Anthropology 101 Final Flashcards
Paleoanthropology
The study of fossils in humans
Falsifiability
__is the capacity for some proposition, statement, theory or hypothesis to be proven wrong.
Immutability of species
__The idea that each individual species on the planet was specially created by God and could never fundamentally change
Lamarck
__Lamarck is best known for his Theory of Inheritance : Traits are acquired and passed on.
Natural Selection
__the process whereby organisms better adapted to their environment tend to survive and produce more offspring.
Stereoscopic vision
Eyes on the front of our heads.
Genetics
—The study of genes, genetic variation, and heredity in living organisms.
Heredity
__the passing on of physical or mental characteristics genetically from one generation to another.
Hallux
__a person’s big toe. Opposable hallux.
Jane Goodall
__is a primatologist most known for her long-term study of wild chimpanzees in Tanzania.
Radiocarbon dating (types of material)
—Carbon dating. Reveals the ages of the some of Earth’s oldest inhabitants.
Direct physical evidence of human ancestors
__obtained only through the fossil record.
Hominins
A member of the primate family Hominidae, distinguished by bipedal posture and, in more recently evolved species, a large brain
Sickle Cell + Malaria
2 copies of the same gene are bad, 1 copy of each, you wouldn’t contract malaria
Crossing Over
The combining of chromosomes during meiosis to create unique genes between mother and father.
Hominin
Broad shoulder apes, modern day humans, H erectis, H. Herabis
Dental arcade
The parabolic arc for modern humans, primitive humans had “U” shaped.
Radiocarbon dating
Dates stuff with Carbon it to find it’s age. C14=Carbon14
Vertebral column in biped
Houses spinal cord. “S” shaped curve.
Pelvis in biped
Shorter broader pelvis that accommodates us being on 2 legs.
Tooth enamel
Modern day humans have thicker enamel, chimpanzees have a thinner layer.
Quarrying sites
Where stoned tools were held.
Sagittal keel
Small mohawk of bone running lengthwise down the center of the cranium on the parietal bones for the attachment of the temporals muscles.
archaic homo sapiens
Had more of a ridge , orbital sockets big
Taurodontism
Pulp cavity, single prong tooth that goes beneath the gum line.
Australia’s first humans
the first humans to colonise Australia over 50,000 years ago -Aboriginal Australians
Encephalization quotient
The ratio of the actual brain size of a species to its expected brain size based on a statistical regression of brain-to-body size based on a large number of species.
Anthropoid olfactory bulbs
is a neural structure of the vertebrate forebrain involved in olfaction, the sense of smell. .
Neandertal face
the neanderthal head is much longer, with a more pronounced facial front. The Neanderthal chin and forehead sloped backwards and the nose region protruded forward more than in modern humans
H erectus incisors
Shovel shaped teeth in the back of the mouth.
Australopithecines
any of various extinct hominids (genera Australopithecus and Paranthropus) that existed two to four million years ago in southern and eastern Africa and include gracile and robust forms exhibiting bipedal locomotion, near-human dentition, and relatively small brains.
genus Homo
Homo is the genus that includes modern humans and their close extinct relatives, such as Homo habilis and Homo erectus. Members of Homo are distinguished from other hominids by an erect posture, a large cranium, two-footed gait, fully opposable thumbs, and well-developed tool-making ability.
paranthropus or robust australopithecines
The Physical characteristics of paranthropus or robust australopithecines is as follows: Their ribs were shaped like a cone, and their legs had human like features that indicated upright walking. They had long arms, and their pelvis was built for bipedal walking. Their brains were small, They had flat foreheads heads, a broad face, flaring cheek bones, a huge lower jaw, and large back teeth. Their environment consisted of open plains that contained plant foods. The lived in a social grouping consisting of a dominant male and multiple females. They were mostly vegetarians that ate seeds, nuts, hard fruits, and roots
Femur in biped
Femur angles in for standing support.
Teeth in homo vs australopithecines
Modern day have small canines and incisors, australopithecines canines were larger in the front , smaller in the back.
Adolescent growth spurt
The adolescent growth spurt is a rapid increase in the individual’s height and weight during puberty resulting from the simultaneous release of growth hormones, thyroid hormones, and androgen
Secular trend in growth
The secular trend in development is the fact that puberty is starting earlier for boys and girls now than it did a hundred years ago.
Most common human teratogen
The most common malformations include craniofacial dysmorphisms, cleft palate, thymic aplasia, and neural tube defects. The tranquilizer thalidomide is one of the most famous and notorious teratogens.
First Homo erectus fossil found in what country
At the beginning of its time range, around 1.9 Mya, H. erectus coexisted in East Africa with several other early human species including Homo rudolfensis,
H erectus geography
First species to leave Africa and colonize Euro/Asia
Multi-regional vs replacement model
Multiregional theory: homo erectus left Africa 2 mya to become homo sapiens in different parts of the world. The Multiregional Continuity Model15 contends that after Homo erectus left Africa and dispersed into other portions of the Old World, regional populations slowly evolved into modern humans.
Human brain vs closest relatives
Large, complex brains can process and store a lot of information. That was a big advantage to early humans in their social interactions and encounters with unfamiliar habitats.
Over the course of human evolution, brain size tripled. The modern human brain is the largest and most complex of any living primate.
Humans are primates, Bonobos and chimpanzees are our closest living relatives.
Modern human vs neandertal brain size
Many people are under the misconception that Homo neanderthal had a smaller brain than modern humans since they were not as evolved. But their brains were just as large as ours and often larger, proportional to their brawnier bodies. Homo neanderthal brain size was larger than the average modern human brain and averaged 1500 cubic centimetres and an average 3.3 lbs. This is to be expected, as Neanderthals were generally heavier and more muscular than modern humans. People that live in cold climates also tend to have larger brains than those living in warm climates.
Human brain and language
The human brain is divided into two hemispheres. The left hemisphere is the “logical brain” and is involved in language and analysis and the right hemisphere is the “creative brain,” involved in daydreaming and imagination.
Modern human throat anatomy
The hyoid bone, which is the only bone in the body not connected to any other, is the foundation of speech and is found only in humans and Neanderthals.
Other animals have versions of the hyoid, but only the human variety is in the right position to work in unison with the larynx and tongue and make us the chatterboxes of the animal world.
Environment and growth and development
Over the past 100 years, the study of environmental influences on human physical growth and development has focused on the influences of social and economic factors; family and household characteristics; urbanization/modernization; nutrition; and features of the physical environment such as altitude, temperature and climate.
Agriculture and infectious disease
Changes in the natural environment and agricultural systems induced by economic and industrial development, including population dynamics (growth, urbanization, migration), are major causes resulting in the persistence, emergence and re-emergence of infectious diseases in developing countries.
Early hominins and obtaining meat
Acquired meat by 1. eating stuff already dead 2. confrontational scavenging 3. passive scavenging.
Direct physical evidence of human ancestors
is obtainable only through the fossil record.
Forensic anthropology: What part of the body is best for determining age at death and sex of an adult.
Pelvis & Skull.
Females have wider pelvis for birth
Females brows are smoother
Males brows are more ridged
Males have a larger mastade process at base of skull
Taphonomy
Taphonomy is the study of what happens to organic remains from the time of death until discovery
Taxanomy
The classification of organisms.
Factors influencing blood
ABO System, A, B, AB, O, effected and determined by the types of bacteria that are presented.
Relative limb length
We don’t have super long legs, shorter arms, longer legs.
Early Stone Age
Oldowan
