BIO ANTH EXAM 4 TERMINOLOGY

fossil find considered an important link in human evolution until it was shown to be fake in 1953

use of two legs rather than four for locomotion

a set of anatomical adaptations that make it possible for an animal to use two legs for locomotion

member of the family Hominidae

member of the family Ponidae

taxonomic classification placed below subfamily and above genus

member of the subfamily Homininae, which includes the African apes and humans

condition in which the lower first premolar is somewhat sharpened or flattened from rubbing against the upper canine as the mouth closes

boundary between the Pilocene and Pleistocene epochs, about 1.8 mya

condition in which the jaw projects beyond the upper parts of the face

first lower premolar that exhibits lateral (side to side) compression due to its role as a shearing surface for the upper canine tooth; related to the shearing complex

epoch that occurred between 5.0 and 1.8 mya

evolutionary change and adaptation through both somatic (biological) and extrasomatic (material/cultural) means

epoch dating from 1.8 million to 10,000 years ago

area that consists of two or more habitat types

the hominin genus to which humans belong; characterized by bipedal locomotion, large brains, and biocultural evolution

a ridge running between the parietal bones along the top of the cranium, usually representing increased bone area for the attachment of chewing muscles

the characteristic of having larger postcanine teeth than would be expected for body size, measured as megadontia quotient (MQ)

cheekbones; arches created by the meeting of extensions of the temporal and zygomatic bones in the cranium

measure of premolar/molar tooth area relative to body size

ability to grip objects forcefully with the phalanges of the hand and yet exert fine-tuned control of the movement of the objects; includes the ability to grip items between the thumb and any of the fingers

a robust projection at the front of the frontal bone on the cranium

relating to the first stone tools in the archaeological record, dating to about 2.5 million years ago and consisting of relatively simple flakes and choppers

raised area, much less pronounced than a saggital crest, where the parietals meet on top of the cranium

pronounced ridge at the rear-most point on the occipital bone

incisor teeth with a shovel-like grooved inner surface

relating to the type of stone tool that follows the Olduwan in the archaeological record, dating to about 1.5 mya and consisting of bifaced tools (flaked on both sides) that are more complex to make and allow more kinds of manipulation than the earlier types

condition in which the width across the orbits is greater than the width of the area behind them (where the frontal, temporal and parietal bones intersect)

those fossil hominins in the genus Homo found in Africa and Eurasia between about 600,000 and 30,000 years ago that reflect morphologies relatively distinct from both Homo erectus and modern humans; referred to as Homo heidelbergensis and Homo neanderthalensis by some

space behind the last molar tooth and the mandibular ramus

type of stone tool production that supplanted the Achulean tool kit and provided a higher quality tool that could be refined for a wide variety of uses

stone tool technology centered on a disk-core technique that represented a refinement of the Levallois technique; it allowed tool makers to produce many good flakes and turn them into a wide variety of tools

the indentation on the maxilla above the canine root

the point where the two halves of the mandible contact one another

tools made from stone flakes that are at least twice as long as they are wide