Lecture 15 Flashcards
Angiosperm
- type of vascular plant that produces flowers
- produces covered seeds
Gymnosperm
-produces a seed that lacks a cover
Climate when Mammals Diversified
the temperature was a lot warmer and dipped down when monkeys diversified
Dating Fossils: Potassium Argon Dating
argon is measured in volcanic rock from decayed potassium
Dating Fossils: C-14 Dating
- live animals have the same level of carbon 14 and carbon 12 as the atmosphere
- after the animals die, C14 decays into N14 so age can be determined by how much is left
Other Radiometric Dating Methods
- Thermoluminescence dating
- Electron Spin Resonance Dating
- Uranium-Lead Dating
Relative Dating Methods
- Magnetic Reversals
2. Extinct and Distinct Species of Animals
Characteristics of Primates
- adaptations for climbing and locomotion
- opposable thumbs and grasping tails
- hind-limb dominated posture
- relatively short snouts compared to other mammals
- relatively large brains
- increased reliance on stereoscopic vision
Primates: Nails instead of Claws
-primates generally have five digits usually with nails which can be correlated with small branch foraging
Characteristics of Prosiminans
- small brains
- nocturnal
- reflective layer in eyes
- big eyes
Characteristics of Tarsiers
- enormous eyes that are as big as their brain
- excellent hearing
- long feet and fingers
Characteristics of New World Monkeys
- only monkeys with prehensile tails
- most lack tricolor vision
- most don’t have opposable thumbs
- flat nosed monkeys
Characteristics of Old World Monkeys
- no prehensile tails
- grasping hands and feet
- most are not monogamous
- most have considerable sexual dimorphism
Why teeth are informative
- reflect dietary specializations
- preserve better than bones
Anthropoids
New World monkeys and old world monkeys including apes and humans
