Anthropology 12-15

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Acheulian

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stone tool industry from the Early and Middle Pleistocene
.large proportion of bifacial tools (flaked on both sides).common in Africa, Southwest Asia, and western Europe

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grade

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A grouping of organisms sharing a similar adaptive pattern

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nuchal torus

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(nucha, meaning “neck”) A projection of bone in the back of the cranium where neck muscles attach. These muscles hold up the head.

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chateperronian

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Upper Paleolithic industry found in France and Spain, containing blade tools and associated with Neandertals.

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flexed

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The position of the body in a bent orientation, with arms and legs drawn up to the chest.

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glaciations

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Climatic intervals when continental ice sheets cover much of the northern continents. Glaciations are associated with colder temperatures in northern latitudes and more arid conditions in southern latitudes, most notably in Africa

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interglacials

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Climatic intervals when continental ice sheets are retreating, eventually becoming much reduced in size.

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Late Pleistocene

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The portion of the Pleistocene epoch beginning 125,000 ya and ending approximately 10,000 ya.

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Middle Pleistocene

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The portion of the Pleistocene epoch beginning 780,000 ya and ending 125,000 ya.

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Mousterian

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stone tool industry associated with Neandertals and some modern H. sapiens groups; also called Middle Paleolithic. This industry is characterized by a larger proportion of flake tools than found in Acheulian tool kits.

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Upper Paleolithic

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cultural period usually associated with modern humans, but also found with some Neandertals, and distinguished by technological innovation in various stone tool industries. Best known from western Europe, similar industries are also known from central and eastern Europe and Africa

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Aurignacian

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Upper Paleolithic stone tool industry in Europe beginning at about 40,000 ya.

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burins

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Small, chisel-like tools with a pointed end; thought to have been used to engrave bone, antler, ivory, or wood.

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Magdalenian

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final phase of the Upper Paleolithic stone tool industry in Europe.

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Balanced polymorphism

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The maintenance of two or more alleles in a population due to the selective advantage of the heterozygote.

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biological determinism

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The concept that phenomena, including various aspects of behavior (e.g., intelligence, values, morals) are governed by biological (genetic) factors; the inaccurate association of various behavioral attributes with certain biological traits, such as skin color.

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breeding isolates

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Populations that are clearly isolated geographically and/or socially from other breeding groups.

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cline

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A gradual change in the frequency of genotypes and phenotypes from one geographical region to another.

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Endogamy

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Mating with individuals from the same group.

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Eugenics

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The philosophy of “race improvement” through the forced sterilization of members of some groups and increased reproduction among others; an overly simplified, often racist view that’s now discredited.

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exogamy

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Mating pattern whereby individuals obtain mates from groups other than their own.

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Hardy-Weinberg Theory of genetic equilibrium

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The mathematical relationship expressing—under conditions in which no evolution is occurring—the predicted distribution of alleles in populations; the central theorem of population genetics.

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inbreeding

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A type of nonrandom mating in which relatives mate more often than predicted under random mating conditions.

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incest avoidance

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In animals, the tendency not to mate with close relatives. This tendency may be due to various social and ecological factors that keep the individuals apart.

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lactase persistence

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In adults, the continued production of lactase, the enzyme that breaks down lactose (milk sugar). This allows adults in some human populations to digest fresh milk products.

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nonrandom mating

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Pattern of mating in which individuals choose mates preferentially. That is, mate choice is based on different criteria such as social status, ethnicity, or biological relationship. An individual doesn’t have an equal chance of mating with all other individuals in their group.

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polymorphisms

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Loci with more than one allele. Polymorphisms can be expressed in the phenotype as the result of gene action (as in ABO), or they can exist solely at the DNA level within noncoding regions.

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polytypic

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Referring to species composed of populations that differ in the expression of one or more traits.

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population genetics

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The study of the frequency of alleles, genotypes, and phenotypes in populations from a microevolutionary perspective.

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slash-and burn agriculture

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A traditional land-clearing practice involving the cutting and burning of trees and vegetation. In many areas, fields are abandoned after a few years and clearing occurs elsewhere.