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Anthropology > Exam 2 > Flashcards

Exam 2 Flashcards

(78 cards)

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1
Q

How are hominins identified?

A

Bipedalism

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2
Q

What is the main advantage of bipedalism?

A

It is energy efficient; The movement is economical, and it allows for safe movement during midday

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3
Q

Who was Selam?

A

Australopithecus afarensis, dated 3.3 MYA
3 year old female child; brain was still developing at time of death

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4
Q

What 2 unique human traits are connected?

A

Bipedalism and prolonged childhood (slower brain development)

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5
Q

Punctuated Equilibruim

A

Stability in the fossil record followed by periods of rapid change; Fits the human fossil record best

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6
Q

What are some features of Archaic H. Sapiens?

A

Pronounced brow ridges
Lower forehead
Occipital bun
No chin
Shorter
More robust
Shorter limbs
Cold-adapted

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7
Q

What are some features of Anatomically Modern H. Sapiens?

A

Little or no brow ridge
High rounded brain case
Flatter occipital region
Distinctive chin
Taller
More gracile
Longer limbs
Tropical-adapted

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8
Q

Symbolic Consciousness

A

Information able to be stored outside of the human brain

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9
Q

What are the benefits of symbolic consciousness?

A

Access to a greater volume of information allows for more complex problem solving

Transmission of social information allows for more complex forms of social organization

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10
Q

Mitochondrial DNA

A

Maps the geographic dispersal of modern humans; Everyone shares L haplotypes

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11
Q

How can race best be described?

A

Race is a social construct, not a meaningful way of understanding human variability. Race incorrectly views human biological variability as having fixed categories with clearly defined categories

Race can more correctly be understood as being clinal, fluid and continuous

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12
Q

Racism

A

A complex system of power relationships that draws upon culturally constructed categories of race

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13
Q

Individual Racism

A

Personal prejudiced beliefs and discriminatory actions

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14
Q

Institutional Racism

A

Impersonal patterns of racial inequality structured by cultural institutions, policies, and systems

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15
Q

What is the Paleolithic Period also known as?

A

The Old Stone Age

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16
Q

Oldowan

A

Stone cobbles with minimally worked edges; Made by H. habilis

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17
Q

Acheulian

A

Teardrop shaped “hand axes;” Made by H. erectus

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18
Q

Flake

A

A fragment of stone removed from a core

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19
Q

Core

A

A nucleus or mass of rock that shows signs of flake removal

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20
Q

Percussion Flaking

A

Removal of hard flakes by striking the core with an object

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21
Q

Hard Hammer

A

Stone

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22
Q

Soft Hammer

A

Bone or antler

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23
Q

Pressure Flaking

A

Removal of flakes by applying pressure to the edge

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24
Q

Foragers

A

Societies that subsist on wild plant and animal resources

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25
Through what means do forager economies respond to seasonal and geographic fluctuations in resource availability?
Scheduling, storage, and mobility
26
What types of storage do hunter-gatherers use?
Physical storage Ecological storage Social storage Biological storage
27
Upon what do mobility strategies depend on?
Environment
28
What storage strategies do foragers use?
Move people to resources Daily foraging Residential mobility
29
What storage strategies do collectors use?
Move resources to people Storage of surpluses Logistical mobility
30
Generalized Reciprocity
How people share things with no regard for their value or interest in compensation; The primary mechanism of exchange among foragers
31
What are some features of general reciprocity?
Gift giving (value & time of repayment aren't specified) Social connections hold priority over the gift itself Balanced resource variability (social storage)
32
How does band level political organization work within hunter-gatherer groups?
Groups are small scale with no absolute authority Egalitarian social relationships Control is maintained through informal mechanisms (shame, accusations of witchcraft, etc)
33
The First Hominins
Species: Ardipithecus Australopithecus Age: 5-2.5 MYA Physical Trait: Bipedalism Behavioral Trait: Prolonged childhood
34
The First Humans
Species: Homo habilis Homo erectus Age: 2.5 MYA-500 KYA Physical Trait: Big brains Behavioral Trait: Adaptation to environmental change
35
Archaic Humans
Species: Neanderthals Age: 500-40 KYA Physical Trait: Occipital bun Brow ridges Behavioral Trait:
36
Behaviorally Modern Humans
Species: Behaviorally modern humans Age: 90 KYA-present Physical Trait: Behavioral Trait: Symbolic consciousness
37
Anatomically Modern Humans
Species: Anatomically modern humans Age: 200-90 KYA Physical Trait: Rounded frontal cortex Behavioral Trait:
38
Lower Paleolithic
Core tool industries Scavenging, possible hunting Controlled use of fire
39
Middle Paleolithic
Flake tool industries and levallois cores Efficient use of stone Hand-held spears
40
Upper Paleolithic
Blade cores, pressure flaking, tools as symbols Rapid stylistic and technological change Atlatls and bone harpoons Long distance acquisition of materials Cave paintings
41
What features are different in bipedals when compared with quadropedals?
Spine is 'S' shaped Foramen magnum is at bottom of head Pelvis is wide Compact, arched foot without an opposable big toe
42
What are the features of Australopithecus?
Short, bipedal hominins Small, chimp-like brains
43
What was likely the diet of Australopithecines?
A vegetarian diet
44
What was likely the diet of Homo habilis?
A diet full of fats and meat, found through scavenging
45
Hypo-descent
One-drop rule (Common in the U.S. and Japan)
46
Who colonized greater Australia?
Modern humans colonized greater Australia 70,000 years ago by crossing 70 km of open ocean over and over again
47
What important features did Homo habilis possess?
Larger cranial capacity Decreased prognathism (bulging out (protrusion) of the lower jaw) Big brain relative to body size Increase in brain folds (surface area) Enlargement of Broca's area (linked to speech)
48
Why did the genus Hom show up 2.5 MYA?
Territory detached from environmental boundaries Ability to learn new environments Adapted to environmental instability
49
Universalism
The belief that social systems have operated roughly the same way all over the world at all times past and present
50
Mode of Subsistence
A way in which people interact with the environment to meet their needs. Each mode of subsistence involves its own forms of knowledge, techniques, technologies, and social organization
51
Gathering-Hunting
The mode of subsistence in which people rely on resources readily available in their environment. Gathering-hunting peoples collect fruits, nuts, berries, and roots and harvest honey. They also hunt and trap wild animals
52
Seminomadic
The practice of settling in one place for a period of time, usually a few weeks, then moving to a new site to find fresh resources
53
Bands
A form of social organization associated with gatherer-hunter societies. Bands are relatively small, often around 50 people, ideal for a nomadic or seminomadic lifestyle
54
Egalitarian
Emphasizing equality and sharing
55
Analogous Structures
Anatomical similarities between two species that suggest not a common ancestor but rather similar environmental adaptations
56
Angiosperm Theory
A hypothesis that suggests that primate origins and typical primate characteristics developed in response to the emergence of flowering plants
57
Arboreal Theory
A hypothesis that proposes that primates evolved the traits they did as an adaptation to life in the trees
58
Artificial Selection
The process of deliberately breeding certain specimens of plants or animals to encourage desired traits
59
Biological Species Definition
A definition of species as members of populations that actually or potentially interbreed in nature
60
Catastrophism
The theory that changes in Earth’s fauna and flora were caused by supernatural catastrophic forces rather than evolution
61
Binomial Nomenclature
The scientific naming system developed by Carolus Linnaeus that represents two parts of a taxonomic name. The name is italicized, the genus is always capitalized, and the species is always lowercased. For example: Homo sapiens
62
Derived Characteristics
Physical traits that are present in related organisms but absent from their last common ancestor. They are often associated with a speciation event
63
Foramen Magnum
The opening at the base of the skull where the spinal column and nerves enter to reach the brain. The position of the foramen magnum can be used to determine if a species was bipedal
64
Genetic Anthropology
A branch of biological anthropology that uses molecular science to explore questions concerning human origins, early human migrations, and the appearance of disease across time
65
Genetic Drift
Random changes in the frequencies of alleles in a gene pool
66
Interspecific Variation
The genetic variation seen between two species
67
Intraspecific Variation
The genetic variation seen within a species
68
Prognathism
Projection of the face, as seen in many nonhuman primates and early hominins
69
Taxonomy
The science or technique of naming and classifying life
70
Sexual Dimorphism
Differences in physical characteristics other than reproductive organs that appear between males and females of the same species
71
Out of Africa Theory
Theory that proposes that Homo sapiens developed first in Africa and then spread around the world between 100,000 and 200,000 years ago
72
Occipital Bun
An anatomical feature seen in the Neanderthal skull that appears in the rear of the skull
73
Mitochondrial Eve
Genes traced through mitochondrial DNA that represent the female genetic originator of all humans who lived 200,000 years ago in Africa
74
Encephalization Quotient
A measurement defined as the ratio between brain and body size
75
Coevolution
An interaction between different species that influences each species’ evolution; the simplest case of this is predator-prey relationships
76
Handedness
The use of a dominant hand, suggests lateralization of the brain and cognitive development
77
Hafting
The process of attaching stone points to a handle, which increases a tool’s effectiveness for hunting
78
Evolutionary Mismatch
A hypothesis that disease and nutritional deficiencies result when people’s bodies are unable to adapt to an environment that they have not spent most of their evolutionary history in

Anthropology (4 decks)

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