human evolution Flashcards
What is the mammalian order that includes prosimians, monkeys, apes, & hominins?
primates
Classified by living in trees.
arboreal
What are the 4 characteristics of primates?
- Mobile Limbs
- Stereoscopic vision
- Large, complex brains
- Reduced reproductive rate
Primates mobile limbs and thumbs are adapted for what?
grasping and holding
What is vision characterized by depth perception and three-dimensionality? (eyes in front of head w/ binocular field of vision)
stereoscopic vision
Stereoscopic vision adapted as a result of what?
decline in the importance of smell
Sense organs are only as beneficial as what?
the brain that processes them
What arose from the development of larger and complex brains?
communication skills and social groups
Reduced reproductive rate is associated with what?
increased age of sexual maturity and extended life span
Reduced reproductive rates caused what?
length gestation periods with one birth at a time and an extended juvenile period
What is the sequence of primate evolution?
-Prosimians: First primates to diverge from common ancestor of all primates
-Anthropoids: Group of primates that includes monkeys, apes, & humans
-Hominids: Group that includes chimpanzees, gorillas, orangutangs, & humans
-Hominins: Taxon that includes humans & their closely related but extinct relatives
What are 4 benefits of bipedalism?
- Hands free for tool use
- Carry an offspring easier
- Forage for food more efficiently
- Spot danger further away
What is the model that states modern humans originated only in Africa and migrated into Europe and Asia, replacing other homo species found there?
replacement model
What is the model that states that modern humans arose in several different regions?
multiregional model
What is the phase of human evolution in which cultural events affected natural selection?
biocultural evolution
