Animal biodiversity - primates

Question 1

what does the dental structure of primates suggest?

Answer 1

ancestor was a small cretaceous insectivore

Question 2

3 adaptations of primates for climbing?

Answer 2

1) supple shoulder joints
2) hands with nails
3) sensitive finger and thumb

Question 3

describe the eyes of primates?

Answer 3

front facing with binocular vision

Question 4

describe the diet of primates and their teeth

Answer 4

omnivorous diet so teeth lack specialisation

Question 5

which species are in the promision ( pre monkeys) group?

Answer 5

1) lemurs

2) tarsier

Question 6

what are the 3 groups within the monophyletic anthropoid order?

Answer 6

1) monkeys
2) apes
3) hominids

Question 7

3 adaptations to anthropoids

Answer 7

1) better developed vision than smell
2) large brain
3) well developed tactile sense of digits

Question 8

what is platyrrhini and catarrhini?

Answer 8

new world and old world monkeys separating anthropoids into 2

Question 9

3 features of pongidae (apes)

Answer 9

1) lack tail
2) upright posture
3) well developed social structure

Question 10

5 human specialisations

Answer 10

1) prolonged natal care
2) well developed brain and behaviour (speech)
3) completely upright posture
4) large cranial capacity
5) strong thumb and finger tips allowing precise grip

Question 11

describe 2 changes in skull modifications in humans

Answer 11

1) enlarged frontal region giving high forehead

2) shortening of snout and face

Question 12

3 change in jaw structure in humans

Answer 12

1) shortened teeth and reduction in canines
2) reduction in jaw bone but development of chin
3) reduction in jaw muscles

Question 13

what are the 3 human fossils?

Answer 13

1) Australopithecus
2) homo habilis
3) homo erectus

Question 14

3 features of homo erectus making them more developed than australopithecus and homo habilis

Answer 14

1) larger brains
2) migrated out of africa for hunting large game
3) capable of adapting to colder climate outside Africa

Question 15

where were Homo sapiens neanderthalis found?

Answer 15

europe, middle east, parts of Asia

Question 16

what were Homo sapiens neanderthalis capable of?

Answer 16

tool making, burying the dead, cultural rituals

Question 17

what are the 2 models for the Origin of modern H. sapiens

Answer 17

1) multi regional

2) out of Africa

Question 18

what is the multi regional model?

Answer 18

h. sapiens evolved in parallel in different parts of the world, neanderthals evolved into h. sapiens

Question 19

what is the out of Africa model?

Answer 19

• modern sapiens evolved from H. erectus ancestor in Africa then spread out
• outcompeted neanderthals and other hominids

Question 20

evidence for multi regional model?

Answer 20

distribution of H. erectus and Neanderthal fossils

Question 21

5 pieces of evidence for out of Africa model?

Answer 21

• long coexistence of H. erectus and sapiens in some places
• only African fossils show full transition of types
• mtDNA suggests African ancestor 200kya
• greater genetic diversity in African humans
• DNA from Neanderthal remains in Europe genetically very different from modern European sapiens

Question 22

what are the 3 main stages of cultural evolution?

Answer 22

1) 2.5 mya cooperative hunting and division of labour (tribes)
2) 15 kya agricultural revolution – cities
3) c18 industrial revolution