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43 Cards in this Set
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- Back
- 3rd side (hint)
Primates
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The order of mammals that has a complex of characteristics related to initial adaptation to life in the trees.
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Homology
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Similarity due to descent from a common ancestor.
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Homoplasy
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Similarity due to independent evolution.
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Parallel Evolution
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Independent evolution of similar traits in closely related species, such as the increase in dental size among a number of early human ancestors.
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One of the two different types of homoplasy.
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Convergent Evolution
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Independent evolution of similar traits in rather distinct evolutionary lines, such as the evolution of flight in both birds and flies.
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One of the two different types of homoplasy.
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Primitive Trait
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A trait that HAS NOT changed from an ancestral state.
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The five digits of the human hand and foot are also traits inherited from earlier vertebrate ancestors.
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Derived Trait
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A trait that HAS changed from an ancestral state.
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Evolutionary Systematics
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A school of thought that considers the overall similarity of all (primitive and derived) homologous traits when classifying organisms into taxonomic groups.
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Cladistics
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A school of thought that only looks at shared derived homologous traits and classifies organisms based solely on their evolutionary relationships.
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Outgroup
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A group used for comparison in cladistic analyses to determine whether the ancestral state of a trait is primitive or derived.
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Chordata
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A vertebrate phylum consisting of organisms that possess a notochord at some point in their life.
(Animals with a spinal cord) |
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Notochord
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A flexible internal rod that runs along the back of an animal.
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Vertebrata
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A subphylum of the phylum Chordata, defined by the presence of an internal, segmented spinal column and bilateral symmetry.
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Bilateral Symmetry
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Symmetry in which the right and left sides of the body are approximately mirror images.
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Placenta
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An organ that develops inside a pregnant placental mammal that provides the fetus with oxygen and food and helps filter out harmful substances.
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Prenatal
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The period of life from conception until birth.
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Postnatal
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The period of life from birth until death.
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Homeotherm
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An organism capable of maintaining a constant body temperature under most circumstances.
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Homodontic
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Meaning that all of an organisms teeth are the same.
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Heterodontic
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Meaning that an organism has different types of teeth.
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Dental Formula
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A short-hand method of describing the number of each type of tooth in one half of one jaw on a mammal.
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Cerebrum
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The area of the forbrain that consists of the outermost layer of brain cells, associated with memory, learning, and intelligence.
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Arboreal
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Living in trees.
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Terrestrial
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Living on the ground.
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Prehensile
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Capable of grasping.
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Specialized Structure
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A biological structure adapted to a narrow range of conditions and used in very specific ways.
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Generalized Structure
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A biological structure adapted to a wide range of condittions and used in very general ways.
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Binocular Stereoscopic Vision
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Overlapping feilds of vision with both sides of the brain receiving images from both eyes, thereby providing depth perception.
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Monogamy
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An exclusive sexual bond between an adult male and an adult female for a long period of time.
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Polygamy
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A sexual bond between an adult male and an adult female in which either individual may have more than one mate at the same time.
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Social Structure
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The composition of a social group and the way it is organized; including size, age structure, and the number of each sex in the group. There are five of these social groups.
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Solitary Group
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The smallest primate social group, consisting of the mother and her dependent offspring.
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Monogamous Family Group
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Social structure in which the primary social group consists of an adult male, an adult female, and their immature offspring.
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Polyandrous Group
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A rare type of primate social structure, consisting of a small number of adult males, one reproductively active adult female, and their offspring. Other females may belong to the group but are not reproductively active.
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Uni-male Group
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Social structure in which the primary social group consists of a single adult male, several adult females, and their offspring.
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Multimale/Multifemale Group
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A type of social structure in which the primary social group is made up of several adult males, several adult females, and their offspring.
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Dominance Hierarchy
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The ranking system within a society that indicates which individuals are dominant in social behaviors.
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Sexual Dimorphism
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The average difference in body size between adult males and adult females.
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Home Range
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The size of the geographic area that is normally occupide and used by a social group.
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Behavioral Ecology
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The study of behavior from an ecological and evolutionary perspective.
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Parental Investment
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Parental behaviors that increase the probablility that offspring will survive.
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Kin Selection
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A concept used in evolutionary explainations of altruism. Sacrificial behaviors, for example, can be selected for if they increase the probability of survival of close relatives.
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Infanticide
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The killing of infants.
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