Anthropology Flashcards
Subfields of physical anthropology
Biological anthropology
Primatology
Forensic anthropology
Subfields of cultural anthropology
Archaeology
Linguistics
Ethnology (studying living cultures)
Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution was based on his study of the diverse groups of _________ found on the Galapagos islands
finches
Because each island had a unique environment, Darwin hypothesized that the finches adapted through the process of _________________
natural selection
T or F: No 2 members of a species are exactly alike
True
Natural selection
Members of a species that survive pass on their unique characteristics to their offspring so that over time, successful variations produce a new species
The peppered moth → light moths blended in with the light-coloured trees, but once the trees were darkened by soot, the dark moths were able to camouflage themselves from predators (e.g. birds), live longer and breed more
Example of natural selection
Does natural selection mean that species are improving?
NO - those best suited to the environment are more likely to survive
K-T extinction event
Dinosaurs and 3/4ths of other species went extinct → temperature and oxygen levels dropped
Dinosaurs vs. Shrews
Dinosaur:
- Large, cold-blooded reptile
- No parenting skills
Shrew:
- Small, warm-blooded mammal with fur
- Care of young
Features humans share w/ primates (name 4)
Opposable thumbs
Large brain
Binocular vision
Dependent offspring
Social nature
Aggressive and territorial
Opposable thumbs allow for _______________ and _______________
fine motor control
use of tools
Binocular vision allows for _______________ and _______________
depth perception
spotting food sources & predators at far distances
Features unique to humans
Bipedalism
Language
An ancient ape-like species whose physical traits represent a transition from ape to human
Australopithecus (A. afarensis)
The jaw of an australopithecus is _________ than that of an ape and it walked _________
upright
Difference between the feet of a chimp and the feet of australopithecus/human
Chimp → grasping foot
Australopithecus/human → bipedal
Australopithecus to homo erectus
2.4 million years ago, a genetic mutation caused ____________ to become weaker
This resulted in smaller ____________________ and gradual recession of the ____________________
jaw muscle
zygomatic arches (cheekbones)
sagittal crest
Smaller jaws (australopithecus to homo erectus) led to an increased in ____________________
cranial capacity (brain size)
Positive impacts of smaller jaw/larger brain (name 3)
- Tool creation
- Language development
- Cooking food
- Weapons for hunting and defence
- Symbolic thought (art, religion, culture)
Negative impacts of smaller jaw/larger brain
Smaller jaw: Inability to process tough foods, more vulnerable to predators
Larger brain: Requires more calories (20% of caloric intake), increases food demand
How did bipedalism lead to a smaller birth canal?
Pelvic bones shifted to provide more stability for upright movement
Positive impacts of bipedalism (name 2)
Can scan horizon to avoid predatory attacks
Frees hands to use tools and transport food
Travel long distances
Obstetrical dilemma
Larger brain + smaller birth canal = pain
To pass through birth canal, babies were born with…
soft skulls and underdeveloped brains (for this reason, young are altricial)
Structures that have lost their original functions but give us clues about our ancestors
Vestigial structures
5 vestigial structures
appendix
wisdom teeth
male breasts & nipples
coccyx (tailbone)
body hair & erector pili
Original purpose of appendix
Help digest a largely herbivorous diet
Why is the appendix now obsolete?
Our diet is no longer mainly rough vegetation
Original purpose of wisdom teeth
Ancestors needed larger jaws and more teeth to grind a largely raw diet
Lost several teeth due to wear and poor dental hygiene → wisdom teeth to replace lost teeth
Wisdom teeth are now obsolete because
1. They’re trying to grow into a jaw that is too ________
2. We now have __________
3. We now have __________
small
cooking (softer foods)
improved dental hygiene
All mammals (male and female) have _______________ and nipples present in early stages of fetal development
In a later stage of fetal development, testosterone in males cause male traits to develop, but the __________ remain
mammary glands
nipples
Mammals use tails for balance, communication, and in some primates, as a _________ limb.
As ancestors were learning to ______________, the tail became unnecessary
prehensile
walk upright
Erector pili
tiny muscle fibers that cause body hair to stand up, causes mammal to appear larger when threatened
Why body hair & erector pili is now obsolete
Humans developed other methods to stay warm
Primates share these characteristics with humans (great apes)
Tool use
Learn through observation
Develop complex social hierarchies
Form culture
Orangutans (Camp Leakey in Borneo) learn to use tools by ________________
Chimps (Congo) use tools to ___________
Chimps (Uganda) establish dominance hierarchies through ___________ (social connections established through social grooming, hunting, and sharing of meat)
observing humans
crack nuts
aggression
One piece of evidence of upright walking → early human footprints found in Tanzania. Why might they have walked upright?
Flooded grasslands necessitated wading upright through the water
Humans once only obtained meat by persistence hunting (e.g. the San people of the Kalahari desert). What is persistence hunting?
tracking and outrunning an animal
Animals who submit to _______________ (e.g. wolves) were chosen for domestication
dominance hierarchies