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BIO A 201 > other defs > Flashcards

other defs Flashcards

1
Q

paloanthropology

A

study of the immediate ancestors of humans (hominins) relies on fossils. geographically specific - east and south africa, east asia, and middle east.

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2
Q

taphonomy

A

study of decomposition of plant or animal remains. process may be arrested by dry, cold, wet (anaerobic environments). will not become a fossil if its remains are left exposed due to scavengers, maggots, etc. to become fossilized, remains must stay in an oxygen free environment.

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3
Q

fossilization

A

rare process. conditions must be right. types of fossils: sedimentary rock and volcanic activity.

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4
Q

index fossils

A

certain fossils used to date strata. changes in fossil organisms can reflect changes in paleoenviroments. useful in paleontology and economic geology.

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5
Q

relative dating - fluorine

A

James Middleton. fluorine is found in soil, which leaches in bones. amount of fluorine gives a relative age. amount of fluorine depends on soil.

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6
Q

relative dating - cultural dating

A

common in archaeological contexts. analyze the change in material culture over time.

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7
Q

absolute dating - dendrochronology

A

A.E. Douglass. First method for numerically dating objects and events. developed in american southwest (arizona and new mexico). anaylze tree rings to determine exact year. gives an environmental record.

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8
Q

absolute dating - radio carbon dating

A

Willard Libby. the ratio of 14c to 12c is measured to provide an absolute date for material younger than 50,000 yrs. greater ratio between the longer since death. carbon 14 decomposes at a half life. organic matter only. 1950 is considered present.

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9
Q

absolute dating - chemical dating techniques

A

rely on half-lives of radioactive elements. uses predictable chemical changes that occur over time.

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10
Q

absolute dating - potassium-argon (K-Ar) dating

A

the ratio of 40K to 40Ar is measured to provide an absolute date for a material older than 200,000 yrs. Measures the amount of gas (40Ar) relative to the amount of non-gas (40K) in the rock. the more gas, the older the rock. first used to date an early hominin skull found by mary leaky.

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11
Q

absolute dating - uranium series (fission track) dating

A

measurement of the number of tracks left by the decay of uranium-238. when the isotope decays, fragments produced in the decay, or fission, process leaves a line, or track. more tracks = older material. date materials from the last several million yrs and used to date volcanic ash and obsidian.

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12
Q

strata

A

layers of rock representing various periods of deposition.

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13
Q

sedimentary

A

where fossils are most commonly found. produced by water and wind carrying and then dropping tiny bits of rock, sand, and soil over time.

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14
Q

3 key stages in the record of past life are missing:

A

1) palontologists have only searched in some places
2) fossils have been preserved in some places
3) rock sequences containing fossils are not complete in all places.

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15
Q

eras

A

major divisions of geologic time that are divided into periods and then into epochs.

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16
Q

Palozoic

A

first major era of geologic time. 570-230 mya. during which fish, reptiles, and insects first appeared.

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17
Q

Mesozoic

A

second major era of geologic time. 230-66 mya. characterized by the emergence and extinction of dinosaurs.

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18
Q

Cenozoic

A

era lasting 66 mya to present. encompassing the radiation and proliferation of mammals, such as humans and other primates. at the beginning of this period, Pangaea began the process of separation.

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19
Q

epochs

A

divisions of periods in geologic time.

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20
Q

stratigraphic correlation

A

the process of matching up strata from several sites through the analysis of chemical, physical, and other properties. William Smith.

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21
Q

relative dating - biostratigraphic dating

A

uses the associations of fossils in strata to determine each layer’s approximate age. draws on the first appearance of an organism in the fossil record, that organism’s evolutionary development over time, and the organism’s extinction.

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22
Q

pebble tools

A

earliest stone tools, in which simple flakes were knocked off to produce an edge used for cutting and scraping.

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23
Q

Upper Paleolithic

A

various regional cultures in Europe 40000 ya; provide a number of time specific artifacts, such as Lion Men sculptures.

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24
Q

isotopes

A

two or more forms of a chemical element that have the same number of protons but vary in the number of neutrons.

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25
Q

half life

A

time it takes for half of the radioisotopes in a substance to decay. used in various radiometric dating methods.

26
Q

igneous

A

rock formed from the crystallization of molten magma, which contains the radioisotope 40K. used in potassium-argon dating. not possible to date rocks younger than 200,000 yBP.

27
Q

alternative to radiopostassium dating

A

measure ratio of 40Ar gas to 39Ar gas. 40K and 39K occur in the same amounts relative to one another, regardless of how old the rock is. Neutron bombardment converts the 39K to 39Ar. Ratio determines absolute age.

28
Q

absolute dating - amino acid dating

A

based on the decay of protein molecules following an organism’s death. amino acids come in L-isomers and D-isomers, known as left and right handed. when an organism dies, L-isomers turn into D-isomers.

29
Q

racemization

A

chemical reaction resulting in the conversion of L amino acids to D amino acids for amino acid dating. determined by temp, faster decomposition in higher temps. best known in human evolutionary studies for dating Border Cave in S. Africa.

30
Q

palomagnetic dating

A

based on changes in Earth’s magnetic field. when the magnetic field shifts, the magnetic north and south poles shift. certain metal grains align themselves with earth’s magnetic fields as they settle and the orientation reveals the planet’s polarity at the time of the rock’s formation. cannot date the actual strata.

31
Q

absolute dating - electron spin resonance dating

A

relies on the measurement of radioisotope concentrations (e.g. uranium) that have accumulated in fossils over periods of time. remains absorb radioisotopes and the higher the concentration, the older the fossil.

32
Q

relative dating - thermoluminescence dating

A

based on the amount of the sun’s energy trapped in material such as sediment, stone, or ceramic. when an object is first heated, it releases light. next time, the amount of light reveals the amount of time since first being heated. 800,000 yBP.

33
Q

foraminifera

A

marine protozoans that have variable shaped shlles with small holes. they ingest 18O and 16O while alive. atmospheric temp. directly affects the water temp. which affects the 18O in water. 18O decreases as temp. increases.

34
Q

C3 plants

A

take in carbon through C3 photosynthesis, which changes carbon dioxide into a compound having three carbon atoms. tending to be from temperate regions. includes wheat, sugar beets, peas, and a range of hardwood trees.

35
Q

C4 plants

A

take in carbon through C4 photosynthesis, which changes carbon dioxide into a compound having four carbon atoms. tending to be from warmer regions w/ low humidity. includes corn, sugarcane, millet, and prickly pear.

36
Q

C3 plants vs C4 plants

A

C3 plants have lower ratios of 13C to 12C than do C4 plants. The values for the stable isotopes ratios are lower for C3 plants. transmitted to body tissues when these plants are eaten through digestion and metabolism.

37
Q

archaeological recovery

A

used in paleoantrhopological context. mapping of fossil rich areas, recording of strata and geology, and measuring spatial distributions in 3D.

38
Q

facultative bipedalism

A

some primates

39
Q

habitual bipedalism

A

birds, macropods, dinosaurs, and homo sapiens.

40
Q

hunting hypothesis

A

proposed by Darwin, developed more by Dart. human ancestors become efficient hunters. osteodontokeratic tech, where hominins used unmodified bones to kill animals. africa was likely place of origin because of anatomical similarity between humans and african apes.

41
Q

seed eating hypothesis

A

Clifford Jolly, efficient for gathering seeds and can see predators more easily.

42
Q

thermoregulation hypothesis

A

radiator hypothesis by Dean Falk. efficient way of cooling the body and the brain.

43
Q

male provisioning hypothesis

A

Owen Lovejoy. monogamous pair bonding, males assisted with child rearing, brought food, and provided defense.

44
Q

chimpanzee hypothesis

A

Andrienne Zihlman.

45
Q

patchy forest hypothesis

A

Peter Rodman and Henry McHenry. african forests become fragmented at end of Miocene. bipedalism may have begun in trees (gibbons). used to walk between patches of food resources.

46
Q

convergent evolution

A

inhabit the same area and have the same prey.

47
Q

parallel evolution

A

animals isolated in an area followed the same evolutionary path.

48
Q

derived traits of bipedalism

A

position of foramen magnum at bottom, shape of pelvis, arched foot, in line big toe (hallux) and is not opposable, limb proportions, and musculature, s shaped spine, ilium is short and from front to back, knees are angled inwards.

49
Q

thick enamel

A

hominins and orangutans

50
Q

thin enamel

A

living apes

51
Q

4 characteristics set living humans and living apes apart

A

humans are bipedal and apes are quadrupedal, humans have tiny canines and apes have large ones, human rely on tools and humans have big brains.

52
Q

Oldowan Complex

A

Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania, Louis Leaky. stone tool culture associated with H. habilis and possibly Au. garhi. Leakys determined the larger brains early Homo produced the tools, but other evidence indicates some austrolopithecines made and used tools. simple stone tools with simple reduction process.

53
Q

Lower Paleolithic

A

Oldest part of the period during which the first stone tools were created and used, beginning with the Oldowan Complex.

54
Q

Other derived human like traits

A

reduced canines, reduced masticatory muscles, enlarged brain (cranial capacity), and enamel thickness.

55
Q

Born to Run hypothesis

A

humans are designed for long distance running. takes evidence from several American Indian tribes and physiology/anatomy.

56
Q

Scavenger hypothesis

A

Pat Shipman. Groups of H. habilis began to eat meat. Opportunistic scavenging. Used Oldowan tools. Based on cutmarks on animal bones.

57
Q

Advantages of eating meat

A

increase in calories, reduced digestive system, expansion of the brain, early weaning, and aids childhood growth and development.

58
Q

occipital bun

A

a cranial feature of neandert(h)als in which the occipital bone projects substantially from the skull’s posterior.

59
Q

out of africa hypothesis

A

stats modern H sapiens first evolved in Africa and then spread to Europe & Asia, replacing the indigenous archaic (heidelbergensis) H. sapiens populations living on these two continents. correct for origin, incorrectly asserts now gene flow w/ neanderthals.

60
Q

multiregional continuity hypothesis

A

regards the transition to modernity having taken place regionally and w/o involving replacement. so African archaic (hiedelbergensis) H. sapiens gave rise to Africa modern H. sapiens and etc. Gene flow, separate species never rose bc of constant interbreeding. not correct about regional development, but is correct about gene flow w/ neaderthals.

61
Q

why did H. erectus leave Africa?

A

first wave: spread out of africa to asia/europe.
second wave: early modern H. sapiens replaced H. erectus.

pop. increase, lack of food, increased competition.

62
Q

how did modern H. sapiens get to Australia?

A

sea levels were lower, but must have had boating technology, but no evidence.

BIO A 201 (4 decks)

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