Ch. 4 -- The Human Lineage

Question 1

Acheulean tradition

Answer 1

The stone-tool tradition associated with Hono erectus (I.e., symmetrical handaxe)

Question 2

Altricial

Answer 2

The condition of being born at an immature stage of development (birds)

Question 3

Acheulean handaxe

Answer 3

Symmetrical, bifacially flaked, teardrop-shaped, all-purpose stone tool of the later Early Paleolithic created by Homo erectus

Question 4

Calvarium

Answer 4

The top part of a skull, lacking the lower jaw (mandible) and facial bones

Question 5

Cortex

Answer 5

The exterior surface or rind of a core, usually removed in the process of stone-tool manufacturing

Question 6

Glacial

Answer 6

Period of ice advance during the Pleistocene.

Generally long-lived (many thousands of years).
Interrupted by equally long, warmer periods called interglacials.

Question 7

Glacier

Answer 7

A massive body of ice that, through a number of processes, can expand and actually move.

Question 8

Handaxe

Answer 8

Bifacially chipped, symmetrical stone tools associated with Homo erectus populations in Africa and Europe

Question 9

Holocene epoch

Answer 9

The recent and current geological epoch

Followed the Pleistocene- may represent a break with that glacial epoch, or may merely represent a short-lived respite in glaciation, an interglacial rather than a new and different epoch

Question 10

Interglacial

Answer 10

Period during the Pleistocene when temperature ameliorated

Lasted for thousands of years and were proceeded and followed by glacials

Question 11

Interstadial

Answer 11

Short periods during glacials when temperature increased and glaciers receded

Question 12

Microcephaly

Answer 12

A congenital condition characterized by a very small head and incomplete development of the brain

Question 13

Neoteny

Answer 13

“Holding on to youth”

Used to describe a feature of modern human beings– that the cranial morphology of modern adult human beings is more similar to that of subadult chimpanzees than it is to adults of that ape species

Question 14

Occipital

Answer 14

Area to the rear of the skull

In ancient hominids, the occipital area tends to be massive and robust, but in anatomically modern humans it tends to be smooth and gracile

Question 15

Paleomagnetism

Answer 15

Dating method based on the movement of the earth’s magnetic poles

Question 16

Pleistocene epoch

Answer 16

Geological epoch beginning about 2.6 mya & perhaps ending about 10,000 ya

Marked by a succession of colder periods (glacials) interrupted by warmer periods (interglacials)

Large portions of the earth covered by ice and sea level was depressed

Question 17

Preform

Answer 17

Partially worked core, flake, or blade

First general steps have been made in producing a tool

Question 18

Prognathous

Answer 18

The quality of having a forward-thrusting lower face

Question 19

Secondarily altricial

Answer 19

Human infants are born at an advanced - precocial - state in terms of sensory and brain development, but at an immature and dependent - altricial - state physically

Question 20

Stadial

Answer 20

Short period of increased glaciation

Can occur during either glacials or interglacials and are separated by interstadials

Question 21

Supraorbital torus

Answer 21

A continuous ridge of bone above and across the eye orbits

Question 22

Three-dimensional computed tomography

Answer 22

Technique for producing a three-dimensional virtual image

Question 23

Tibia

Answer 23

The larger of the two long bones making up the lower leg