Lecture 4 Flashcards
What does phylogenetic mean?
It means comparatively to other species
When did humans start making stone tools?
About 3.5 million years ago
Why are these stone tools helpful?
Because they act as a window into the human brain - they show that we had high intellectual levels when they were made
How many tools have scientists unearthed in Konso, Ethiopia?
350
What is the name of the crows who use tools?
New Caledonian Crow
What do the crows use and what do they want to catch?
They use sticks and twigs to catch bugs and they will shorten the length of the twig if it doesn’t work
What are the parrots called?
African Grey Parrots
What is the Pepperberg parrot called?
Alex
What was alex able to identify?
Colours, quantities, shapes and sizes
What can dolphins do in terms of tool use?
They spend a lot of time at the bottom of the ocean where it is rough and uncomfortable for their beaks so they use sponges and attach them to their noses.
What are the dolphins called?
Wilde battlenose dolphins
What are the fish called?
Wrasse fish
What do the wrasse fish do to open shells?
When shells are very tough, they throw them at rocks so that they open
Which bit of the Palaeolithic period is furthest from us?
The lower palaeolitithic
How long ago was the lower Palaeolithic period?
2-1.3 million years ago
What tools did they use in the lower Palaeolithic period?
Chopper cores for breaking, pounding or bashing and flakes for cutting and scraping
How long are the flakes?
15/16 inches long
How long ago was the middle Palaeolithic period?
1.2 - 40,001 years ago
What did they use in the middle Palaeolithic period?
Tanged Aterian point (Morocco), Acheulean handaxes (France, UK, Africa - dates from 750-90 kbp), acheulean flakes (Kalambo falls, Zambia),
How long ago was the upper Palaeolithic period?
40-8 kbp
What did they use in the upper Palaeolithic period?
Miscellaneous tools, started making things for decoration and wall paintings
How did they make wall paintings?
By putting their hand on a wall, blowing paint through a straw - hands were more often than not female - cant tell by the ring finger size (longer in the male)
Who had bigger brains than the humans?
The Neanderthals
What is different about the appearance of the brain through time?
There are more indentations as we get further to us
Which part of the brain does the cognitive work?
The cortex
How much bigger is our neocortex than predicted for our body size?
Three times
Where do we have areas larger than expected?
In the neocortex and the cerebellum
Do we have more of less white matter?
More
How much does an elephant’s brain weigh?
4-5kg
How much does a human brain weigh?
1.2-1.5kg
Does the size of the brain matter?
No
We have more white matter. What is this hypothesis called?
It’s called the ‘spare capacity ‘ hypothesis - meaning we have more space in our brains to conceive of other things other than the necessary functions
Since brain size is not a good indicator or cognitive ability, what is?
The number of neurons
If brain size increases, does the number of neurons?
No
Which way do rodent brains and primate brains face?
Rodent brains face right and primates face left
If a human’s brain was like a rodent’s, how big would the brain be?
35kg - the size of a 85 ton whale
What happens to the number of neurons in a rodent when the brain size increases?
They increase too
Do neurons increase in primate’s brain as it gets bigger?
No
What is the brain mass of a rodent, primate and human?
Rodent and Primate = 1500kg and Human = 1508kg
How many neurons does a rodent, primate and human have?
Rodent = 12 billion, Primate = 93 billion, Human = 86 billion
How many non-neurons does a rodent, primate and human have?
Rodent = 46 billion, Primate = 112 billion, Human = 85 billion
Why don’t larger bodied primates have larger brains as well?
Because they cannot afford the metabolic cost of supporting a larger number of neurons
How much of our body weight is the brain?
2%
How much of out energy does the brain consume?
25%
What did human evolution do to counter the need for energy?
The metabolism increased
What did the leap forward in technological advancement lead to?
The emergence of homo erectus/homo ergaster
When did butchery/meat eating occur?
3.4 million years ago
How could we increase the energy we consumed?
The introduction of habitual fire use
When did fire use occur?
790,000 years ago but there are suggestions it goes back much further
Why is cooking important?
Because cooking releases more energy
What is the evidence for these fires?
The fossil preserved fire pits and the remains of cooked food
In which diet is the BMI larger?
In those who have more cooke foods
How much larger are the BMIs of those who cook compared to those who eat raw food?
They are about 20-25% larger
From what does campylobacter occur?
Raw chicken, lamb, bee, unpasteurised milk and untreated water
How quickly does campylobacter happen and for how long does it last?
2-11 hours after consumption and lasts for up to a week
What does salmonella come from?
Raw pork and ham, eggs, poultry, unpasteurised milk etc
How quickly does salmonella happen and for how long does it last?
12-48 hours after and lasts for varying times depending on the strand
What is shigella?
It is only found in the intestines of humans and primates
How quickly does shigella happen and for how long does it last?
12-50 hours and lasts for 3-14 days
What is E-Coli contracted from?
Raw beef, pork, lamb and unpasteurised milk
How quickly does e -coli happen and for how long does it last?
1-4 days after and varying times
What is clostridium perfringens contracted from?
Raw and cooked meats, soil and sewage (8-18 hours and lasts for 1-2 days)
What is Bacillus cereus?
contracted from soil, dust, rice, dairy and meats like sausages (1-16 hours after and no more than 24 hours)
What is staphylococcus aureus?
Mainly found in human skin and is contracted from infected cuts, unpasteurised milk and raw and cooked meats (2-6 hours after and lasts no more than 2 days)
What does cooking do?
It kills off bacteria, longer cooking kills off parasite eggs inside
What are the main ingredients of soap?
Wood Ash and animal fat
When are antiseptic/anti parasitic effects enhanced?
When used in combination with appropriate plant material
What are onions?
A powerful antiseptic
