Vertebrates (2) Flashcards
Fromwhat animal did primates evolve from?
Primates had evolved as small arboreal mammals.
What are the characters of primates?
Primate characters include:
-limber joints,
-grasping hands and feet with flexible digits,
-a short snout
-forward-pointing eyes that enhance depth perception.
What are the 3 groups primates divided into?
- Lemurs, lorises, and bush babies
- Tarsiers
- Anthropoids, including monkeys and apes.
What is paleoanthropology?
Paleoanthropology, the study of human origins and evolution, focuses on the tiny slice of biological history that has occurred since the divergence of human and chimpanzee lineages from their common ancestor.
Differentiate the features of chimpanzees and humans.
Present-day humans and chimpanzees clearly differ in two major features:
-Humans are bipedal (walk upright)
-Humans have much larger brains.
What is the clue to bipedalism?
A clue to bipedalism is the location of the opening in the base of the skull through which the spinal cord exits.
What does the genus homo include?
The genus Homo includes hominins with larger brains and evidence of tool use.
What is the order of brain size in hominins?
H.erectus> H.ergaster >H.habilis
Who was the first hominin to spread out of Africa?
H.erectus was the first hominin to spread out of Africa.
Who were H. Neanderthalensis and where did they live?
Homo neanderthalensis
-(Neanderthals) had a brain even larger than ours and hunted big game with tools made from stone and wood.
-Neanderthals were living in Europe as long as 350,000 years ago and later spread to the Near East,
Where were the oldest known fossils with the definitive characteristics of our own species discovered?
The oldest known fossils with the definitive characteristics of our own species were discovered in Ethiopia
The interpretation of fossils of small hominins named Homo floresiensis that were found in Indonesia is controversial. Why?
Some researchers suggest that Homo floresiensis was a dwarf descendent of H. erectus.
Some now think the evidence supports a different hypothesis, that Homo floresiensis descended from an as-yet unidentified hominin that lived earlier than Homo erectus
Human skin color varies geographically, likely as a result of _________.
Human skin color varies geographically, likely as a result of natural selection.
What abilities of skin did natural selection compete for?
Natural selection may have selected for the competing abilities of skin to:
-block UV radiation, which degrades folate
-absorb U V radiation to synthesize vitamin D.
-Folate is vital for fetal development and spermatogenesis.
-Vitamin D is essential for proper bone development.
Why has the pace of discovery increased?
The pace of discovery has increased due to:-
-better access to remote areas
-new mapping technologies.
