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Biological Anthropology
Our Origins - Discovering Physical Anthropology
12
Anthropology
Undergraduate 1
02/03/2010

Additional Anthropology Flashcards

 


 

Cards

Term
What three major 'realizations about the natural world' provided the context for Darwin's theory of evolution?
Definition
Three key things were realized by scientists about the Earth and its inhabitants:
1. the Earth is ancient.
2. its surface is very different than it was in the past.
3. plants and animals have changed over time.
Term
What five scientific disciplines did Darwin draw on information to generate his theory?
Definition
Geology
Paleontology
Taxonomy and Systematics
Demography
Evolutionary Biology
Term
What is Geology?
Definition
Geology is the study of Earth, especially with regard to its composition, activity, and history.
Term
What is Paleontology?
Definition
Paleontology is the study of fossils.
Term
What is Taxonomy?
Definition
Taxonomy is the classification of past and living life-forms.
Term
What is the study of Systematics?
Definition
Systematics is the study of biological relationships over time.
Term
What is Demography?
Definition
Demography is the study of population, especially with regard to birth, survival, and death and the major factors that influence these three key parts of life.
Term
What is Evolutionary Biology? Who founded it?
Definition
Evolutionary Biology is the study of organisms ad their changes. Darwin founded this discipline.
Term
What is Uniformitarianism?
Definition
It is the idea that the natural processes operating today (in Geology) are the same as natural processes that happened in the past.

I.E: Wind creates erosion.
Term
What is Catastrophism?
Definition
The idea (according to Paleontology) that areas are re-inhabited by new species after a massive natural disaster.
Term
Briefly describe Carolus Linnaeus's contribution to Taxonomy.
Definition
Carolus Linnaeus developed a system for categorization of species and species type. Binomial nomenclature involved giving each plant and animal a higher-level Genus and a lower-level Species.

IE: Homo-sapiens.
Term
What are the four well-known causes of evolution?
Definition
1. Genetic drift
2. Gene flow
3. Mutation
4. Natural selection
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