ANTH 3-4 Flashcards
How does plate tectonics drive changes in Earth’s climate and ecosystems?
by altering ocean currents, atmospheric circulation, and landmass positions, which influence global temperatures, weather patterns, and biodiversity distribution.
What was the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM), and why was it significant?
rapid global warming event around 56 million years ago, caused by massive carbon release, significantly impacting climate, ocean chemistry, and mammalian evolution.
How did the formation of the Antarctic
circumpolar Current affect global climate?
isolated Antarctica, leading to its cooling and the development of ice sheets, which contributed to long-term global climate cooling.
What role did Africa’s collision with Eurasia play in shaping modern ecosystems?
closed the Tethys Sea, altered climate patterns, and enabled the Great Faunal Interchange, allowing species migrations that shaped modern ecosystems.
What is continental rifting?
the process where a continent breaks apart due to tectonic forces, leading to the formation of a rift valley and, eventually, the creation of new ocean basins as the land is pulled apart.
What are Milankovitch Cycles, and how do they affect Earth’s climate?
long-term variations in Earth’s orbit and axial tilt that affect the distribution and intensity of solar radiation, driving climate changes like ice ages over thousands to millions of years.
three components of Milankovitch Cycles
eccentricity, obliquity, and precession
eccentricity
refers to the shape of Earth’s orbit around the Sun, varying from more circular to elliptical over a 100,000-year cycle, affecting the distance between Earth and the Sun.
obliquity
is the tilt of Earth’s axis, which changes over a 41,000-year cycle and influences the severity of seasons.
precession
is the wobble in Earth’s rotation axis, occurring over a 26,000-year cycle, which alters the timing of the seasons relative to Earth’s orbit.
How did glaciation events shape the Earth’s climate?
lowered global temperatures, reduced sea levels, and reshaped landscapes through the movement of ice sheets, significantly influencing climate patterns and ecosystems.
What evidence do scientists use to track past climate changes?
oxygen isotopes, ice cores, tree rings, sediment layers, and fossil records
Which trait is NOT a postcranial adaptation seen in humans?
Cranially oriented glenoid fossa on the scapula
Which traits ARE a postcranial adaptation seen in humans?
Shorter arms than legs
Valgus knee
Tibial plateau large and robust
Very robust femur
Which trait is NOT a postcranial adaptation seen in chimpanzees?
Shallow bicipital groove
Which traits ARE a postcranial adaptation seen in chimpanzees?
More asymmetric femoral condyles
Long and curved metacarpals and phalanges
Tall and narrow pelvis
Robust Arms
The humor-femoral index is used to quantify the length difference between the entire arm and the entire leg of an individual.
true
Australopiths exhibit obligate bipedalism and a narrow positions repertoire, making them similar to
__________________
and different from
__________________
in their locomotion.
Modern Humans
Chimpanzees
The adaptive radiation of apes occurred in the ________ epoch.
Miocene
Which of the following is a trait shared by living humans?
Humans have fully opposable thumbs that enable us to create and manipulate abundant tools as part of our adaptation.
Humans have a slow and long life history pattern.
Humans are obligate bipeds.
Humans have small dentition, especially canines.
Humans have more sweat glands and finer body hair compared to other primates.
You are a haplorrhine, a catarrhine, and an ape.
true
Which of the following are evolutionary trends in modern primates?
Primates have larger and more complex brains.
Primates are more reliant on vision than olfaction.
Primates tend to have more upright posture.
