Chapter 8- Primate Models for the Evolution of Human Behavior

Question 1

Washburn and Devore 1961 study was important because they did what to discuss early human behavior (compare it)

Answer 1

Utilized savanna baboons as a model of early hominin behavior because they live in open areas and spend much of the day on the ground

Question 2

Encephalization

Answer 2

the proportional size of the brain relative to some other measure, usually an estimate of overall body size, such as weight. The term refers to increases in brain size beyond what would be expected given the body size of a particular species

Question 3

allometry

Answer 3

scaling, the differential proportion among various anatomical structures. Conducted when comparing species

Question 4

Cortex

Answer 4

the layer that covers the cerebral hemispheres, which in turn cover more primitive or older structures related to bodily functions and the sense of smell. Composed of neurons

Question 5

Neocortex-

Answer 5

the more recently evolved portions of the cortex of the brain that are involved with higher mental functions and composed of areas that integrate incoming information from different sensory organs.

Question 6

Human prenatal growth is restricted until when?

Answer 6

after birth

Question 7

important points about brain development

Answer 7

Primate brains increased in relative size and complexity because of social groups (theory 1)
The brains evolved because of a food advantage (theory 2)
Group size is limited by brain size to the extent that a group can’t be made up of more animals than individuals can recognize and interact with (pg 216)

Question 8

Nonhuman communication consists of mostly involuntary vocalizations and actions that convey information solely about an animal’s emotional state, may be disconnected from time. what is this

Answer 8

the traditional viewpoint about language in primates

Question 9

what does Broces area do?

Answer 9

it is in the left frontal lob, controls speech and speech muscles, located in the motor cortex

Question 10

what does Wenicke’s area do?

Answer 10

left temporal lob, processes auditory information

Question 11

why are these areas important to evolutIon?

Answer 11

specialization in these areas may have preceeded evolution

Question 12

What regulates speech in humans and what is its call sign?

Answer 12

gene FOXP2

Question 13

How does the human protein in FOXP2 differ from that of apes?

Answer 13

two amino acid substitutes

Question 14

CUTURAL BEHAVIOR (CB) of Japanese Macaques

Answer 14

Imo washed their potato in a stream before eating, 3 other monkeys were doing the same thing several years later- dietary practices and food habits are learned

Question 15

Orantutans CB

Answer 15

19 behaviors that seem to be cultural varients, use of nets for play and activites and not sleeping, roofs, used sticks to scratch bodies and leaves as napkins

Question 16

Gorilla CB

Answer 16

used a walking stick like a cane through a river

Question 17

Chimps CB

Answer 17

fish for insects with sticks, used anvils to open nuts, dig for food with tools, shows planning, attention to shape and size of objects lead itself to a preconceived idea of what finished product should look like

Question 18

Capuchins CB

Answer 18

use small branches to probe for water, used stones to obtain food

Question 19

anthropocentric

Answer 19

Viewing nonhuman organisms in terms of human experience, emphasizing humans over everything else

Question 20

Core area-

Answer 20

the portion of a home range containing the highest concentration of resources, most aggressively defended area

Question 21

Territory

Answer 21

the portion of a home range actively defended against intrusion, particularly by members of the same species

Question 22

Chimps are violent bastards, why?

Answer 22

gang up on others, lethal “raids” of other chimp groups in Uganda (goodall)

Question 23

Prosocial behaviors in primates include

Answer 23

Include assistance, sharing, care giving, and perhaps even compassion

Question 24

examples of altruism in chimps

Answer 24

sit near dying relatives, rescue those who fall in water, come to aid of relatives, adoption of orphan animals,

Question 25

• individuals are more likely to perform risky or self sacrificing behaviors for the benefit of a relative who shares genes with the performer

Answer 25

kin selection hypothesis

Question 26

Group selection

Answer 26

an individual may act altruistically to benefit other group members because ultimately it’s to the performers benefit that the group be maintained