Physical Anthropology Study Guide

Midterm I

 

 

Anthropology

Three main goals

Borrows from which disciplines?

Theme

Methodology

Four subdisciplines and specialties within each subdiscipline

Why study?

Misunderstandings regarding science

Steps in the scientific method

Application of scientific thinking to anthropological problems

Anthropocentricity

Spontaneous generation

Fixity of Species

Great Chain of Being

4004 B.C. and James Ussher

John Ray

Carolus Linnaeus-binomial nomenclature

Comte de Buffon

Jean-Baptiste Lamarck- Inheritance of acquired characteristics

Charles Lyell- Uniformitarianism

Thomas Malthus

Charles Darwin- His hypotheses

Alfred Russel Wallace

Continuous and Discontinuous traits

Point mutation

Alleles

Gametes/somatic cells

Gregor Mendel

Mendelian Genetics handout

Punnett Square

ABO system in blood types/ human eye color are examples of?

Human earlobe example

Modern Synthesis of Evolutionary theory

Change in allele frequencies means?

Micro. vs. Macroevolutionary changes

Four factors that produce alterations in allele frequency/genetic variation

Taxonomic Classification

Differences discussed between reptiles and mammals

Mammalian characteristics/behavior

Primate characteristics

Arboreal insect predation

Arboreal habitat

Ecological niche

Scala naturae

Primate eye/teeth handout

Dental formula

Major groups of living primates (taxonomy and characteristics for each)

Differences between Old World and New World Monkeys handout

Evolutionary ecology

Bushmeat trade

Primate social groups

Dominance Hierarchies

Forms of communication

Mothers and infants

Closed system of communication

Vervet monkeys

Open system of communication

Koko

Kanzi/Sherman and Austin

Tool use

Aggression

Altruism

Cooperation

Biological continuum

Question(s) from the videos shown in class

 

The midterm will cover chapters 1-8

Note:  Overview chapter 3 (you will only be held responsible for information I told you in class).

 

There will be 50 multiple-choice questions.  Please bring a scantron and a number two pencil to class.