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23 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
Deep time |
A framework for considering the span of human history within the much larger age of the universe and planet earth |
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Fossils |
The remains of an organism that have been preserved by a natural chemical process that turns them partially or wholly into rock |
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Paleogeneticist |
Scientist who studies the past through the examination or preserved genetic material |
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Theory of evolution |
The theory that biological adaptations in organisms occur in response to changes in the natural environment and develop in populations over generations |
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Creationism |
A belief that god created earth and all living creatures in their present form as recently as six thousand years ago |
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Intelligent design |
An updated version of creationism that claims to propose and evidence based argument to contradict the theory of evolution |
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Mutation |
A deviation from the standard DNA code |
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Mitagen |
Any agent that increases the frequency or extent of mutations |
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Natural selection |
The evolutionary process by which some organisms with features that enable them to adapt to the environment, preferentially survive and reproduce, thereby increasing the frequency of those features in the population |
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Gene migration |
The movement of genetic material within a population and among diverse populations |
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Genetic drift |
The process whereby one segment or a population is removed from the larger pool, thereby limiting the flow of genetic material between the two groups |
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Species |
A group of related organisms that can interbreed and produce fertile, viable offspring |
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Bipedalism |
The ability to habitually walk on two legs; one of the key distinguishing characteristics of humans and or immediate ancestors |
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Oldowan tools |
Stone tools shaped for chopping and cutting found in the olduvai gorge and associated with Australopithecus garhi |
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Acheulian stone tools |
Stone tools associated with homo erectus, including specialized hand axes fro cutting, pounding, and scraping |
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Neandertal |
A late variety of archaic homo sapien prevalent in Europe |
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Multi regional continuity thesis |
The theory that modern Homo sapiens evolved directly from archaic Homo sapiens living in regions across the world |
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"Out of Africa" theory |
The theory that modern Homo sapiens evolved first in Africa, migrated outward, and eventually replaced the archaic Homo sapiens. Also called replacement theory |
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Genetic adaptation |
Changes in genetics that occur at a population level in response to certain features of the environment |
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Developmental adaptation |
The way in which human growth and development can be influenced by factors other than genetics, such as nutrition, disease, and stress |
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Acclimatization |
The process of the body temporarily adjusting to the environment |
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Cultural adaptation |
A complex innovation, such as fans, furnaces, and lights, that allows humans to cope with their environments |
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Melanin |
The pigment that gives human skin it's color |