comparative anatomy and human brain evolution

Question 1

hindbrain parts

Answer 1

cerebellum and medulla oblongata

Question 2

midbrain

Answer 2

optic lobes

Question 3

forebrain

Answer 3

olfactory lobes, cerebral hemispheres, thalamic area

Question 4

three characteristics that distinguish primates from other animals

Answer 4

eyes at front of face
excellent color vision
depth perception and good fine motor coordination
usually one infant per pregnancy, long period of childcare
larger brains

Question 5

distinguish apes from other primates

Answer 5

live in trees (arboreal)
shoulder joints limber so can swing in trees
more intelligent with larger brains

Question 6

hominids from apes

Answer 6

walk upright
unrotated big toe, helps with walking and running upright
pelvis and neck different

Question 7

table

Answer 7

several species alive at same time

Question 8

how long ago homo genus organisms appeared, what different

Answer 8

2-2.5 million years ago

dental pattern similar to modern humans, stone tools

Question 9

when modern humans appear

Answer 9

appear within past 200000 years in asia and north africa, past 100000 years in europe

Question 10

when other hominids die off

Answer 10

30000 years ago in europe and 18000 years ago in asia

Question 11

great rift valley lead to speciation

Answer 11

west had wet tropical jungles, east had drier land with more grass and fewer trees

Question 12

how does reduction in trees lead to upright posture

Answer 12

more exposure to sun so change how travel
can’t live in trees so walk
can see prey and predators over grass
faster locomotion

Question 13

upright posture advantages

Answer 13

efficient and rapid mode of locomotion
regulates body temperature
tree climbing
seeing
hands free
tools
caring for offspring
energy, height

Question 14

fruit cause brain or brain cause fruit

Answer 14

getting fruit more complex than getting vegetables bc fruit is on specific trees, during certain seasons, highly competitive
primates needed good sensory, motor, spatial, and memory skills to get fruit and ability to deal with competitors and good communication

Question 15

how did cooling system improve brains

Answer 15

larger brains evolved because more blood vessels evolved to cool the larger brain. there are holes in the skull so the blood vessels can be close to skin and release heat, without this brain would overheat if got too big

Question 16

neoteny

Answer 16

keeping juvenile characteristics as an adult

slowing rate of development leads to retention in adulthood of features that appeared in earlier phase

Question 17

how does remaining in juvenile stage of life for so long help brain development

Answer 17

infant skulls have fontanels, larger brain development bc skull can fit through pelvic girdle
more time for brain cells to be produced and develop

Question 18

brain size and intelligence relationship

Answer 18

none

Question 19

culture

Answer 19

mental, how the physical social and intellectual environments around us shape our behaviors and mental processes

Question 20

structures that increase

Answer 20

cerebellum and cerebral hemispheres/cerebrum

Question 21

structures that decrease

Answer 21

olfactory lobes, pons, optic lobe

proportionally smaller bc other structures have gotten larger

Question 22

how increase or decrease would change behavior

Answer 22

increase in cerebrum means more learning and memory, speech
decrease in optic lobes changed when animals sleep and wake bc less good night vision
increase in cerebellum means more complex movement
worse send of smell

Question 23

function of cerebrum

Answer 23

fish: reception and conduction of smell impulses
amphibians: sense of smell
reptiles: sense of smell
birds: control of instinctive behavioral patterns
humans: motor area, motor speech area, some visceral activities, association areas

Question 24

cerebellum differences

Answer 24

amphibians: least complex, muscle movements
fish: swimming
mammals: most complex, upright walking
reptiles: four legs on land
bird: flying

Question 25

what effect does smooth v crinkled cerebral hemispheres have

Answer 25

convolutions = more surface area, more neurons/connections without folds, not learning but instinctual behaviors
more information

Question 26

two areas larger on cat

Answer 26

cerebrum bc learned behaviors
cerebellum bc good balance
optic lobes bc good eyesight