final exam Flashcards
primate sociality and culture
sociality: groups are held together by kin selection (if you help you kin, your evolutionary fitness improves)
–>if you are not bound by kin ties, they tend not to live in same groups
culture: some use tools, teach offspring, games, grooming, hand clasping, food acquisition
domestication theories
could humans be self domesticated? this may be the reason why humans live in social groups (this was a selective pressure to be social) this would have benefits such as food sharing, division of labor, protection, healing and caretaking.
aspects of culture
ways of life passed down through a population
(art, language, values, religion, societal roles)
cultural evolution
idea that cultures evolve (become better and more complex)
language definition
language in symbolic speech that is taught, learned, and culturally mediated (spoken, written, or signed)
biology of language
wernicke’s area: helps understand language as it is heard
broca’s area: helps brain produce language; controls mouth movement to form words
hyoid bone: must be in correct position and correct form to produce the variety of sounds needed for speech
–>foxP2 gene: precise control of the larynx
language cognition
voluntary control of sensory motor systems: (mouthing; FoxP2 gene)
imitation of copying a motor action: (imitate sounds as babies which then becomes paired with a meaning and impacts how information is perceived/conveyed)
theory of mind: attributing mental states to ourselves and others (reflects the thoughts and actions of ourselves and others)
primate language
neanderthals argued to have some sort of symbolic thought (art, jewelry, etc)
–>they have a human looking hyoid bone but foxP2 gene was not evolved yet
primates can communicate through olfactory, visually, auditory/vocally, tactile (not necessarily language)
dna functions
dna contains the instructions needed for an organism to develop, survive, and reproduce
protein synthesis
proteins are synthesized through transcription (makes rna copy of a gene), rna processing (removes introns from RNA, splicing), and translation (rna is read and amino acids are chained together to form proteins/ribosomes)
epigenetics
how genes are regulated without changing the underlying sequence
genomics
focuses on how the genome works, large parts of the genome like haplogroups
–> a genome: all the genetic material for an organism
dtc genetic testing
(direct to consumer) performed without guidance of medical professionals
–>compares consumers DNA to others who use the service
–>often not conclusive
anthropologys history of racism
ties to scientific racism (races are based on cranial form variation and skin color, graded based on civilization, biological determinism (behavior determined by genes) eugenics (used to produce a population with desirable, heritable characteristics)
early race concepts
races could be decided based on cranial form variation and skin color
types of adjustments
race shifted to population because it refers to a group in which individuals are part of the same gene pool
adaptations
trait that has become common as a result of natural selection over many generations (inherited and on the population level)
–>in cold weather compact body shape and limbs are shorter, in hot weather narrower body and longer limbs
–>bergmann’s rule: stocky bodies are better in cold climates
–>allen’s rule: shorter appendages are better in cold climates
–>nasal cavity shape varies with humidity and temperature
–>genetic adaptations vary by region
–>skin tone depends on melanin production
–>lactase persistence
ancient dna
study of DNA extracted from specimens that died hundreds of years ago, aDNA determine the sex of an indiviudal
bioarcheology and forensic anthropology
bioarcheology: Study of human remains from
archaeological context
Forensic anthropology: Application of anthropological
principles to legal and criminal investigations (identify individuals from skeletal remains)
steps of skeletal analysis
1.Is it bone?
2.Is it human?
3.Is it modern or archeological?
4.How many individuals are present
(minimum number)?
5.Who is it?
6.Is there evidence of trauma before or
around the time of death?
7.What happened to the remains after
death?
biological profile
Sex, Age, Stature, Ancestry, Skeletal variation, Trauma, Pathology
skeletal trauma
trauma associated with the death event (antemortem, perimortem, postmortem)
–> can be blunt force, projective, thermal, or sharp force
taphonomy
The study of what happens to remains after death
NAGPRA
Native American Grave Protection and
Repatriation Act 1990
–>Provides protection and repatriation protocol
for Native American and Native Hawaiian
remains, cultural items, sacred objects (protection for graves on federal/private lands, recognition of tribal authority on the lands, requirement that remains/artifacts be inventoried and groups be notified
forensic genetics
genetic tools and scientific methodology to solve criminal and civil litigations (ex. use of genetic testing websites like 23 and me to find ancestors)
human decomposition
Informs forensic anthropologists of how long ago an individual may have died or been moved to a different location and traumas (very climate specific which means temp. humidity, oxygen availability, sun wind, and scavenging can affect it)
body farms
research facilities where decomposition of humans and animals can be studied
archealogical dating methods
stratigraphy grading: Relative dating method, Can be combined with other types of dating, Main dating method (cheapest)
radiocarbon dating:
Absolute dating method, Radioactive carbon 14 breaks down to carbon 13 at a predictable rate, Accuracy depends on preservation, Done on organic material (not fossils→mineralized)
dendrochronology: Absolute dating method, Seasonal effects of growth, 1 ring per year, Mainly used in historical contexts
stable isotope analysis
Bones (Where did they grow up),
hair/nail/skin (Where did they live more recently)