Becoming human
who is Charles darwin?
This scientist wrote On the Origin of Species, explaining natural selection.
Darwin described evolution as this: “______ with modification.”
Descent
Who is Gregor Mendel?
Known as the “Father of Genetics,” he studied pea plants to discover dominant and recessive traits.
What is primatology?
The study of primate behavior and biology
What are artifacts?
The physical products of human activity, such as tools, art, and buildings.
What is the half life of carbon-14
5730 years
What is uniformitarianism?
This principle states that Earth's features are the result of slow, continuous processes over time.
What is gene flow?
The process by which new genetic material is introduced between populations.
What is the Aye-Aye?
This nocturnal primate from Madagascar uses a long skeletal finger to find food inside wood.
What is the Law of Superposition?
The law stating that the lower layers of soil are older than the upper layers.
What is adaptive radiation?
The process where one ancestral species evolves into many different species to fit new niches.
What is fixity of species?
The concept that species remain unchanged since creation.
What is phenotype?
The physical expression of a gene, such as eye color.
What is a platyrrhine?
This type of primate is found in South America. such as the spider monkey
Who is Willard Libby?
The scientist who developed radiocarbon dating
What bone in the human body is known to have an 'S' shape?
Clavical
What is the founder effect (or fission event)?
When a population becomes separated by barriers such as rivers and evolves differently,
What is genetic drift?
Random evolutionary changes that have a stronger effect in small populations.
The only nocturnal anthropoid primate.
Owl Monkey
What are ecofacts?
This term describes natural materials that give environmental info about a site but are not modified by humans.
What is speciation?
Over long periods of time, the accumulation of small genetic changes can lead to the emergence of entirely new species
What is natural selection?
The idea that more offspring are produced than can survive, driving adaptation and evolution.
What are the two types of sexual selection
- Male vs Male competition: fight for the females attention(Big horn Sheep, ring tail lemur fighting)
- Female choice: only if female is impressed by the males actions they can choose to mate
What are chimpanzees and bonobos?
Humans share their closest genetic relationship with these two great apes.
What is paleoanthropology?
The study of fossilized human ancestors and their development over time.