Lecture 25 Flashcards
Niche Construction
Organisms modify their environments in ways that alter selective pressures on themselves and other species.
Neolithic Revolution
The transition from foraging to agriculture around 12,000-10,000 years ago.
Domestication
An evolutionary process where humans modify the genetic makeup of plants and animals.
Sedentism
A lifestyle associated with settled, permanent communities, often resulting from agricultural practices.
Lactational Amenorrhea
Suppression of ovulation due to frequent nursing, affecting fertility.
Distributed Cognition
Knowledge spread across a group rather than being held by any single individual.
Biological Adaptations
Changes in human physiology and genetics in response to agricultural diets (e.g., lactose tolerance).
Anthropocene
A proposed epoch marked by significant human impact on Earth’s geology and ecosystems.
Pleistocene
A geological epoch characterized by repeated glacial cycles, ending around 11,700 years ago.
Holocene
The current geological epoch, beginning around 11,700 years ago and marked by human development.
Amylase Gene
A gene that produces enzymes for starch digestion, with increased copies in humans and dogs.
Balanced Polymorphism
Maintenance of two or more genetic variants in a population due to selective advantages.
Pastoralism
A subsistence system based on herding domesticated animals.
Horticulture
A subsistence strategy involving small-scale cultivation of crops.
Selective Pressures
Environmental factors that influence which organisms survive and reproduce.
Genetic Diversity
The variety of genetic traits within a species or population.
