chap 11- glossary

Question 1

arboreal

Answer 1

Arboreal- related to, or living in, trees.

Question 2

australopithecine

Answer 2

Australopithecine- a term for bipedal apes of fossil genera Australopithecus and Paranthropus that inhabited eastern and southern Africa between 1.4 and at least 4.2 mya.

Question 3

bipedalism

Answer 3

Bipedalism- a type of locomotion in which an organism walks on two hind limbs.

Question 4

brachiation

Answer 4

Brachiation- a type of locomotion in which an organism swings between the limbs of trees.

Question 5

brain case

Answer 5

Brain case- the part of the cranium that encloses the brain.

Question 6

brow ridge

Answer 6

Brow ridge- a bony ridge above the eye sockets.

Question 7

carrying angle

Answer 7

Carrying angle- the angle at which the femur is tilted in towards the knee.

Question 8

cerebral cortex

Answer 8

Cerebral cortex- the outermost layer of the brain.

Question 9

cognitive capacity

Answer 9

Cognitive capacity- an organisms innate intelligence, ability to learn, plan, evaluate, make decisions and apply new knowledge and skills.

Question 10

cranial capacity

Answer 10

Cranial capacity- the volume of the brain case.

Question 11

cranium

Answer 11

Cranium- the skull, excluding the mandible.

Question 12

cultural evolution

Answer 12

Cultural evolution- the way beliefs social practices, skills and technology change over time.

Question 13

denisovan

Answer 13

Denisovan- a distinct, but undescribed, ancient hominin known primarily from bone fragments found in Denisova Cave in Siberia.

Question 14

dentition

Answer 14

Dentition- arrangement of the teeth.

Question 15

exocrine gland

Answer 15

Exocrine gland- a gland that secretes a substance through a duct to the outer surface of the body.

Question 16

foramen magnum

Answer 16

Foramen magnum- the hole in the base of the skull through which the spinal cord passes.

Question 17

gracile

Answer 17

of slender build

Question 18

hallux

Answer 18

Hallux- the big toe, or innermost toe of the foot.

Question 19

haplogroup

Answer 19

Haplogroup- a group of organisms that have the same genetic mutations in a single chromosome and are descendants of a common ancestor through either the maternal (mtDNA) or the paternal (Y chromosome) line of inheritance.

Question 20

haplotype

Answer 20

Haplotype- the unique combination of genetic mutations in the DNA sequences of a single chromosome (e.g. mtDNA or Y chromosome) that are shared by different organisms and indicate common ancestry.

Question 21

hominin

Answer 21

Hominin- a member of tribe Hominini; modern humans and their extinct bipedal ancestors.

Question 22

hominoid

Answer 22

Hominoid- a member of the superfamily Hominidae; an ape, or tail-less primate.

Question 23

kya

Answer 23

thousands of years ago

Question 24

language

Answer 24

Language- the system of spoken or written communication comprising distinctive words and the rules by which the words are organised and expressed.

Question 25

mammal

Answer 25

Mammal- a warm-blooded vertebrate animal that has hair or fur, and the females secrete milk to nourish their offspring.

Question 26

mammary gland

Answer 26

Mammary gland- a gland in female mammals that produces milk.

Question 27

mandible

Answer 27

Mandible- the lower jawbone of the skull.

Question 28

midden

Answer 28

Midden- a pile of discarded waste left by humans in the past.

Question 29

oviparous

Answer 29

Oviparous- an animal that lays eggs that are expelled from the body and from which juveniles hatch.

Question 30

paleoanthropology

Answer 30

Palaeoanthropology- the field of study concerned with fossil hominins.

Question 31

placental

Answer 31

Placental- describes an animal in which he foetus develops inside the mother while attached to an organ that provides nutrients and oxygen and removes wastes.

Question 32

postcranial

Answer 32

Postcranial- all of the skeleton, except the skull.

Question 33

precision grip

Answer 33

Precision grip- a grip defined by the tips of the thumb and fingers pressing together to finely manipulate an object.

Question 34

prefrontal cortex

Answer 34

Prefrontal cortex- the portion of cerebral cortex that covers the front part of the brain.

Question 35

prehensile

Answer 35

Prehensile- capable of curling and grasping.

Question 36

primate

Answer 36

Primate- a member of the order Primata; includes lemurs, lorises, tarsiers, monkeys, apes and modern humans.

Question 37

prognathism

Answer 37

Prognathism- a condition in which the jaws protrude from the plane of the face.

Question 38

quadrapedalism

Answer 38

Quadrapedalism- a type of locomotion in which an organism walks on four limbs.

Question 39

recent single origin

Answer 39

Recent single origin- a hypothesis that modern humans evolved in Africa and subsequently migrated out and colonised the other continents; also known as Out of Africa hypothesis.

Question 40

robust

Answer 40

of sturdy build

Question 41

sagittal crest

Answer 41

Sagittal crest- a prominent raised bony ridge along the midline of the skull.

Question 42

sagittal keel

Answer 42

Sagittal keel- a thickening of bone along the midline of the skull.

Question 43

sebaceous gland

Answer 43

Sebaceous gland- a gland in the skin that secretes oils that lubricate and protect patches of skin and hair.

Question 44

sexual dimorphism

Answer 44

Sexual dimorphism- where males and females of a species have different morphologies, often in shape or size.

Question 45

stereoscopic

Answer 45

Stereoscopic- describes vision that has a sense of depth.

Question 46

superfamily

Answer 46

Superfamily- a taxonomic rank immediately superior to the traditional rank of family; a superfamily may contain multiple taxonomic families.

Question 47

suspensory locomotion

Answer 47

Suspensory locomotion- a type of locomotion in which an organism hangs or moves beneath the limbs of trees.

Question 48

sweat gland

Answer 48

Sweat gland- a gland in the skin that secretes sweat.

Question 49

tribe

Answer 49

Tribe- a taxonomic rank inserted between family and genus.

Question 50

viviparous

Answer 50

Viviparous- an animal that gives birth to live young.