Mid-Term Exam Flashcards
1
Q
What are the 4 basic principles of Natural Selection?
A
1) Variation exists within populations
2) Variation can be inherited
3) Populations can have way more offspring than environment can handle
4) Competition for resources + heritable traits that affect individuals’ fitness variations in survival and reproductive rates
2
Q
Subset of Physical Anthropology
The study of nonhuman primates, the closest living relatives of modern humans
A
Primatology
3
Q
What are the characteristics of primates?
A
Opposable thumb Large brain Good stereoscopic vision (i.e. both eyes point in the same direction making 3D vision possible)Ability to brachiate (i.e. the ability to move arm over arm on a limb) Flexible elbows for hand rotation Grasping feet
4
Q
What are the characteristics of apes?
A
Social mammals
Grasping hands
Bony, enclosed eye sockets
Relatively large brains OR intelligence
Manual dexterity OR skilled with hands OR opposable thumbs
Visual acuity OR excellent vision OR stereoscopic vision (3-dimensional vision)
Generalists – live in wide variety of environments
Locomotive flexibility OR collarbones at shoulders
Longer gestation (pregnancy) OR longer childhood
5
Q
Study of the human past through material remains of human and hominin activity
A
Anthropology
6
Q
A tested and repeatedly supported hypothesis
A
Scientific Theory
7
Q
An object that has been manufactured or intentionally modified by a human or hominin
A
Artifact
8
Q
Evidence of human activity that is non-portable (cannot be excavated and taken to a lab)
A
Feature
9
Q
These make it clear that we share common ancestors
A
Homologous structures
10
Q
How much of our DNA to we share with chimps?
A
98%
11
Q
how well a species is able to reproduce in its environment
A
fitness
12
Q
What are the Primate group types?
A
- multi-male
- single male
- Variable group formation w/habitat
13
Q
What are the characteristics of a multi-male group?
A
Open, dangerous habitat
Several males needed to protect females
Competition between males, but cannot be too destructive
14
Q
What are the characteristics of a single male group?
A
Resource poor habitat, but safer
Smaller groups of females
Males compete only for access to a female group
Males not in direct, daily competition
15
Q
What are the characteristics of a variable group formation?
A
Move between habitats
Group structure changes with habitat
16
Q
Difference between the average size of males and females
A
Sexual Size Dimorphism (SSD)
17
Q
Artifacts that are found together and that presumably were used at the same time or for similar or related tasks
A
Assemblage
18
Q
What do assemblages help to do?
A
help archaeologists make hypotheses about human behavior in a site or how artifacts were used
19
Q
is the scientific and systematic study of human material remains
A
Archaeology
20
Q
What are the four phases of archaeological research?
A
- Survey
- Excavation
- Laboratory Analysis
- Writing
21
Q
What is the survey phase?
A
The physical examination of a space in which promising archaeological sites will most likely be found
22
Q
What are the aspects involved in the survey phase?
A
GPR (Ground Penetrating Radar)
Magnetometry
Areal Photography
Lidar (Light raDAR) (by plane)
23
Q
What is the excavation phase?
A
The systematic uncovering of cultural material
24
Q
What are the aspects of the laboratory analysis phase?
A
Stratigraphy
Dendrochronology
Radio-carbon dating
25
Archaeologists using strata to determine what archaeological period an artifact is from
Stratigraphy
26
Radar pulses can detect and map subsurface archaeological artifacts and features
GPR (Ground Penetrating Radar)
27
Technique to measure and map patterns of magnetism in the soil
Magnetometry
28
Allows archaeologists to see the outlines of former buildings and features that may not be visible on the ground
Areal Photography
29
Pulses of light (i.e. from a laser) can measure minute differences in elevation
Lidar (Light raDAR) (by plane)
30
software to input Geophys data and make maps that help them to make educated guesses about where to put test pits or larger excavation pits
GIS (Geographic Information Systems)
31
When archaeologists test hypotheses by replicating or approximating ancient tasks or activities
ethnoarcheology
32
The technique of dating sites or artifacts using the characteristic patterns of annual growth rings in tree trunks
Dendrochronology
| or tree ring dating
33
A method of determining the age of an object containing organic material (e.g. cannot be used on rocks) by using the properties of radiocarbon
Radio-carbon dating
34
What are the aspects of the writing phase?
Field reports
| Scholarly Articles
35
something that is meant to represent something else
symbol
36
ability to learn and communicate a shared set of ideas, meanings, or beliefs
symbolic culture
37
What tools and what species were associated with the Acheulean tradition?
hand axes, flakes
| lilmya/homo erectus
38
What tools and what species were associated with the Mousterian tradition?
smaller more sophisticated hand axes, flake tools, toothed instruments, wooden spears (Neanderthals)
39
What is cultural material?
physical evidence of culture (objects, architecture, and features humans make/have made
40
Define hominid
Great apes and their extinct relatives
41
Define hominin
Humans and their immediate (extinct) relatives
| -defined by habitual bipedality
42
What are the two hypotheses to explain the evolution of habitual bipedality?
1) Climate Change:
- see predators
- carry infants, food, and tools
- reduce skin exposure
- energy efficiency
2) Bipedalism evolved in trees
- increased maneuverability
- use of hands at all times
- balance
- pre-adaptation
43
What is the male morphology in a single-male group?
male is very large compared to females; smaller testes; very large canines
44
What is the male morphology in a multi-male group?
males have very large testes; sperm competition; smaller canines
45
what is the male morphology in a pair-living group?
males have the smallest testes
46
What characteristics do we share with chimps and bonobos?
```
intelligent brain
emotions
tool use
social organization (politics)
mating behavior
```
47
What characteristic do we share with just chimps?
Intraspecies violence
48
What characteristics do we share with just bonobos?
peaceful coexistence
49
What are the two reasons for mammalian aggression?
1) Defense of territory
| 2) Aggression between rival males
50
What is conspecific aggression?
aggression within species
51
What do chimps and humans have in common when it comes to aggression?
the only two species who exhibit aggression with the intent to kill
52
What conspecific agression do gorillas exhibit?
infanticide
53
What conspecific agression do chimps exhibit?
battering of females
| aggression to establish dominance
54
What forms of organized aggression do chimps exhibit?
boarder patrolling
| raiding
55
What is boarder patrolling?
maintaining and defending territory
56
What is raiding?
a groups enters a neighboring territory in search of victims
57
What is infanticide?
killing of infants
58
What else do humans and chimps share a _____ for ______
propensity for violence
59
What is the obstetric dilemma faced by hominins?
- big brained infants
- a pelvis designed for walking upright
- a rotational delivery in which the baby emerges facing backward
60
What were the features of homo naledi?
homo like hand shape and feet
homo like facial features
primitive small skull of an australopith
slight finger curve
61
What are some of the factors of social complexity?
```
increased population
social stratification
rank/prestige for some centralized control
division of labor
craft specialization
```
62
What is craft specialization?
assignment of specific tasks to specific people or groups
63
scientific discipline concerned with the biological and behavioral aspects of human beings, their related non-human primates and their extinct hominin ancestors
Biological/Physical Anthropology
64
an approach to research that emphasizes the study of complex systems. Systems are approached as coherent wholes whose component parts are best understood in context and in relation to one another and to the whole
Holism/Holistic Approach
65
What is evolution?
the change in the characteristics of a species over several generations and relies on the process of natural selection
66
What is natural selection?
the process whereby organisms better adapted to their environment tend to survive and produce more offspring
67
arose from ancestors that lived in the trees of tropical forests
primates
68
any of a group of anthropoid primates characterized by long arms, a broad chest, and the absence of a tail
apes
69
a nonhuman primate mammal with the exception usually of the lemurs and tarsiers
monkey
70
What is morphology?
the branch of biology that deals with the form of living organisms, and with relationships between their structures
71
thickset body with long arms, short legs and no tail. Much of the body is covered with long black hair, but the face, ears, fingers and toes are bare. They have hands that can grip firmly, allowing them to pick up objects.
chimpanzee
72
Form larger parties biased towards females. Males show dominance relations among themselves with less aggression
bonobos
73
forming of a groups specifically for the killing of adults in neighboring groups
Coalitionary killing
74
the oldest known foot prints of early humans
Laetoli footprints: 3.6 million years ago in Laetoli, Tanzania, two early humans walked through wet volcanic ash. When the nearby volcano erupted again, subsequent layers of ash covered and preserved the oldest known footprints of early humans
75
What is habitual bipedality?
is a form of terrestrial locomotion where an organism moves by means of its two rear limbs or legs
76
What is obligate midwifery?
assistance during labor that is necessary for a successful and safe birth
77
What is experimental archeology?
a field of study which attempts to generate and test archaeological hypotheses, usually by replicating or approximating the feasibility of ancient cultures performing various tasks or feats
78
relating to or denoting the early phase of the Stone Age
Paleolithic
79
relating to or denoting the later part of the Stone Age
Neolithic
80
a chamber, built wholly or partly underground, used by male Pueblo Indians for religious rites
kiva
81
What are grave goods?
the items buried along with the body. They are usually personal possessions, supplies to smooth the deceased's journey into the afterlife or offerings to the gods
82
What was the Neolithic revolution?
the wide-scale transition of many human cultures during the Neolithic period from a lifestyle of hunting and gathering to one of agriculture and settlement, making an increasingly larger population possible
83
How do archeologists determine how old/the age of the artifacts they find?
Stratigraphy
Dendrochronology
Radio-carbon dating
84
When did the Neolithic revolution start?
10,000 BCE
85
What changes constitute the Neolithic revolution?
- hunting and gathering to farming and domestication of animals represents an alteration in humanity that cannot be reversed
- The Neolithic revolution introduced the idea of permanent settlement and class stratification and the population increased as a result of the food obtainment changes
86
What are the advantages of habitual bipedalism?
- energy efficient
- allowed for a wider range of vision due to raising the head
- freeing of hands allowing for carrying abilities
- better for tool use
87
What characteristics on a skeleton can tell us that a fossil was bipedal?
-placement of the Foramenmagnum: Latin,“largehole”,cranialopening
where spinal column articulates
-S-curvature of the spine: not present
at birth, we normally settle into an S-curve due to pressure exerted on the spine from bipedality, also narrow rib cage
-short,broad(wide)&curved pelvis
Femur:bicondylarangle(femoralangle):purposefully knock-kneed
-foot arches
-Non-divergent big toe
88
What does it mean to be bipedal?
using only two legs for walking
89
What does it mean to be habitually bipedal?
bipedalism is assumed as the regular means of locomotion
90
How are gracile australopithecines different than the robust australopithecines?
Gracile: Smaller jaws, no buttressed mandible, Smaller back teeth, Jaw muscles anchored on the side,No flaring zygom. Arches, Larger cranial capacity, thinner (lightly built)
Robust: Large jaws (buttressed mandible), Molarized premolars& lrg molars (grinding teeth), Jaws muscles anchored on top (sagittal crest),Flaring zygomatic arches, Smaller cranial capacity
91
What tools are associated with the Oldowan tradition? and what species?
choppers (flakes), Homo habilis
92
Ardi (Ardipithecus ramidus)
- 5.8-4.4 mya
- Awash River in Ethiopia
- small endocranial capacity (small cranial size)
- intermediate form of terrestrial bipedality
- long and curved fingers
- no evidence of cultural material
93
Lucy (Australopithecus afarensis)
- 3.8-2.9 mya
- Hadar, Ethiopia
- small brain size (1/3 of modern human brain)
- stood on two legs
- walked upright regularly
- curved fingers
- no known culture
94
(Taung child) Australopithecus africanas
- 3.3-2.1 mya
- Taung, South Africa
- small brain (larger than modern chimps)
- had ability to walk on two legs
- curved fingers
- no known culture
95
Homo naledi
- 300,000 ya
- Rising star cave in South Africa
- homo like hands and feet
- homo like facial features
- small primitive skull
- slight finger curve
96
Homo habilis
- 2.3-1.4 mya
- Olduvai Gorge in northern Tanzania
- significant increase in skull size
- walked on two legs regularly
- slightly curved fingers
- closer to straight bones of humans
- shaped stone tools
97
Homo erectus
-1.8 mya-30,000 ya
-Indonesia
-expanded braincase
-loss of tree climbing ability
-ability to walk and run long distances
-closer to modern human hand
-use of earliest hand axes
-first to control fire
colonized outside africa
98
Neanderthal (Homo neanderthalensis)
- 300,000-30,000 ya
- Feldhofer Cave of the Neander Valley in Germany
- larger than average human brain
- walked on two legs
- wider pelvis
- modern hands formed
- advanced tools
- built hearths
- controlled fire
- had complex culture
99
anatomically modern human (Homo sapien)
- 200,000-present
- early had slightly larger brains
- narrower pelvis
- longer legs
- only walks on two legs
- straight finger bones
- continued to improve tools
- sophisticated control of fire
- full of culture
- creates art
100
What are the two major changes in human evolution are and what species are they associated?
Habitual Bipedality (Lucy) and Larger craniums (Not sure the species)
101
What was the first animal to be domesticated and why do archaeologists think it was key to domesticating other animals?
The Dog. Used to heard animals and hunt
102
What technology predated bread making?
**idk asking donaldson
103
What are the characteristics of simple societies?
Simple Societies are going to lack things in infrastructure, specializations, and usually are just families grouped together
104
What are the characteristics of complex societies?
Complex Societies are going to have evidence of infrastructure, permanent residency, culture, specialized fields, and diversity
105
What archaeological evidence did archaeologists use to determine of a site represents the transition from simple society to social complexity?
Grave Goods, Complex art and pottery (indicating specialization), written history, or evidence of permanent homes (walls) and things like that
