chap 11- glossary Flashcards
arboreal
Arboreal- related to, or living in, trees.
australopithecine
Australopithecine- a term for bipedal apes of fossil genera Australopithecus and Paranthropus that inhabited eastern and southern Africa between 1.4 and at least 4.2 mya.
bipedalism
Bipedalism- a type of locomotion in which an organism walks on two hind limbs.
brachiation
Brachiation- a type of locomotion in which an organism swings between the limbs of trees.
brain case
Brain case- the part of the cranium that encloses the brain.
brow ridge
Brow ridge- a bony ridge above the eye sockets.
carrying angle
Carrying angle- the angle at which the femur is tilted in towards the knee.
cerebral cortex
Cerebral cortex- the outermost layer of the brain.
cognitive capacity
Cognitive capacity- an organisms innate intelligence, ability to learn, plan, evaluate, make decisions and apply new knowledge and skills.
cranial capacity
Cranial capacity- the volume of the brain case.
cranium
Cranium- the skull, excluding the mandible.
cultural evolution
Cultural evolution- the way beliefs social practices, skills and technology change over time.
denisovan
Denisovan- a distinct, but undescribed, ancient hominin known primarily from bone fragments found in Denisova Cave in Siberia.
dentition
Dentition- arrangement of the teeth.
exocrine gland
Exocrine gland- a gland that secretes a substance through a duct to the outer surface of the body.
foramen magnum
Foramen magnum- the hole in the base of the skull through which the spinal cord passes.
gracile
of slender build
hallux
Hallux- the big toe, or innermost toe of the foot.
haplogroup
Haplogroup- a group of organisms that have the same genetic mutations in a single chromosome and are descendants of a common ancestor through either the maternal (mtDNA) or the paternal (Y chromosome) line of inheritance.
haplotype
Haplotype- the unique combination of genetic mutations in the DNA sequences of a single chromosome (e.g. mtDNA or Y chromosome) that are shared by different organisms and indicate common ancestry.
hominin
Hominin- a member of tribe Hominini; modern humans and their extinct bipedal ancestors.
hominoid
Hominoid- a member of the superfamily Hominidae; an ape, or tail-less primate.
kya
thousands of years ago
language
Language- the system of spoken or written communication comprising distinctive words and the rules by which the words are organised and expressed.
mammal
Mammal- a warm-blooded vertebrate animal that has hair or fur, and the females secrete milk to nourish their offspring.
mammary gland
Mammary gland- a gland in female mammals that produces milk.
mandible
Mandible- the lower jawbone of the skull.
midden
Midden- a pile of discarded waste left by humans in the past.
oviparous
Oviparous- an animal that lays eggs that are expelled from the body and from which juveniles hatch.
paleoanthropology
Palaeoanthropology- the field of study concerned with fossil hominins.
placental
Placental- describes an animal in which he foetus develops inside the mother while attached to an organ that provides nutrients and oxygen and removes wastes.
postcranial
Postcranial- all of the skeleton, except the skull.
precision grip
Precision grip- a grip defined by the tips of the thumb and fingers pressing together to finely manipulate an object.
prefrontal cortex
Prefrontal cortex- the portion of cerebral cortex that covers the front part of the brain.
prehensile
Prehensile- capable of curling and grasping.
primate
Primate- a member of the order Primata; includes lemurs, lorises, tarsiers, monkeys, apes and modern humans.
prognathism
Prognathism- a condition in which the jaws protrude from the plane of the face.
quadrapedalism
Quadrapedalism- a type of locomotion in which an organism walks on four limbs.
recent single origin
Recent single origin- a hypothesis that modern humans evolved in Africa and subsequently migrated out and colonised the other continents; also known as Out of Africa hypothesis.
robust
of sturdy build
sagittal crest
Sagittal crest- a prominent raised bony ridge along the midline of the skull.
sagittal keel
Sagittal keel- a thickening of bone along the midline of the skull.
sebaceous gland
Sebaceous gland- a gland in the skin that secretes oils that lubricate and protect patches of skin and hair.
sexual dimorphism
Sexual dimorphism- where males and females of a species have different morphologies, often in shape or size.
stereoscopic
Stereoscopic- describes vision that has a sense of depth.
superfamily
Superfamily- a taxonomic rank immediately superior to the traditional rank of family; a superfamily may contain multiple taxonomic families.
suspensory locomotion
Suspensory locomotion- a type of locomotion in which an organism hangs or moves beneath the limbs of trees.
sweat gland
Sweat gland- a gland in the skin that secretes sweat.
tribe
Tribe- a taxonomic rank inserted between family and genus.
viviparous
Viviparous- an animal that gives birth to live young.
