
• Early method: gel electrophoresis
• High throughput methods: determines exact orders of individual DNA or chains, much faster
Term
Species
Definition
one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring.
Term
Adaptation
Definition
Darwin says climate forces evolution, the earth changes and animals and plants adapt
Term
Ecological niche
Definition
a term describing the way of life of a species
Term
Convergent evolution
Definition
describes the acquisition of the same biological trait in unrelated lineages (ex. wing)
Term
Analogous characters
Definition
Similarities that are the same, but found in different species, thought to have arisen from convergent evolution; structures serve the same function in different species but they evolved independently rather than from the same embryological material or from the same structures in a common ancestor.
Term
Homologous characters
Definition
structures have similar function and evolutionary path via a common ancestor (forelimbs in a mammal)
Term
Reproductive isolation
Definition
If members of a species are separated from other members is such a way that they can not mate with them this is reproductive isolation. The barrier could be physical. For instance members of a species of fish might get trapped in a cave. It could be behavioral. For instance if some members of an insect species start hunting at night instead of in the day, they would have less of an opportunity to mate with the ones that hunt in the day.
Term
Allopatric speciation
Definition
species isolated geographically
Term
Sumpatric species
Definition
species live in same area, use different resources
Term
Speciation
Definition
evolutionary process by which new biological species arise
Term
Extinction
Definition
lineage terminates
Term
Stasis
Definition
lineage shows no change
Term
Anagenesis
Definition
gradual evolution within lineage
Term
Cladogenesis
Definition
splitting: either allopatric model (species isolated geographically) or sympatric model (species live in the same area, use different resources)
Term
Gradualism
Definition
slow gradual accumulation of changes produces new species
Term
Punctual equilibria
Definition
long periods of time with no change, punctuated short periods with sudden change, new species appear suddenly, caused environmentally?
Term
Isolating mechanisms
Definition
morphological differences (hair, body shape), genetic incompatibility, behavioral differences
Term
Mate recognition
Definition
involves both morphological and behavioral traits
Term
Adaptive radiation
Definition
sudden appearance many closely related species
Term
Tuff
Definition
volcanic ash
Term
Extinction events
Definition
is a widespread and rapid decrease in the amount of life on earth
Term
Turnover pulse hypothesis
Definition
Ecosystems periodically experience significant disruptions, these in turn result in mass extinctions
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