Human Evolution Flashcards
Bipedalism
The act of walking on two feet
Dentition
Arrangement of teeth on a jaw
Foramen Magnum
Opening in the skull through which the spinal cord enters
Hominidae
Order to which humans, chimps, apes, gorillas, lemurs, and gibbons belong
Hominin
Modern humans and al our immediate ancestors (including members of the genera Homo, Australopithecus, and Ardipithecus)
Mitochondrial DNA
Genetic material used to trace female ancestry
Opposable Thumbs
A thumb that works in opposite direction to the fingers
Phylogenic tree
Diagram showing evolutionary relationships amongst organisms
Quadripedalism
The act of walking on four limbs
Transitional Fossil
Fossil having characteristics of species that arose before it as well as species that arose after it