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Human Evolution > Week1-7 > Flashcards

Week1-7 Flashcards

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1
Q

What are Darwins observations?

A
  • Variation exists in all populations
  • some variation is heritable
  • any traits better suited to an environment will tend to increase in frequency, while other variants decrease
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2
Q

What is natural selection?

A

Individuals better suited to their environment are more likely to survive, and have offspring with a good chance of inheriting those traits

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3
Q

What is selective pressure?

A

-drives evolution and natural
selection in a certain direction
-can be high or low
- when a gene affects something very important for survival, selective pressure is high

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4
Q

Examples of selective pressure

A

Gulo- gene that allows the body to produce its own vitamin C

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5
Q

What is a species? And example

A

The offspring have to be fertile to
Interbreed
Ex: non fertile hybrids
A horse and donkey may produce a mule or a hinny but it is infertile.

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6
Q

What is a genotype? And example

A

Genetic makeup

Ex: Bb for eye colour

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7
Q

What is a phenotype? And example

A

Physical appearance

Ex: brown eyes

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8
Q

Example of dominance

A

Brown eyes, right handed, widows peak, detached earlobes.

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9
Q

Examples of ressesive

A

Blue eyes, left handed, attached earlobes

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10
Q

What is incomprehensible dominance?

A

Cross between organisms with 2 different phenotypes produce offspring with a 3rd phenotype.

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11
Q

Sex chromosomes?

A

Xx-female xy- male

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12
Q

What is recombination?

A

Joining of strands of DNA from different organisms.

Ensure children are not replicas of their parents

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13
Q

How is it determined if a mutation is advantageous?

A

If the mutation is useful and become positive. Makes it useful to survive in your environment.

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14
Q

What is meant by the tree of life?

A
  • We’re all related.

- we all mutated from each other, all from a common ancestor

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15
Q

What does the LUCA stand for and how long ago did it live

A

Last- universal- common- ancestor

3.8 billion years old

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16
Q

What happens to a species when there is a change in the environment?

A

The traits will change, more mutation

Ex: 2 populations will become very different to survive in their environment, they adapt

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17
Q

What is the difference between Gradualism and Punctuated Equilibrium?

A

Gradualism-> they slowly get better

Punctuated-> changes in a relatively static way . huge changes, huge leaps forward, rest for long time.

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18
Q

How would you respond to someone who questions the validity of evolution because it’s “just a theory” ?

A

The theory brings all the facts together. Not just someone’s guess, it’s based on facts and research.

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19
Q

Why aren’t there a lot of fossils?

A

Erosion, storms, decompose, animals eat their carcasses

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20
Q

How are vestigial structures used to support evolution?

A

Appendix, wisdom teeth, tail. We need them at one point but our environment changed and we adapted

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21
Q

What is relative dating?

A

Comparing strata with one another to discover which one is older

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22
Q

What is absolute/ numerical dating?

A

More precise; establishes a range of dates

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23
Q

Why was the Hadrian era considered “hellish”? Was it possible for life to exist?

A

It was a giant fireball, has a lot of iron, no oxygen or bacteria so it was impossible for life to exist

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24
Q

When did the first mammals appear?

A

The mezazoic era

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25
What was the "great dying"
Marine life dead from methane in water Volcanic eruption Extinction of insects
26
What was the key evolutionary trait of the Cenozoic?
Adaption
27
Can relative dating give us a date for a fossil?
No
28
Name one dating method that can be used in the study of human evolution
Absolute dating
29
What is biological evolution?
Descent with modification through genetic inheritance, relies on natural laws, evidence and is testable
30
What is creationism?
The present universal and all life forms came about as a result of the action of a divine creator (super natural)
31
Problems of biological evolution?
Discuss adaption without mentioning evolution explicitly Depth of coverage in uneven across the country
32
What is scientific classification?
Life forms can be classified according to shared ancestry characteristics, or traits.
33
Strepsirrhini
Wet- nosed ( like dogs or cats) Longer snouts Can produce their own vitamin c
34
Haplorrhini
Apes, humans
35
Platyrrhini
Flat nose: new world money's
36
Catarrhini
Narrow nose: old world monkeys , apes , humans
37
Cresting?
Saggital- top of head Nuchal- near neck muscles
38
Zygomatic torus
Near cheek bone ( attached to skull)
39
Supraorbital torus
Brow ridges Thick brow ridges( bone )
40
Subnasal prognathusm
How far out the face goes
41
Dental arcade
The shape made by the teeth in the upper jaw
42
Diastema
Gap between the canines and incisors
43
Pectoral girdle
Connects upper limbs to trunk of body Allows a wide range of movement Clavicle holds upper limb bones away from Chest and prices stability to shoulder joints
44
Sexual dimorphism
When males are larger than females Can look at overall body size or particular traits
45
Why is reconciliation important in primate groups?
Important for keeping relationships We need group for survival We need to have ways to solve problems
46
Discuss the notion of religion being vital for teaching morality
People would believe that if they do good things, they will go to heaven. If you do bad things you'll get punished, if you do good things you'll be rewarded
47
Group living advantaged and disadvantages
Advantages: - Increased protection - improve access to food, defend food resources from other groups - increased access to potential mates Disadvantages: - may actually attract predators - group may have to travel further to find food - infectious diseases
48
What is culture ?
Something we are born into
49
What does grooming do
Bonding , establish and maintain alliances, reconcile conflict , exchange for other resources ( food, sex)
50
Tool use
Fishing for termites Using sticks to get honey in trees Leaves to use as a sponge for water and as a napkin Sticks and rock to crack open nuts or fruits
51
What is monogamy?
Each make and female mate with only one member of the opposite sex but offspring are not always fathered by the male in the pair
52
What is pair bonding
Males do not directly compete over access to females, Instead guard territory, guard mates, and invest in offspring
53
4 types of locomotives
Verticlal clinging and leaping Suspension Quadrupedalisn Bipedalism
54
Describe vertical clinging and leaping
Body held upright Animal grasps trunk of tree Long, powerful Hind limbs
55
Describe suspension
Supporting the body using forelimbs to hang beneath branches Long upper limbs
56
Describe quadrupedalism
Using four limbs to support body In trees or on ground May walk in palms, fingers, or knuckles Arms and legs approx same length
57
Describe bipedalism
Standing and moving in two hind limbs
58
What is new classification?
Based on genetics and evolutionary history
59
What are hominids
Great apes, humans , and our bipedal ancestors
60
What are hominins?
Used to refer to us and our ancestors after the split
61
How to date the divergence?
Molecular clock As 2 species diverge from a common ancestor, their DNA becomes increasingly different ( random mutations)
62
Name the 3 early hominins
Sahelanthropus tchadensis (toumai) Orrorin tugenensis Aridipithacus ramidus (ardi)
63
Bipedalism advantages and disadvantages
Advantages: Appears to be more efficient than quadrupedalism in terms of energy efficiency Disadvantages: Puts lots of stress on lower back, hips, knees, feet Required modification to the skeleton Childbirth more difficult
64
Why was the hypothesis of male langur monkeys killing infants wrong?
The males didn't show any violence when the baby's were jumping on them and being annoying.
65
Why do the male langurs kill the babies?
Because they want to have their own baby with a female but if they already have a baby they're not able to become pregnant if they're nursing at the same time so the only way they can have a baby with the female is by killing it
66
What are signs of a monogamy relationship
Carrying the baby to free the mothers hands Finding food to bring to the female Small canines Females lost skin swellings Cooperative breeding, alloparents
67
How are bonobos sexual behaviour similar to ours
Sex face to face Time for pleasure and time for babies Sex to bond with each other Same sex sex
68
What do bonobos use sex for
To break tension To solve problems MAke themselves feel better
69
What are three conclusions on primate cooperation?
1. Don't need to be related 2. Based on exchange( will remember act of kindness and will return the favour) 3. Empathy
70
What is altruism
When you act to benefit someone else's well being sometimes even when it may cost you.
71
What is mutualistic cooperation?
When you work together towards the same goal that is beneficial to all. Also leads to sharing
72
How do chimps engage in a from of currency exchange?
They will barter goods such as meat or other services for sex, grooming, or even friendship.

Human Evolution (2 decks)

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