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Intro to Physical Anthropology
Chapter 6: An Overview of the Primates
46
Anthropology
Undergraduate 1
02/17/2006

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Term
anthropoids
Definition
members of a suborder of Primates, the Anthropoidea. traditionally, the suborder includes monkeys, apes, and humans.
Term
primitive
Definition
referring to a trait or combination of traits present in an ancestral form.
Term
specialized traits
Definition
evolved for a particular function; usually refers to a specific trait (e.g., incisor teeth), but may also refer to the entire way of life of an organism.
Term
prosimian
Definition
members of a suborder of Primates, the Prosimii. traditionally, the suborder includes lemurs, lorises, and tarsiers.
Term
prehensility
Definition
grasping, as by the hands and feet of primates.
Term
morphology
Definition
the form (shape, size) of anatomical structures; can also refer to the entire organism.
Term
primatologists
Definition
scientists who study the evolution, anatomy, and behavior of non-human primates. those who study behavior in noncaptive animals are usually trained as physical anthropologists.
Term
omnivorous
Definition
having a diet consisting of many kinds of foods, such as plant materials (seeds, fruits, leaves), meat, and insects.
Term
diurnal
Definition
active during the day.
Term
nocturnal
Definition
active during the night.
Term
stereoscopic vision
Definition
the condition whereby visual images are, to varying degrees, superimposed on one another. this provides dfor depth perception, or the perception of the external environment in three dimensions. stereoscopic vision is partly a function of structures in the brain.
Term
binocular vision
Definition
vision characterized by overlapping visual fields provided for by forward-facing eyes. essential to depth perception.
Term
hemispheres
Definition
two halves of the cerebrum that are connected by a dense mass of fibers. (the cerebrum is the large rounded outer portion of the brain.)
Term
sensory modalities
Definition
different forms of sensation (e.g. touch, pain, pressure, heat, cold, vision, taste, hearing and smell).
Term
arboreal
Definition
tree-living; adapted to life in the trees.
Term
adaptive niche
Definition
the entire way of life of an organism; where it lives, what it eats, how it gets food, how it avoids predators, etc.
Term
arboreal hypothesis
Definition
the traditional view that primate characteristics can be explained as a consequence of primate diversification into arboreal habitats.
Term
cusps
Definition
the elevated portions (bumps) on the chewing surfaces of premolar and molar teeth.
Term
quadrupedal
Definition
using all four limbs to support the body during locomotion; the basic mammalian (and primate) form of locomotion.
Term
brachiation
Definition
a form of locomotion in which the body is suspended beneath the hands and support is alternated from one forelimb to the other; arm swinging.
Term
sexual dimorphism
Definition
differences in physical characteristics between males and females of the same species. (e.g., humans are slightly sexually dimorphic for body size, with males being taller, on average, than females of the same population)
Term
estrus
Definition
period of sexual receptivity in female mammals (except humans), correlated with ovulation when used as an adjective, the word is spelled "estrous."
Term
frugivorous
Definition
having a diet composed primarily of fruits.
Term
intelligence
Definition
mental capacity; ability to learn, reason, or comprehend and interpret information, facts, relationships, and meanings; the capacity to solve problems; whether through the application of previously acquired knowledge or through insight.
Term
primates
Definition
members of the order of mammals Primates which includes prosimians, monkeys, apes and humans.
Term
derived
Definition
referring to characteristics that are modified from the ancestral condition and thus are diagnostic of particular evolutionary changes.
Term
ecological
Definition
pertaining to the relationships between organisms and all aspects of their environment (temperature, predators, nonpredators, vegetation, availability of food and water, types of food, disease organisms, parasites, etc.)
Term
behavioral ecology
Definition
the study of the evolution of behavior, emphasizing the role of ecological factors as agents of natural selection. behaviors and behavioral patterns hae been favored because they increase the reproductive fitness of individuals (i.e., they are adaptive) in specific environmental contexts.
Term
plasticity
Definition
the capacity to change. in a behavioral context, the ability of animals to modify actions in response to differing circumstances.
Term
social structure
Definition
the composition, size and sex ratio of a group of animals. social structures, in part, are the results of natural selection in specific habitats, and they guide individual interactions and social relationships.
Term
dominance hierarchies
Definition
systems of social organization wherein individuals within a group are ranked relative to one another. higher-ranking animals have greater access to preferred food items than lower-ranking individuals. sometimes called "pecking orders."
Term
communication
Definition
any act that conveys information, in the form of a message, to another individual. frequently, the result of communication is a change in the behavior of the recipient. communication may not be deliberate but may instead be the result of involuntary processes or a secondary consequence of an intentional action.
Term
displays
Definition
sequences of repetitious behaviors that serve to communicate emotional states. nonhuman primates displays are most frequently associated with reproductive or agonistic behavior.
Term
affiliative
Definition
pertaining to amicable associations between individuals. affiliative behaviors such as grooming reinforce social bonds and promote group cohesion.
Term
territories
Definition
portions of an individual's or group's home range that are actively defended against intrusion, especially by members of the same species.
Term
core area
Definition
the portion of a home range containing the highest concentration and most reliable supplies of food and water. the core area is defended.
Term
grooming
Definition
picking through fur to remove dirt, parasites, and other materials that may be present. social grooming is common among primates and reinforces social relationships.
Term
altruism
Definition
behavior that benefits another individual but at some potential risk or cost to oneself.
Term
sexual selection
Definition
a type of natural selection that operates on only one sex within a species. it's the result of competition for mates, and it can lead to sexual dimorphism with regard to one or more traits.
Term
polyandry
Definition
a mating system wherein a female continuously associates with more than one male (usually two or three) with whom she mates. among nonhuman primates, polyandry is seen only in marmosets and tamarins. it also occurs in a few human societies.
Term
biological continuum
Definition
refers to the fact that organisms are related through common ancestry and that behaviors and traits seen in one species are also seen in other to varying degrees. when expressions of a phenomenon continuously grade into one another so that there are no discrete categories, they are said to exist on a continuum. color is such a phenomenon.
Term
agonistic
Definition
of, relating to, or being aggressive or defensive social interaction
Term
anthropocentric
Definition
Regarding humans as the central element of the universe.
Interpreting reality exclusively in terms of human values and experience
Term
physiology
Definition
The biological study of the functions of living organisms and their parts
Term
infanticide
Definition
The act of killing an infant.
The practice of killing newborn infants.
One who kills an infant.
Term
consortship
Definition
The condition of a consort; fellowship; partnership
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