Brainscape's Knowledge GenomeTM

Browse over 1 million classes created by top students, professors, publishers, and experts.


See full index

biology > human evolution key words > Flashcards

human evolution key words Flashcards

You may prefer our related Brainscape-certified flashcards:
AP® Biology flashcards Biology 101 flashcards
1
Q

What does biological evolution mean?

A

The inheritance of change of structural features of the skull and postcranial skeleton and physiological changes

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

What does cultural evolution mean?

A

The inheritance of change in the learned information like skills and customs stored in a population

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

What are hominins?

A

Hominins are the living and fossil species belonging to the human lineage - Australopithecus and homo genera

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

What are hominids?

A

Hominids are all extinct and living great apes, including humans, chimpanzees, gorillas, orangutans, and their ancestral species.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

What does post cranial refer to?

A

Skeletal features below the skull

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

What does arboreal mean?

A

The phrase arboreal is used to describe hominids which spend a large proportion of their time in trees

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

What is the valgus angle?

A

The angle the femur makes relative to the knee. This is close to 90 degrees in non-human apes, less so in bipedal humans

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

What is the foramen magnum?

A

The large opening at the base of the skull through which the spinal cord enters the cranial cavity

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

What does brachiation mean?

A

Arboreal locomotion, accomplished by swinging the arms from one hold to another

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

What does prognathous mean?

A

The jaws protrude in front of the cranium

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

What are the great apes?

A

Chimpanzees, orangutans and gorillas

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

What is the sagittal crest?

A

A bony crest running lengthwise down mid-line of the skull

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

What is acheulean tool culture?

A

Tools made and used by H. erectus - typically teardrop-shaped “hand axes” that were worked on all surfaces

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

What is mousterian tool culture?

A

Tools made and used by H. neanderthalensis. Typically hand axes but including scrapers and fine points.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

What is upper paleolithic tool culture?

A

Stone age culture of H. sapiens. Still in use by some groups of humans. Used stone, bone, wood, antlers, hides and rope etc to produce a range of useful objects.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

What is oldowan tool culture?

A

First tools made by H. habilis - typically a chopper for striking bones to extract the marrow

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
17
Q

What is the stone tool culture associated with H. erectus?

A

Archeulean tool culture

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
18
Q

What is the stone tool culture associated with H. neanderthalensis?

A

Mouseterian tool culture

19
Q

What is the tool culture associated with H. sapiens?

A

Upper paleolithic tool culture

20
Q

What is the zygomatic arch?

A

The bony arch at the outer border of the eye socket, formed by the joining of the cheekbone and the zygomatic process of the temporal bone

21
Q

What is a quern?

A

Neolithic stone tool for grinding grain

22
Q

What is a scapula?

A

The shoulder blade

23
Q

What is an endocast?

A

A cast of the brain case

24
Q

What is a dental arcade?

A

The shape formed by the tooth sockets in the upper and lower jaws

25
Q

What does pentadactyl mean?

A

Having five digits on the hand or foot

26
Q

What is Broca’s region?

A

A region of the brain concerned with the production of speech, located in the cortex of the dominant frontal lobe

27
Q

What is Wernicke’s area?

A

A region of the brain concerned with the comprehension of language, located in the cortex of the dominant temporal lobe

28
Q

What is the cranium?

A

The part of the skull that encloses the brain

29
Q

What is the brow ridge?

A

A bony ridge located above the eye socket of all primates

30
Q

What is the mandible?

A

The lower jaw or jawbone

31
Q

What is the nuchal crest?

A

A bony ridge at the back of the skull where the muscles and ligaments are attached in order to support the head

32
Q

What is a habitual biped?

A

Something that usually walks upright on two legs

33
Q

What is knuckle walking?

A

A form of quadrupedal walking in which the body weight presses down on the ground through the knuckles

34
Q

What is an obligate biped?

A

Adapted to walking on only two legs, with no ability to walk on four

35
Q

What does the term prehensile describe?

A

An animal’s limb or tail that is capable of grasping

36
Q

What does endocranial mean?

A

Refers to features of the brain, inferred by endocast impressions and volume.

37
Q

What is domestication?

A

Deliberately managing the reproduction of a species to use it for human benefit. Typically involves a wild species becoming tamed and physically/phenotypically altered in some way to provide a benefit to humans.

38
Q

What is forethought and why is it important?

A

The ability to imaging an outcome or product before it happens. Vital for planning ahead, particularly in tool making, hunting, and migrating.

39
Q

What is the Levallois technique?

A

Multistage process involving preparing a core-stone then using a hammer and chisel to strike off a flake with very sharp edges. Required forethought and skill, and some amount of technical learning.

40
Q

What is mitochondrial DNA and why is it important?

A

The DNA present within every mitochondrion. Mitochondria were originally prokaryotic endosymbionts. mtDNA can be used to trace maternal inheritance patterns as mtDNA only passes from mothers to their offspring.

41
Q

What is the multiregional dispersal model?

A

Modern humans evolved separately in Europe, Asia, and Africa, following the dispersal of early Homo around 1 mya. Continual gene flow kept them from speciating.

42
Q

What does nomadic mean?

A

A population with no fixed home. Typically they wander from place to place, and it may involve following herds or movements from one food source to another seasonally.

43
Q

What is the out of Africa dispersal model?

A

Modern humans evolved from a homo group that left Africa around 120 kya, spreading throughout Europe and Asia and beyond, replacing all the previous hominins.

44
Q

Who were the denisovans?

A

A group of hominins identified from finger bones and teeth. Found in central Asia, with genetic links to people of East Asian and Melanesian ancestry.

biology (4 decks)

Brainscape helps you reach your goals faster, through stronger study habits.
© 2024 Bold Learning Solutions. Terms and Conditions