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Study Guide
Words and Concepts
48
Anthropology
Undergraduate 1
03/12/2008

Additional Anthropology Flashcards

 


 

Cards

Term
 
 
 
Physical Anthropology
 
Definition

The systematic study of humans as biological organisms.

Study physiological differences in humans using fossils and living subjects 

Term

 

 

 

Cultural Anthropology 

Definition
A branch of anthropology that focuses on human behavior
Term

 

 

 

Culture 

Definition

 

 

A set of rules or standards by members of a society, which when acted upon by the members produce behavior that falls within a range of variation the members consider proper and acceptable. 

Term

 

 

 

Archeaology 

Definition
The study of material remains, usually from the past to describe and explain human bahvior
Term

 

 

 

Linguistic Anthropology 

Definition
The study of human language, with the belief that language is an auditory ecpression of culture.
Term

 

 

Attribute 

Definition
a distinct feature of an artifact that cannot be divided into additional units of a different kind
Term

 

 

 

Assemblage 

Definition
a group of industirues found in an acheaological site
Term

 

 

 

Archeaological feature 

Definition
A non-portable peice of evidence for human activity
Term

 

 

 

Ecofacts 

Definition
natural objects concentrated by humans at a site
Term

 

 

 

Stratigraphy 

Definition
sedimentary layers formed by deposition over time.
Term

 

 

 

Law of Superposition 

Definition
younger sediments are deposited over older ones
Term

 

 

 

Transect 

Definition
a line which samples are taken at specified intervals
Term

 

 

 

Test unit 

Definition
a one meter square excavation
Term

 

 

 

Relative Dating 

Definition
A system that dates a particular finding using 1) stratigraphy, or 2) other methods of dating
Term

 

 

 

Chronometric dating 

Definition
dates for acheaological materials based on solar years, centuries, radiocarbon years, or other units of absolute time
Term

 

 

 

Radiocarbon dating 

Definition
Uses the known half-life of decomposition of C14 to age organic materials
Term

 

 

 

Acheaological context 

Definition
the degree to which elements that comprise an achaeological site have remained unchanged sine the time of occupation or activity
Term

 

 

 

Animals in the Primate order

 

Definition
lemurs, lorises, tarsiers, monkeys, apes, and humans
Term

 

 

 

DNA 

Definition
deoxyribonucleic acid
Term

 

 

 

Population 

Definition
 a group of similar individuals that can and do interbreed
Term

 

 

 

Species 

Definition
populations of organisms capable of interbreed, but are reproductivly isolated
Term

 

 

 

Adaptation 

Definition
the process by which organisms achieve a benificial  adjuectment to an available environment
Term

 

 

 

Arboreal 

Definition
tree dwelling
Term

 

 

 

Terrestrial 

Definition
Ground dwelling
Term

 

 

 

Speciation 

Definition
Evolutionary process that leads to the development of a new species
Term

 

 

 

Fovea 

Definition
fovea is responsible for sharp central vision, which is necessary in humans for reading, watching television or movies, driving, and any activity where visual detail is of primary importance
Term

 

 

 

Hominoid 

Definition
A catatthine primate super order that includes apes and humans
Term

 

 

 

Ramamorphs 

Definition
evolutionary ancestors (group of hominids) of orangutans, and probably bonobos, chimps, chimpaness, apes and humans
Term

 

 

 

Hominid

Definition
family and subfamily that include humans and African apes
Term

 

 

 

Proconsul 

Definition
a hominoid and early human anecestor (17 million y/a)
Term

 

 

 

Ardipithecus 

Definition
The earliest known hominine, ca. 4.4 million years ago
Term

 

 

 

Australopithecenes 

Definition

first fully bipedal hominine of which we have record

3.9 - 2.9 million years ago 

Term

 

 

 

Homo habilis 

Definition
i.e. Handy man - earliest representative of the genus Homo, lived between 2.4 and 1.6 million years ago. First to use stone tools ca. 1.9 million years ago.
Term

 

 

 

Homo erectus

Definition
1.7 million years - 250,000 first to use fire and first hominid to spread out of Africa.
Term

 

 

 

Homo sapians 

Definition
100,000 years ago to current
Term

 

 

 

Lithic reduction 

Definition
the process of chipping rock to make stone tools
Term

 

 

 

Oldowan tool tradition 

Definition
During the paleolithic era (stone age), came the earliest identifiable tools
Term

 

 

 

Acheulean tradition

Definition
toolmaking tradition of Homo erectus in Africa, Europe, and southwest Asia in whcih hand axes were developed from the earlier oldowan chopper
Term

 

 

 

Tech Developments for expansion 

Definition

1.  Fire

2. Shelter

3. Cooked food

4. Probably clothing 

Term
  Homo erectus disappears about 400,000 years ago and Homo sapians appear about the same time
Definition
Term

 

 

 

Acheulean Hand Axe 

Definition
Pear shapped, bifacial, chipped stone tools with one pointed end and sharp edges all around
Term

 

 

 

Levalloisian technique 

Definition
toolmaking technique developed ca. 200,000 years ago (late erectus; early sapians)
Term

 

 

 

Mousterian techniques 

Definition
300,000 to 30,000 years BP, this tradition was employeed to make tools from flint
Term

 

 

 

Eve hypothesis 

Definition
Based on mitochondrial DNA (female DNA) traced back to one woman who lived in Africa, possibly Asia, 200,000 years ago. Homo sapians (modern human) developed 120,000 to 90,000 years BP.
Term

 

 

 

Cro-magnon man 

Definition
The name given to Homo sapians that encountered neanderthals during the upper paleolithic.
Term

 

 

 

Paleolithic Periods 

Definition

2.6  years BP - 100,000 years BP: Oldewan and Achulean

 

Middle Paleolithic: (300,000 - 30,000): Mousterian

 

Upper Paleolithic: (40,000 - 20,000): Soultrean 

Term

 

 

 

Soultrean Technique 

Definition
A more diverse range of tools using both stone and other material (antlers)
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