Anth 151 Midterm

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pleiotropic
what amount of tissue is pleiotropic?

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DNA expressed in a variety of tissues; 90%

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polygenetic

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having more than one origin or source.

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gene

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a unit of heredity that is transferred from a parent to offspring and is held to determine some characteristic of the

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gene expression (regulation)

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how a particular trait is manifested

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speciation

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the formation of new and distinct species in the course of evolution

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equilibrium

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- punctuated stability following a sudden change, often in a shift in environment; or a
- new niche
- rise of new competitor
- new trait that spreads quickly

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trait

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considered polygenic
a genetically determined characteristic

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DNA

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deoxyribonucleic acid
- once considered ‘blueprint’ for organism
- Only about 1% are ‘genes’ coded for proteins
- Some are non-coded ‘regulatory genes” that affect gene expression
- inert, but other molecules can act on it

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conflict

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an evolutionary clash central to the theory of natural selection

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cooperation

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working together to achieve an end

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stabilizing selection

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tends towards the mean

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diversifying selection

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several types of one type; tends towards the extremes

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directional selection

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some pressure pushes the whole species in a direction

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artificial selection

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an extenuating pressure exerts itself on a species

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primate

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a mammal distinguished by having hands, hand-like feet, forward facing eyes, and typically agile in arboreal settings

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anthropoids

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extinct primates distinguished by larger brains, reduced noses, 32 teeth and no tooth comb.

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hominoids

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a primate of a group that includes humans, human ancestors, and great apes

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hominids

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a primate of a family that includes humans and their fossil ancestors

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arboreal

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tree-dwelling

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bipedalism

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walking upright on two feet

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brachiation

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anatomical trait of primates in which the shoulder socket can rotate the arm above the head

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trichromatic vision

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vision sensitive to the three primary colors

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exaptation

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Trait selected for one function that may serve later for a different purpose.

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locomotion

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movement or the ability to move from one place to another

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robust

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- refers to characteristics developed by a species in reaction to an environmental pressure
- example: developing teeth more adapted for chewing nuts than meat

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gracile

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a slender build in a hominid species

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competitive exclusion

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Two animals trying to occupy the same niche – usually only one survives

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taphonomy

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study of how remains come to be deposited in the form that they are found — site formation.

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australopithecus

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- a fossil bipedal primate with both apelike and human characteristics
- found in Pliocene and lower Pleistocene deposits (4-1 mya)

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paranthropus

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a genus applied to a robust fossil hominid first found in South Africa

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foramen magnum

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- the hole in the base of the skull through which the spinal cord passes
- defining characteristic of bipedal creatures

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ilium

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a large broad bone forming the upper part of each half of the pelvis

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relative dating methods

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a dating method that relies on comparative analysis of surrounding deposits

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absolute dating methods

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a dating method that employs radiometric techniques such as carbon dating to determine the age of a deposit

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stratigraphy

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the analysis of the order and position of layers of archaeological finds

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mosaic evolution

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a development of certain functions as a species progresses; linked to sociability

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modular intelligence

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refers to the specialization of brain tissue functions

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abstract thought

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dealing with ideas rather than events

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promiscuous interface

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ability to take modules and put them together; chained thought

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mirror neurons

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a neuron that fires both when an animal acts and when the animal observes the same action performed by another

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encephalization

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brain/body size ratio

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cerebral cortex

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the outer layer of the cerebrum composed of folded gray matter
plays an integral role in consciousness

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neoteny

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the retention of juvenile features in an adult

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social brain hypothesis

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- Average group size correlates with the ratio of neocortex to the rest of the brain.
- grooming is a central characteristic

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expensive tissue hypothesis

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Large brain is energy hungry
- Brain tissue expends 9x body tissue average.
- Need for energy-rich food.

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radiator hypothesis

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Argues that an expanding brain requires cooling, particularly in a hot environment such as the African savanna; consequently, a bipedal creature would develop openings in the skull to flow blood through the brain in order to cool it (emissary foramina)

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allometry

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the growth of body parts at different rates

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altricial

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newborn that develops slowly and requires care

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precocial

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newborn that is immediately able to care for itself upon birth

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human exceptionalism

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humans are the exception to the rules of other species

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promiscuity

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the concept of a sexually reserved female/male vs. a sexually active male/female

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polygamy

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practice of having more than one wife/husband at once

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polygyny

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where a man has more than one wife

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monogamy

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married to one person at a time

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sexual dimorphism

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Differences between male and female

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sexual selection

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natural selection arising through preference by one sex for certain characteristics in individuals of the other sex.

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sperm competition

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competition between sperm of two or more males for the fertilization of an ovum

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co-sleeping

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practice of having children sleep in the same bed as the parents

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estrus

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the period of sexual receptivity in female mammals

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menarche

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the first menstruation

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homology

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in this sense, that male and female organs are biologically similar

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obstetrical dilemma

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refers to the evolutionary development of the human species through a number of biological changes
- specifically the shifting of the females' pelvic bones, thereby shortening the fetal incubation period.

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spandrel

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describes a phenotypic characteristic that is a byproduct of the evolution of a different characteristic, instead of a direct product of adaption

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behavioural ecology

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the study of the ecological and evolutionary basis for animal behavior, and the roles of behavior in enabling an animal to adapt to its environment (both intrinsic and extrinsic)

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intraspecific competition

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Competition among individuals of the same species

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interspecific competition

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individuals of different species vie for the different resource in an ecosystem

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phylogeny

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the study of evolutionary relatedness among various groups of organisms

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ontogeny

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describes the origin and the development of an organism from the fertilized egg to its mature form.

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philopatric

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tending to return to or remain near a particular site or area.

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matrifocal units

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mum is head of the pack

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morphology

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the study of the form of living organisms

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teleology

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the explanation of phenomena by the purpose they serve rather than by postulated causes.

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species

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a group of living organisms consisting of similar individuals capable of exchanging genes or interbreeding.

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convergence

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the tendency of unrelated animals to evolve superficially similar characteristics under similar environmental conditions.

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phenotype

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the set of observable characteristics of an individual organism

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genotype

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the genetic constitution of an individual organism.

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epigenetic

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resulting from external rather than genetic influences

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eusocial

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showing an advanced level of social organization, in which a single female or caste produces the offspring and nonreproductive individuals cooperate in caring for the young.

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virilocal

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a married couple resides with or near the husband's parents

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drone

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a male bee in a colony of social bees, which does no work but can fertilize a queen.

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polymorphous

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the occurrence of different forms among the members of a population or colony, or in the life cycle of an individual organism.

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scramble competition

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Competition for a resource that is inadequate for the needs of all, but is partitioned equally among contestants, so no competitor obtains the amount it needs and in extreme cases all die

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nutritional ecology

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study of the food chain from birth to death

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mating pool

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the group of females open to reproduction
in humans, this is socially determined

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incest taboos

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refer to a class of prohibitions, both formal and informal, stated and unstated, against incest

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fitness

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describes the capability of an individual of certain genotype to reproduce