Exam 3 - information

Question 1

What is Paleoanthroplogy?

Answer 1

the interdisciplinary study of the hominin fossil record

Question 2

What is a fossil?

Answer 2

Preserved remains, or traces of animals, plants, or other organisms that turned into rock

Question 3

What is the process of fossilization?

Answer 3

process where the organic components of a material are replaced with minerals

Question 4

What is relative dating?

Answer 4

Determining if a object is younger or older in relation to something else
TECHNIQUES:
-principle of superimposition
-Biostratigraphy

Question 5

What is the Principle of Superimposition?

Answer 5

Rocks are deposited in layers, thus the oldest is on the bottom, and the youngest is on top

Question 6

What is Biostratigraphy?

Answer 6

Relative dating technique that uses the association of fossils in strata (distinguishable layers in rock) to determine each layers to determines layers approx. age

Question 7

What is Chronometric Dating?

Answer 7

Determining the absolute age of an object

Question 8

What is Radiometric Dating?

Answer 8

• Measures ratio of carbon-13 to carbon-12
• has a half life of 5730 years
• Organic material is 1,000-75,000 years old

Question 9

What is Potassium-Argon Dating?

Answer 9

• Measures ratio of potassium-40 to argon-40
• half life of 1.25 billion years
• Volcanic rocks 1-5 million years old

Question 10

What is Paleomagnetic Dating?

Answer 10

• Dating method based on earths shifting magnetic poles

- used on sedimentary rocks up to 5 million years old

Question 11

What is the importance of the skeleton?

Answer 11

It gives us clues for:

• locomotion
• soft tissue details (brain size, muscles)
• diet
• individual features (sex, age, pathology)

Question 12

What are key hominin features?

Answer 12

• bipedal locomotion
• large brain size
• tool making
• dentition

Question 13

What is mosaic evolution?

Answer 13

• Pattern of evolution where the ratio of evolution of one functional system varies from that of other systems
• Different functional systems arose at different times

Question 14

What is the Savannah Hypothesis?

Answer 14

Traditional bipedalism theory where the forests turned into savanahs, forcing adaptation to move about the ground. No real evidence

Question 15

What is the Visual Surveillance Hypothesis?

Answer 15

• Standing upright gave us vision improvement of surroundings (spot predators, locate food, find others)
• Still clumsy runners

Question 16

What is the Thermoregulation Hypothesis?

Answer 16

• Vertical body position helped early hominins stay cool

- However many primates solve this by resting during the hottest points of the day

Question 17

What is the Carrying Stuff Hypothesis?

Answer 17

-bipedalism theory where we walked upright to carry things such as food, young, and weapons

Question 18

What is the Bush Hypothesis?

Answer 18

• bipedalism theory where we started changing out diets to fruit
• Can reach fruit and revert to quadrepedalism

Question 19

What is the Aquatic Ape Theory?

Answer 19

• bipedalism theory where our ancestors would wade through shallow water to forage for food
• buoyant water helped them develop upright walking
• however no primates forage in water and there are tons of predators

Question 20

What is the Energy Efficient Theory?

Answer 20

• Bipedalism = more efficient for long distances

- early on it was inefficient

Question 21

What was Lovejoy’s Provisioning Hypothesis?

Answer 21

Males carry resources back to females and dependent young

• increased offspring survival
• increased female reproduction rates
• but assumes monogomy and fossils show sexual dimorphism

Question 22

What was Postural Feeding?

Answer 22

-Bipedalism needed for support on smaller branches

Question 23

What are the key advantages of Bipedalism?

Answer 23

• Energy efficient
• allows use of hands for carrying
• better view of surroundings
• helps keep body cool

Question 24

What is a bipedalism feature of skulls?

Answer 24

forearm magnem: located at base of skull

Question 25

What is a bipedalism feature of the spine?

Answer 25

S-shaped curvature

Question 26

What is a bipedalism feature of the pelvis?

Answer 26

Glutius maximus: repositioned behind the hip

Question 27

What is a bipedalism feature of the femur?

Answer 27

Angled inward

Question 28

What is a bipedalism feature of the knee?

Answer 28

robust joint, allows for full extension and locking

Question 29

What is a bipedalism feature of the foot?

Answer 29

Enlarged and in-line big toe, traverse and longitudinal arches

Question 30

What are the stages of Bipedalism?

Answer 30

Early Bipedalism: 7-6 myo, occasionally used biped Occasional to Habitual Bipedalism: environmental change to terrestrial resources, natural selection favored bipeds Obligate Bipedalism: environmental shift to savannahs, biped was more efficient for distance running

Question 31

What are running adaptations caused from Bipedalism?

Answer 31

``` Nuchal ligament (head stabilization) Longer legs (longer strides) Expanded joint surfaces (shock absorbers) Increased balance Increased vision, image stabilization More power, spring energy, shocks ```

Question 32

What were the Pre-Australopithes?

Answer 32

Possible first ancestor in human lineage

Question 33

What was the evidence of Bipedalism in Sahelothropus tchodensis?

Answer 33

based on the orientation of the faramen magnum (spine)

Question 34

What was the evidence of Bipedalism in Orrorin Tugenensis?

Answer 34

- Proximal femur - Slightly anteriorly rotated spherical head - Presence of an intertrchant groove - Elongated neck

Question 35

What was the evidence of Bipedalism in Ardipithecus Ramidus?

Answer 35

- No prognation below nasal aperture - non honing complex - humerus

Question 36

What is prognathism?

Answer 36

- Forward projection of the face | - Generally the maxilla or mandible

Question 37

What is the Honing Complex?

Answer 37

Upper canine is sharpened | -Diastema: gap to accommodate canines

Question 38

What are the key features of Australopithes?

Answer 38

- bipedal - small brains - large teeth - thick enamel

Question 39

What are key features of the Genus Paranthropus?

Answer 39

adaptations for powerful chewing - huge molars and promolars - large deep mandibles - flatter face - broad flaring cheekbones - saggital chest

Question 40

What are key trends of the genus Homo?

Answer 40

- increased cranial capacity - brain complexity - reduced tooth size - improved bipedalism - use of tools

Question 41

What is the difference between Homo habilus and Homo rudolfensis?

Answer 41

sheer size of brain, teeth, and longer face

Question 42

What tools did H. erectus use?

Answer 42

- Acheulean tools - bifacial handaxes - concerned with shaped

Question 43

What tools did H. Habilus use?

Answer 43

- Oldowan tools - Crude, pebble tools - interested in sharp edges