Unit 3 Flashcards
___ processes are all of the processes that happen to an organism after its death.
Taphonomic
___ is thought to be the largest primate to have ever lived.
Gigantopithecus
All of the following are relative dating methods except:
A. Dendrochronology
B. Biostratigraphy
C. Stratigraphic correlation
D. Cultural dating
A
Early Miocene apes were called “dental apes” because their dentition was similar to that of modern apes, however, their postcranial anatomy (everything below the skull) was most similar to that of a(n):
Monkey
Strata are:
A. Layers of rock and sediment
B. Index fossils
C. Petrified remains of organisms
D. None of these
A
The rafting hypothesis…
A. Is the idea that Orangutans populated the islands of Indonesia by building rafts.
B. Is one explanation of how platyrrhines arrived in the Americas.
C. Only applies to great apes
D. Suggests that our primate ancestors may have been extremely skilled tool users.
B
Which of the following correctly describes the changes to radioactive carbon atoms that occur during decay?
A. Carbon-14 atoms lose two neutrons to become Carbon-12 atoms
B. Carbon-12 atoms gain two neutrons to become Carbon-14 atoms.
C. A Carbon-14 neutron decays into a proton to become Nitrogen-14.
D. Carbon-12 atoms do not decay.
E. Carbon-13 atoms lose a neutron to become Carbon-12 atoms.
C
A(n) ___ is the remains of organisms that have been transformed into rock through chemical replacement.
Fossil
Bones and teeth make up 99% of the fossil record because bones are _% mineral and teeth are _% mineral.
65; 95
___ is the study of fossils.
Paleontology
Name two reasons why it is important to study fossils.
- Chronological order allows for an understanding of biological change over time
- We can understand factors that have shaped evolution in the past
___ is the proccess of what happens to an organism’s remains.
Taphonomy
Name the four factors of an ideal burial environment for fossilization.
- Remains covered soon after death
- Protection from scavengers
- Oxygen-free (anoxic) environment limits decomposition
- Avoid acidic groundwater/soils that dissolve bone/teeth
Where are most fossils formed?
Sedimentary rock
Name the 3 main forms of fossil evidence.
- Volcanic ash (footprints)
- Chemical composition of bone or teeth (shows diet)
- DNA preservation if tissue is not fully fossilized
The ___ says that we can assume that fossils look similar because they share genes.
Morphological species concept
___ is the study of the change in proportion of various parts of an organism as a consequence of growth.
Allometry
Name 3 risks of defining paleospecies.
- Allometry: Fossils may appear to be different species when they are really the same species at different stages of growth
- Sexual dimorphism: Morphologically different fossils may be male and female examples of the same species
- Interspecies Variation: Interbreeding-capable individuals may look very different
___ is Darwin’s theory that species are constantly and slowly changing, and that these changes eventually “add up” to a new species
Gradualism
___ is Gould’s theory that species are usually not changing very much. They rapidly evolve into new species in short periods of time.
Punctuated Equilibrium
___ dating is the form of dating that determines the order of fossils by dating based on the relationship with fossils or other artifacts.
Relative
___ dating determines the approximate age of a fossil and does not require other fossils.
Absolute
___ says that the lower the layer of rock, the earlier in time it was deposited.
Steno’s Law of Superposition
Name the four exceptions to the Law of Superposition
- Original Horizontality
- Tilting
- Folding
- Faulting
___ identifies a layer based on its physical and chemical composition. The order of layers is determined by looking at many sites.
Stratigraphic Correlation
___ is when a layer representing time was eroded away or not deposited at a site.
Paraconformity
___ is a type of dating that compares fossils to index fossils (with known dates) and notes the first and last appearance and any morphological change.
Biostratigraphy
___ is a type of dating that compares fossils to material culture produced by humans that also has a known date range to find the date range of the fossil.
Cultural Dating
___ dating techniques use radioactive decay.
Radiometric
___ is a type of dating in which we compare the specimen C-14 to C-12 ratio to the original C-14 to C-12 ratio and then see how much C-14 has decayed and how many half lives it took to decay.
Carbon-14 Dating
___ is a type of dating in which a nuclear reactor bombards K-39 with neutrons, converting it to Ar-39 and then we measure the Ar-40 to Ar-39 ratio.
Argon-Argon Dating
Name the two advantages of Argon-Argon Dating.
- Less rock needed
- Don’t need to measure potassium
Name the advantage of Uranium Series Dating.
No need for volcanic materials
___ uses the rings on a tree to estimate how many winters have passed. This requires excellent preservation of tree sections.
Dendrochronology
___ is a type of dating that uses the random reversals of Earth’s magnetic field. Metal grains align with the magnetic field as they settle into sedimentary rock and then the banding pattern is matched to fossil collection and we can date sedimentary rocks younger than 5 mya.
Paleomagnetic Dating
___ is a type of dating in which we determine the number of base pairs mutated per 1 million years and then use the number of differences between a species to determine the years since those species diverged.
Genetic Dating
Major life forms emerged during which era?
Phanerozoic
Which three eras make up the Phanerozoic era?
- Paleozoic
- Mesozoic
- Cenozoic
In which epoch did primates emerge?
Eocene
Name the three hypotheses as to why primates emerged.
- Arboreal hypothesis
- Visual predation hypothesis
- Angiosperm radiation hypothesis
The ___ is the hypothesis that states that primate traits developed, causing movement from life on the ground to life in the trees.
Arboreal Hypothesis
Name the three primate traits considered to be arboreal adaptations.
- Grasping hands and feet
- Stereoscopic vision
- Greater intelligence for 3D space
What is the problem with the Arboreal Hypothesis?
Other arboreal mammals (squirrels, etc.) lack the primate traits that are considered to be arboreal adaptations.
The ___ is the hypothesis that states that primate traits were adaptations to hunting insects and other small prey and that they needed specialized visual apparatus and grasping digits.
Visual Predation Hypothesis
What is the problem with the Visual Predation Hypothesis?
Many primates eat non-moving foods such as fruit.
Study of morphological changes during growth and development of body parts is called…
Allometry
The fossil record is incomplete because…
A. Most organisms do not fossilize
B. It is difficult to find fossilized individuals
C. Complete species variation is not always represented
D. All of the above
D
Which of the following features is used to distinguish hominids from other apes?
A. Bipedalism
B. Lack of CP3 honing complex
C. Increased encephalization
D. All of the above are used
D
Which of the following is NOT a hominin trait?
A. Increased prognathism
B. Parabolic dental arcade
C. Thick enamel
D. Decreased prognathism
A
True or False?
Gracile australopithecines evolved several traits that may assist in hard-object feeding.
False
Which of the following is a derived trait among robust australopithecines?
A. Bipedalism
B. Increased prognathism
C. Flared zygomatics
D. Sexual dimorphism
C
The earliest hominin to appear in the fossil record is ___.
A. Australopithecus robustus
B. Australopithecus africanus
C. Sahelanthropus tchadensis
D. Australopithecus afarensis
C
Which of the following features allow us to infer diet?
A. Bipedalism
B. Enamel thickness
C. Encephalization
D. Parabolic dental arch
B
Which of the following is not a proto-homini genus?
A. Sahelanthropus
B. Orrorin
C. Ardipithecus
D. Australopithecus
D
Which of the following fossils are the oldest and therefore would be expected to share some anatomical similarities with the Miocene apes?
A. Australopithecus afarensis
B. Australopithecus anamensis
C. Ardipithecus ramidus
D. Australopithecus aethiopicus
C
Each of the following traits is found in a bipedal hominin EXCEPT:
A. A wide and short pelvis
B. A big toe in line with the other toes
C. A foramen magnum far posterior on the skull
D. an S-shaped vertebral column.
C
Fossil evidence of bipedalism first appeared in the hominin lineage about ___ million years ago.
7
How does the shape of the vertebral column differ between human adults and fetuses?
Human fetal vertebral column is C-shaped, while the human adult vertebral column is S-shaped.
What angle does the femur form in relation to the knee in hominins?
Less than 90 degrees
What limb proportions would you expect to see on a hominin?
Long legs relative to arms
The human foot is best described as…
Big toe is adducted, there is a longitudinal arch
Modern humans are considered…
A. Quadrupedal
B. Occasional bipeds
C. Habitual bipeds
D. Obligate bipeds
D
___ is when different anatomical traits evolve at different times in a lineage.
Mosaic evolution
Hominins have a ___ knee.
Valgus
True or False?
Modern humans have an opposable hallux.
False
What general trends characterized the evolution of Homo cranial morphology?
Increased cranial capacity and more rounded crania through time
What trait remained constant throughout the evolution of Homo cranial morphology?
Location of the foramen magnum
Which hominin is most commonly associated with Oldowan stone tool technology?
Homo habilis
Who was the first member of the genus Homo?
Homo habilis
Which of the following tool types were the first bifacial tools?
A. Oldowan
B. Levallois
C. Mousterian
D. Acheulian
D
Which of the following are hypothesized to have been the first stone tools of hominins?
A. Oldowan
B. Levallois
C. Mousterian
D. Acheulian
A
Which hominin developed Acheulian stone tool technology?
Australopithecus Afarensis
Which homin is associated with the Levallois, or “prepared-core” technique?
Homo sapiens neanderthalensis
True or False?
Some splitters believe certain fossil skulls within Homo habilis are different enough to necessitate an additional species, Homo rudolfensis.
True
Which homin was the first to leave Africa?
Homo erectus
The ___ states that primates emerged because they used visual activity to find fruit among trees and used grasping toes to cling to branches while they pick and eat fruit.
Angiosperm Radiation Hypothesis
Name the two continents on which primates have not been found.
Australia and Antarctica
___ are the first true primates that emerged during the Eocene era and look very similar to lemurs.
Euprimates