Anth exam2
Terms
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- Evolution
- The change in the properties of populations of organisms that occur over time.
- Natural Selection
- The mechanism of evolutionary change; changes in traits of living organisms that occur over time as a result of differences in reproductive success among individuals.
- Mutation
- A random change in genetic material; the ultimate source of all biological variation.
- Genetic Drift
- Changes in the frequencies of specific traits caused by random factors.
- Arboreal
- Tree-dwelling
- Termite fishing
- The learned use of twigs or blades of grass to extact termites from their mounds characteristic of some groups of chimpanzees.
- Genus
- In biological classification, a group of similar species.
- Species
- In biological classifcation, a group of organisms whose members are similar to one another and are able to reproduce with one another but not with members of other species.
- Bipedalism
- Walking on two feet, a distinctive characteristic of humans and our ancestors.
- Australopithecines
- Members of an early hominid genus found in Africa and characterized by bipedal locomotion and small brain size.
- Omnivore
- An animal that eats both plant and animal foods.
- Homo habilis
- A species of early human found in Africa. Homo habilis were present between 2.5 and 1.8 million years ago.
- Oldowan Tools
- Stone tools made by Homo habilis
- Homo erectus
- A species of early human found in Africa, Asia, and Europe. Homo erectus were present between 1.8 million and about 20,000 years ago.
- Homo sapiens
- A species of human found throughout the world. The earliest Homo sapiens appeared about 500,000 years ago.
- Neandertal
- Members of a population of archaic Homo sapiens that lived between 130,000 and 35,000 years ago.
- Multiregional model
- A theory that seeks to explain the transition from Homo erectus to Homo sapiens by arguing that different populations of Homo sapiens are descendant from different populations of Homo erectus.
- Replacement model
- The theory that modern people evolved first in Africa and then spread out to inhabit virtually all the world, outcompeting or destroying other human populations in the process.
- Hybridization model
- A theory that seeks to explain the transition from archaic to modern Homo sapiens by proposing that modern and archaic forms interbred.
- atlatl
- A spear thrower, a device used to increase and extend the power of the human arm when throwing a spear.
- "Venus" figurines
- Small stylized statues of females made in a variety of materials by early modern humans.
- Clinal distribution
- The frequency change of a particular trait as you move geographically from one point to another.
- Melnain
- A pigment found in the skin, hair, and eyes of huamn beings, as well as many other species, that is responsible for variations in color.
- Rickets
- A childhood disease characterized by the softening and bendings of leg and pelvis bones. Rickets is related to insufficiency of vitamin D and/or calcium.