Vocab From Essentials Of Physical Anthropology Ch. 9-13

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grade

Back 1

grouping of organisms sharing similar adaptive pattern. NOT based on evolutionary relationship

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nuchal torus

Back 2

projection of bone in the back of the cranium where neck muscles attach. These muscles hold up head

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acheulian

Back 3

pertaining to a stone tool industry used from the Early and Middle pleistocene; characterized by large proportion of bifacial tools (flaked on both sides) common in africa, SW Asia, and western Europe.

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Pleistocene

Back 4

epoch of the cenozoic from 1.8 mya to 10,000ya. ICE AGE, associated with continental glaciations in northern latitudes

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Middle Pleistocene

Back 5

portion of the pleistocene epoch beginning 780,000ya and inding 125,000ya

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Late pleistocene

Back 6

portion of the pleistocene epoch beginning 125,000ya and ending approx. 10,000 ya

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glaciations

Back 7

climatic interals when continental ice sheets cover much of the northern continents. associated with colder temps. in northern latitudes and more arid conditions in southern latitudes, most notably in Africa

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interglacials

Back 8

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

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flexed

Back 9

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

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upper paleolithic

Back 10

cultural period usually associated with modern humans, but also found with some neandertals and distinguished by tech. innovation in various stone tool industries. western europe.

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Chatelperronian

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pertaining to an upper paleolithic industry found in france and spain, containing blade tools and associated with neandertals.

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Mousterian

Back 12

pertaining to the stone tool industry associated with Neandertals and some modern H. Sapiens groups; also called Middle Paleolithic, Characterized by larfer proportion of flake tools than is found in acheulian tool kits.

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Aurignacian

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pertaining to an upper paleolithic stone tool industry in europe beginning about 40,000ya

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Magdalenian

Back 14

pertaining to the final phase of the upper paleolithic stone tool industry in europe

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burins

Back 15

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

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biological determinism

Back 16

concept that phenomena, including various aspects of behavior are governed by bioligical factors, the inaccurate associated of various behavior attributes with certain biological traits, such as skin color.

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eugenics

Back 17

philosophy of "race improvements" 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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polytypic

Back 18

referring to species composed of populations that differ in the expression of one of more traits

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intelligence

Back 19

mental capacity; the ability to learn, reason, or comprehend and interpret information, facts, relationships, and meanings. capacity to solve problems, whether through the application of previously acquired knowledge or through insight.

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polymorphisms

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loci with more than one allele, polymorphism can be expressed in the phenotype as the result of gene action, or they can exist soley at the dna level with non-coding regions.

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cline

Back 21

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

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slash-and-burn agriculture

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traditional land0clearing practice involving the cutting and burning of trees and vegetation in many areas, fields are abandoned after a few years and cleaning occurs elsewhere

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lactase persistence

Back 23

the continued production of lactase, the enzyme that breaks down lactose. allows adults in some human populations to digest fresh milk products. the discontinued production of lactase in adults leads to laxctose intolerance and the inability to digest fresh milk.

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population genetics

Back 24

study of the frequency of alleles, genotypes, and phenotypes in populations from a micro-evolutionary perspective.

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gene pool

Back 25

total complement of genes shared by the reproductive members of a population

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breeding isolates

Back 26

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

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hardy-weinberg equilibrium

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

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stress

Back 28

in a physiological context, any factor that acts to disrupt homeostasis; more precisely, the body's response to any factor that threatens its ability to maintain homeostasis

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homeostasis

Back 29

a confition of balance, or stability, within a biological system, maintained by the interaction of physiological mechanisms that compensate for changes (both external and internal)

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acclimation

Back 30

physiological responses to changes in the environment that occur during an individual's lifetime.

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neural tube

Back 31

in early embryonic development, the anatomical structure that develops to form the brain and spinal cord

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vasodilation

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expansion of blood vessels, permitting increased blood flow to the skin permits warming of the skin and facilitates radiation of warmth as a means of cooling. involuntary response to warm temps, various drugs, and emotional states (blushing)

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vasoconstriction

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narrowing of blood vessels to reduce blood flow to the skin, vasoconstriction is an involuntary response to cold and reduces heat loss at the skin's surface.

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hypoxia

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lack of oxygen. atmospheric and in the body

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vectors

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agents that transmit disease from one carrier to another. mosquitoes are vectors for malaria, fleas- bubonic plague

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endemic

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continuously present in a population

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zoonotic

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pertaining to zoonosis, a disease that's transmitted to humans through contact with nonhuman animals

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pandemic

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infectious disease episdemic that spreads rapidly through a region, potentially worldwide.

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virulence

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measure of the severity of an infectious disease. generally, the more virulent a disease is, the greater the number of death.

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growth

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increase in mass or number of cells

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development

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differentiation of cells into different types of tissues and their maturation.

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adolescent growth spurt

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period during adolescence when well-nourished teens typically increase in stature at greater rates than at other times in the life cycle.

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essential amino acids

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the 9 of 22 acids that must be obtained from the food we eat because they are not synthesized in the body in sufficient amounts

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monozygotic twin

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twins derived from a single fertilized egg

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dizygotic twins

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twins derived from two separate fertilized eggs in the same pregnancy

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endocrine glands

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glands responsible for secretion of hormones into the bloodstream

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menarche

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first menstruation in girls, usually occurring in the early to middle teens

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menopause

Back 48

the end of menstruation in human women, usually occurring around the age of 50.

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senescence

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process of physiological decline in body function that occurs with aging.

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pleitropic genes

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genes that have more than one effect; genes that have different effects at different times in the life cycle