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86 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
pleiotropic
what amount of tissue is pleiotropic? |
DNA expressed in a variety of tissues; 90%
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polygenetic
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having more than one origin or source.
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gene
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a unit of heredity that is transferred from a parent to offspring and is held to determine some characteristic of the
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gene expression (regulation)
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how a particular trait is manifested
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speciation
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the formation of new and distinct species in the course of evolution
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equilibrium
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- punctuated stability following a sudden change, often in a shift in environment; or a
- new niche - rise of new competitor - new trait that spreads quickly |
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trait
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considered polygenic
a genetically determined characteristic |
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DNA
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deoxyribonucleic acid
- once considered ‘blueprint’ for organism - Only about 1% are ‘genes’ coded for proteins - Some are non-coded ‘regulatory genes” that affect gene expression - inert, but other molecules can act on it |
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conflict
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an evolutionary clash central to the theory of natural selection
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cooperation
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working together to achieve an end
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stabilizing selection
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tends towards the mean
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diversifying selection
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several types of one type; tends towards the extremes
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directional selection
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some pressure pushes the whole species in a direction
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artificial selection
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an extenuating pressure exerts itself on a species
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primate
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a mammal distinguished by having hands, hand-like feet, forward facing eyes, and typically agile in arboreal settings
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anthropoids
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extinct primates distinguished by larger brains, reduced noses, 32 teeth and no tooth comb.
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hominoids
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a primate of a group that includes humans, human ancestors, and great apes
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hominids
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a primate of a family that includes humans and their fossil ancestors
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arboreal
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tree-dwelling
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bipedalism
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walking upright on two feet
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brachiation
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anatomical trait of primates in which the shoulder socket can rotate the arm above the head
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trichromatic vision
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vision sensitive to the three primary colors
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exaptation
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Trait selected for one function that may serve later for a different purpose.
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locomotion
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movement or the ability to move from one place to another
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robust
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- refers to characteristics developed by a species in reaction to an environmental pressure
- example: developing teeth more adapted for chewing nuts than meat |
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gracile
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a slender build in a hominid species
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competitive exclusion
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Two animals trying to occupy the same niche – usually only one survives
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taphonomy
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study of how remains come to be deposited in the form that they are found — site formation.
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australopithecus
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- a fossil bipedal primate with both apelike and human characteristics
- found in Pliocene and lower Pleistocene deposits (4-1 mya) |
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paranthropus
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a genus applied to a robust fossil hominid first found in South Africa
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foramen magnum
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- the hole in the base of the skull through which the spinal cord passes
- defining characteristic of bipedal creatures |
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ilium
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a large broad bone forming the upper part of each half of the pelvis
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relative dating methods
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a dating method that relies on comparative analysis of surrounding deposits
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absolute dating methods
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a dating method that employs radiometric techniques such as carbon dating to determine the age of a deposit
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stratigraphy
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the analysis of the order and position of layers of archaeological finds
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mosaic evolution
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a development of certain functions as a species progresses; linked to sociability
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modular intelligence
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refers to the specialization of brain tissue functions
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abstract thought
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dealing with ideas rather than events
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promiscuous interface
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ability to take modules and put them together; chained thought
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mirror neurons
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a neuron that fires both when an animal acts and when the animal observes the same action performed by another
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encephalization
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brain/body size ratio
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cerebral cortex
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the outer layer of the cerebrum composed of folded gray matter
plays an integral role in consciousness |
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neoteny
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the retention of juvenile features in an adult
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social brain hypothesis
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- Average group size correlates with the ratio of neocortex to the rest of the brain.
- grooming is a central characteristic |
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expensive tissue hypothesis
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Large brain is energy hungry
- Brain tissue expends 9x body tissue average. - Need for energy-rich food. |
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radiator hypothesis
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Argues that an expanding brain requires cooling, particularly in a hot environment such as the African savanna; consequently, a bipedal creature would develop openings in the skull to flow blood through the brain in order to cool it (emissary foramina)
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allometry
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the growth of body parts at different rates
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altricial
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newborn that develops slowly and requires care
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precocial
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newborn that is immediately able to care for itself upon birth
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human exceptionalism
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humans are the exception to the rules of other species
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promiscuity
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the concept of a sexually reserved female/male vs. a sexually active male/female
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polygamy
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practice of having more than one wife/husband at once
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polygyny
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where a man has more than one wife
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monogamy
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married to one person at a time
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sexual dimorphism
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Differences between male and female
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sexual selection
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natural selection arising through preference by one sex for certain characteristics in individuals of the other sex.
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sperm competition
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competition between sperm of two or more males for the fertilization of an ovum
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co-sleeping
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practice of having children sleep in the same bed as the parents
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estrus
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the period of sexual receptivity in female mammals
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menarche
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the first menstruation
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homology
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in this sense, that male and female organs are biologically similar
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obstetrical dilemma
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refers to the evolutionary development of the human species through a number of biological changes
- specifically the shifting of the females' pelvic bones, thereby shortening the fetal incubation period. |
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spandrel
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describes a phenotypic characteristic that is a byproduct of the evolution of a different characteristic, instead of a direct product of adaption
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behavioural ecology
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the study of the ecological and evolutionary basis for animal behavior, and the roles of behavior in enabling an animal to adapt to its environment (both intrinsic and extrinsic)
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intraspecific competition
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Competition among individuals of the same species
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interspecific competition
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individuals of different species vie for the different resource in an ecosystem
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phylogeny
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the study of evolutionary relatedness among various groups of organisms
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ontogeny
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describes the origin and the development of an organism from the fertilized egg to its mature form.
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philopatric
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tending to return to or remain near a particular site or area.
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matrifocal units
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mum is head of the pack
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morphology
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the study of the form of living organisms
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teleology
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the explanation of phenomena by the purpose they serve rather than by postulated causes.
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species
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a group of living organisms consisting of similar individuals capable of exchanging genes or interbreeding.
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convergence
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the tendency of unrelated animals to evolve superficially similar characteristics under similar environmental conditions.
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phenotype
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the set of observable characteristics of an individual organism
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genotype
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the genetic constitution of an individual organism.
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epigenetic
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resulting from external rather than genetic influences
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eusocial
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showing an advanced level of social organization, in which a single female or caste produces the offspring and nonreproductive individuals cooperate in caring for the young.
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virilocal
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a married couple resides with or near the husband's parents
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drone
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a male bee in a colony of social bees, which does no work but can fertilize a queen.
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polymorphous
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the occurrence of different forms among the members of a population or colony, or in the life cycle of an individual organism.
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scramble competition
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Competition for a resource that is inadequate for the needs of all, but is partitioned equally among contestants, so no competitor obtains the amount it needs and in extreme cases all die
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nutritional ecology
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study of the food chain from birth to death
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mating pool
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the group of females open to reproduction
in humans, this is socially determined |
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incest taboos
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refer to a class of prohibitions, both formal and informal, stated and unstated, against incest
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fitness
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describes the capability of an individual of certain genotype to reproduce
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