FINAL Review Flashcards
Opposable Thumbs
Refers to primates thumb, in that it can touch each of the four fingertips, enabling a grasping ability (both power and precision grips)
Diurnal
Refers to those organisms that normally are awake and active during day-light hours
Dental formula
the numerical description of a species teeth, listing the number, in one quadrant of the jaws, of incisors, canines, premolars, and molars
Tooth comb
Anterior teeth (incisors and canines) that have been tilted forward, creating a scraper
Prehensile tail
a tail that acts as a kind of hand for support in trees, common in New World Monkeys
Brachiators
organisms that move by brachiation, or arm-swinging
Polygynous
a diffrence in a physical attribute between members of a species
Dimorphism
a diffence in a physical attribute between members of a species
Polyandrous
refers to a social group that includes one reproductively active female, several adult makes, and their offspring
Sexual selection
the frequency of traits that change due to those traits attractiveness to members of the opposite sex
Kin selection
Altruistic behaviors that increase the donor’s inclusive fitness, that is, the fitness of the donor’s relatives
Bilophodont molars
refers to lower molars, in Old World Monkeys, that have two ridges
Y-5 Molars
hominoids pattern of lower molar cusps
Habituation
you transform their (primates) behavior by making them tolerate your presence
Phylogeny
Evolutionary relationships among organisms; important basis for identifying and classifying organisms
Taxonomy
the classification of organisms into a system that reflects degree of relatedness
Analogous characters
Similar traits due to convergent evolution, not genetic relation
Homologous characters
Similar traits due to common descent
Ancestral characters
Homologous characters that appear early in the evolution of a lineage
Derived characters
Homologous traits that appear later in the evolution of a lineage
Anthropoidea
Includes both Platyrrhines (New World Monkeys) and Catarrhines (Old World Monkeys); exhibit larger brains, higher levels of sexual dimorphism, more social complexity, enclosed bony eye-sockets, and fewer teeth
Prosimian
Suborder of primates that exhibit a large reliance on sense of smell, have a combination of nails ad claws, lack complex social behaviors, are mostly nocturnal, and most have tooth combs
Catarrhine
(an infraorder); category pertains to Old World Monkeys and Apes. It is characterized by a wide range of habitats throughout Africa and Asia, but mostly live in tropics or subtropics. The primates in this group can be either terrestrial or arboreal
Platyrrhine
(an infraorder); category of New World Monkeys, word stems from “flat nose” these monkeys are found in the New World (Americas), and spend a lot of time in the trees. New World Monkeys are the only group that can exhibit prehensile tails. Their dental formula is 2133, with an extra premolar compared to catarrhines
Hominoid
(superfamily); includes lesser and Great Apes; no members of this group have tails
Folivore
a herbivore that specializes in eating leaves
Fossil
Remains of once-living organisms that have wholly or partially transformed into rock through a long process of chemical replacement
Taphonomy
The study of the deposition of plant or animal remains and the environment condition affecting their preservation
Stenod Law of Superposition
The principle that the lower in stratum, the older the age of each successive layer
Relative Dating
The arrangement of artifacts or events in a sequence relative to one another but without ties to calendrically measures time
Absolute Dating
The determination of the age of an object with reference to a specific timescale, such as a fixed calendar or in years before present (BP), based on measurable physical or chemical qualities or associations with written records; also called chronometric dating
Generic Dating
Method of dating using DNA in order to determine a chronology showing the amount of time since two species diverged in their evolution (the molecular clock)
Arboreal Hypothesis
The proposition that primates unique suite of traits is an adaptation to living in trees
Visual Predation Hypothesis
The proposition that unique primate traits arose as adaptations to prying on insects and small animals
Angiosperm Radiation Hypothesis
The proposition that certain primate traits occurred in response to the availability of fruit and flowers following the spread of angiosperms
Sivapithecus
A genus of Miocene apes thought to be ancestral orangutans
Gigantopithecus
A genus of Miocene apes from Asia, the largest primate that ever lived
Honing complex in apes
The dental form in which the upper canines are sharpened against the lower third premolars when the jaws are opened and closed
Piltdown Hoax
Hoax in which bone fragments of a modern ape paired with human skull were passed off as evidence of the earliest human ancestor as a “missing link”
Oldowan Complex
2.5 mya, the stone tool culture associated with late gracile and robust australopithecines and early Genus Homo
- includes primitive chopper tools (cores, flakes, and hammerstones). Used for hunting, confrontational scavenging, and passive scavenging
Acheulean Complex
1.5 mya - 250 kya, the stone tool culture associated with Homo erectus, including handaxes and other types of stone tools; more refined than the earlier Oldowan tools
Handaxe
The most dominant tool in the Acheulean complex, bifacial symmetrically worked pear-shaped stone tool characterized by a sharp edge for both cutting and scraping
Wallace Line
Deep water trench representing an abrupt limit of distribution for many major animal groups including Homo erectus
Movius Line
a theoretical line proposed by Movius; the limits of Acheulean handaxe technology; likely bamboo or other perishable tool technologies on the other side of this line
Mousterian Tools
the stone tool culture in which Neandertals produced tools using the Levallois technique
Levallois Technique
a distinctive method of stone tool production used during the Middle Paleolithic, in which the core was prepared and flakes removed from the surface before the final tool was detached from the core
Upper Paleolithic
Refers to the most recent part of the Old Stone Age, associated with early modern Homo sapiens and characterized by micro-blades and composite tools and other types of tools with various functions worked from bone and antler
Homo floresiensis
Nicknamed “the Hobbit” because of its small size, possibly a new species of Homo found on the Indonesian island of Flores
Kennewick Man
skeletal remains of a Paleoindian found in Washington State and is at the center of controversy over cultural descendant versus scientific rights
Clovis culture
Earliest Native American culture of North America: stone tool technology known for large, fluted, bifacial stone projectile points used as spear points for big game hunting
Domestication
The process of converting wild animals or wild plants into forms that humans can care for and cultivate
Dental caries
A disease process that creates demineralized areas in dental tissues, that lead to cavities
Cribra Orbitalia
porosity (sponginess) in the eye orbits due to anemia caused by iron deficient diet, parasite infection, or genetic disease
Porotic Hyperostosis
Expansion and porosity of the cranial bones due to anemia caused by iron deficient diet, parasite infection, or genetic disease
Treponematoses
A group of related diseases caused by the bacteria Treponema which causes pathological changes most often to the cranium
Periosteal reaction
Inflammatory response of a bone’s outer covering due to bacterial infection or to trauma
What are the three major adaptive tendencies shared by primates?
arboreal adaptations, dietary plasticity, and high level of parental investment
How the arboreal adaptation in primates has shaped their vision
primates have their eyes rotated forward to the front of their heads, and as a result, the visual fields of the eyes overlap. Primates also have color vision, which is imperative for spotting insects and prey within the surrounding vegetation. With our increased reliance on vision, we also developed fully enclosed eye orbits (except for prosimians).
How the arboreal adaptation in primates has shaped their hands
Primate hands are also highly developed for arboreal locomotion. One of the most important attributes is the opposable thumbs and toes (in non-human primates); the opposable thumb helps primates have many types of grips (precision and power). Primates also have an enhanced sense of touch increased by the dermal ridges on the surfaces of feet and hands, and the presence of nails help to spread out the forces exerted on primate hands from gripping.
How the arboreal adaptation in primates has shaped their spines
The spines of primates are highly flexible, allowing for a wide range of movement. Because the spine is highly flexible, we can bend, twist, and stretch in order to strategically move through the trees.
How the arboreal adaptation in primates has shaped their hind limbs
Primates also exhibit hindlimb dominated locomotion, focusing a lot of the load bearing on the hindlimbs, making it easier to use primate upper limbs for other tasks
What are the two major ways scientists observe non-human primate behavior?
Scientists observe non-human primate behavior in primate fieldwork (out in the field) or from captive studies (within a lab).
Advantages of Primate Fieldwork
observe in the most normal conditions possible
Advantages of Captive Studies
- Cheap
- Convenient
- Animals are always there and do not flee
- Controlled experimental conditions
Disadvantages of Primate Fieldwork
- ‘naturalness’ is an illusion
- Can cause habituation for the primates
- Generally hard working conditions
- Issues of placement, protection, support, and physical geography
- Animals are hard to locate
- Need several years of data to get enough information
- Expensive
Disadvantages of Captive Studies
- Primates may be from very different wild conspecifics:
o Could be provisioned, meaning exercising less and eating more than in normal conditions
o Social group size is often determined by number of animals in the zoo
o Intensive human interaction can teach animals behaviors not found in the wild
Boundary Maintenance
using vocalization to maintain boundaries of the group’s living area to keep others out or warn others about crossing into the area controlled by another primate or group of primates
Predator Warnings
using vocalizations to let others know about predators and keep the group safe in some way or warn of danger; example: Diana monkeys in Cote d’Ivoire having a different predator warning as determined by if the predator is terrestrial or aerial
In which types of groups do we see the biggest difference is sizes between males and females?
single-male (multi-female) groupings and multi-male (multi-female) groupings of primates.
Explain the relationship between sexual dimorphism and mate competition.
In primate groups where there is a lot of mate competition, sexual dimorphism (in body size and canine size) will be more pronounced. This reflects the fact that to compete for females successfully, males must be big and aggressive. In populations with low levels of mate competition, features are not as dimorphic because there is less need to exert bodily energy for these characteristics.
How does a living organism come to be preserved as a fossil?
The organism must be buried shortly after death in an anaerobic environment (or one as close to anaerobic as possible) to retard the process of bacterial decay, in soils that are non-acidic, and areas where there is limited geologic activity
How are fossils discovered by modern humans and why are fossils discoveries so rare?
Most often, fossils are found as the result of archaeological excavations (digging them up) at locations often revealed by forces of geologic erosion allowing scientists to somewhat accurately date through stratigraphic analysis. Short of ideal geologic conditions, finding fossils is an extremely difficult process given Steno’s Law and the fact that to get to very old materials one must dig through many layers of stratigraphy to get to areas where the fossils lay.
Stratigraphic Correlation
Relative Dating Method
Rocks and Fossils in layers of strata of earth
Present to millions of years in the pas
Dendrochronology
Absolute Dating Method
Tree rings
Present to 8,000 to 10,000 years ago
Radiocarbon Dating
Absolute Dating Method
Organic material
50,000 years ago to about 1950
Electron Spin Resonance Dating
Absolute Dating Method
Fossilized bones and teeth
A few thousand to more than a million years ago
Paleomagnetic Dating
Absolute Dating Method
Sedimentary and igneous rock containing metal grains
Present to several million years ago
Radiopotassium Dating
Absolute Dating Method
Volcanic rock and ash
200,000 to several million years ago
When did MAMMAL ancestors with the distinctive features of this group emerge?
emerge in the Mesozoic (Cretaceous Period) * Therapsids: Small (mouse size) * Larger brains relative to reptiles esp. the cerebrum * Endothermic * Viviparous * Heterodont
When did PRIMATE ancestors with the distinctive features of this group emerge?
(~66 Mya Eocene) Pleisadapiformes (Purgatorius)* Teeth suggest diet of insects and fruit - Very anatomically primitive features: * Claws, no opposable big toe, small brain, no postorbital bar, large rodent-like incisors
When did PROSIMIAN ancestors with the distinctive features of this group emerge?
(~60 Mya Eocene) - Adapids: somewhat squirrel-like in size and appearance - grasping hands and feet -brains and eyes were becoming larger
When did ANTHROPOIDEA ancestors with the distinctive features of this group emerge?
(32- 29 Mya Eocene) - Omomyids, Eosimians (Aegyptopithecus): anatomy of jaw, teeth and tarsal bones suggest anthropoid * Dental formula: 2123 * Sagittal crest * Larger brain * Arboreal quadruped
When did PLATYRRHINE ancestors with the distinctive features of this group emerge?
(~26 Mya late Oligocene) - Branisella: Characterized by a combination of 3 premolar and 3 upper molars with a four-cusp chewing surface
When did HOMINOIDEA ancestors with the distinctive features of this group emerge?
(~22-17 Mya Miocene) - Proconsulids (Morotopithecus) Y-5 molars, somewhat short stiff backs, suspensory shoulder, a small brain, and a diet of leaves and other vegetation
When did HOMINID ancestors with the distinctive features of this group first emerge?
(5-6 Mya Pliocene) -Ardipithecus, Sahelanthropus, Orrorin: bipedal, large brains, material culture, prolonged fetal dependence, slow development, thick tooth enamel, small canines, large molars
“Schlepping” hypothesis
bipedalism allowed for the freeing up of the hands for caring stuff including food, tools and offspring
Long view hypothesis
bipedalism allowed for individuals to see over tall grasses and through tress in order to locate prey as well as potential predators
Heat dissipation hypothesis
bipedalism allowed for a more efficient means of heat distribution and dissipation which provided for greater energy efficiency
What are the two aspects of hominid evolution that come into a conflict referred to as the “obstetric dilemma?”
a larger brain (large brains need big heads) and a narrow pelvis (needed for obligate bipedalism).
What is one of the ways that the “obstetric dilemma is solved in humans?
more altricial newborns (early births)
What are four qualities that predispose some animals for domestication?
1 Flexible diet
2 Reasonably fast growth rate
3 Ability to breed in captivity
4 Pleasant disposition
5 Temperament not given to panic
When during the fossil record do we start seeing significant expansion in cranial capacity?
Large, gradual increases in brain size began with the emergence of the genus Homo in the Pleistocene.
Give 2 examples of ways that the fossils in Asia and Africa that are contemporary to the Neandertals differ from these fossil Europeans.
smaller brow ridges and non-projecting mid-face.
Prosimian Dvision
*Reliance on sense of smell
*Lack of complex social behavioral patterns
*Mostly nocturnal
*Tooth comb
*Propithecus, Indri,
*Daubentonia, Tarsius
Platyrhinne Division
New World Monkeys
*“Flat Noses”
*Arboreal
*Prehensile tails
Ateles, Alouatta,
Callithrix,
Leontopithecus
Cercopithecoid Division
*Old World Monkeys (Africa, Asia, Europe)
*Non-prehensile tails
*Some arboreal, some terrestrial
*Ischial tuberosity: butt pad
*Papio, Pilicolobus, Chlorocebus,
* Macaca
Hominoid Division
*Lesser and Great Apes
*No tails
*Rotationing, suspensory shoulders for brachiating
*Social complexity
*Hylobates, Pongo, Gorilla, Pan
Adaptive radiation
Caused by mutations and this mutation causes the population with the new mutations to flourish
EX: different species of finches all derived from a single common ancestor
Hominid Timeline
Pliopithecus
Australopithecus
Homo Erectus
Early Homo Sapiens
Neanderthal
Modern Homo Sapiens
Monkeys vs Apes:
Apes:
larger
Vertical posture
No tail
Bigger brain
Grow slow
Narrow shoulder
Y-5 molar
Monkeys:
Many interspecies because they grow faster
Smaller
Vertical posture
Tail
Smaller brain
Grow faster
Broader shoulder
Bilophodont molar
Neandertal admixture is present in modern Human genes today
true
The Out of Africa model presumes H. Sapien evolved from local H. erectus population
false
Homo Erectus is NOT found in
new world- brazil
Acheulean tools are associated with
homo erectus
Neandertal have a wide nasal aperture
true
Neandertal are adapted to warm climate
true
Neandertal associated with mousterian tools
true
Old World Monkeys dental formula
2-1-2-3
New World Monkeys dental formula
2-1-3-3 or 2-1-2-3
Apes and Humans dental formula
2-1-2-3
Prosimians except tarsiers
2-1-3-3
Tarsiers
top: 2-1-3-3
Bottom: 1-1-3-3
Cenezoic era (P.E.O.M)
Palocene, Ecocene, Oligocene, Miocene
Cenozoic era
Paleocene era
Eocene epoch
Oligocene epoch
Miocene epoch
Cenozoic era (65 Mya to present)
Paleocene era (65-55 Mya)
Eocene epoch (55-35 Mya)
Oligocene epoch (35-25 Mya)
Miocene epoch (25-05 Mya
