ch. 6

Question 1

arboreal hypothesis

Answer 1

explanation for primate evolution, purposes that life in trees was responsible for enhanced visual acuity, manual dexterity in primates

Question 2

visual predation hypothesis

Answer 2

an explanation for primate evolution that proposes that hunting behavior in tree dwelling primates was responsible for their enhanced visual acuity and manual dexterity.

Question 3

bipedalism

Answer 3

form of terrestrial locomotion where organism walks on 2 legs

Question 4

abduction

Answer 4

movement away from midline of body or away from the centre of hand or foot

Question 5

adduction

Answer 5

movement towards midline of body, or towards centre of hand/foot

Question 6

ardipithecus

Answer 6

one of earliest genera of bipeds that lived in East Africa. divided into A. kadabba (older- 5.2-5.8 million years ago) and A. ramidus (younger- 4.4 million years ago)

Question 7

australopithicus

Answer 7

genus including several species of early bipeds from South/East Africa living between 1.1-4.3 million years ago

Question 8

rifting

Answer 8

in geology, process by which a rift, or long narrow zone of faulting, results when geological plates seperate.

Question 9

Savannah

Answer 9

semi-arid plains environment with few scattered trees

Question 10

diastema

Answer 10

space between canines and other teeth allowing large canines to fit within jaw

Question 11

kenyanthropus platyops

Answer 11

proposed species and genus of biped contemporaneous with early Australopithecines; may not be separate genus

Question 12

gracile australopithecine

Answer 12

1 member of genus Australopithecus possessing a more lightly built chewing apparatus; diet probably included more meat. best represented by South African species A. Africanus

Question 13

robust australopithecine

Answer 13

another member of genus Australopithecus, living from 1-2.5 million years ago in east/South Africa. known for rugged nature of chewing apparatus. large back teeth, chewing muscles + bony ridge on skull to allow for large muscles

Question 14

saggital crest

Answer 14

crest running from front-back on top of skull along the midline to provide a surface of bone for the attachment of the large temporal muscles for chewing.

Question 15

law of competitive exclusion

Answer 15

when 2 closely related species compete for the sam niche. one will outcompete the other allowing for the latter of extinction.

Question 16

Australopithecus sediba

Answer 16

recently identified species of South African gracile australopithecine dated precisely to 1.97-1.98 million years ago with derived homo-like characteristics in hands/pelvis.