STUDY GUIDE

The review material is divided into five categories:  key terms, taxa, lists, concepts, and lab material.  Some ideas fall into two or more of these categories.

Below is a summary of the major topics we covered in the first unit though lectures and lab assignments.

• Principles of Evolutionary Theory
• Primate Traits and Classification
• Speciation and Phylogeny
• Evidence of Human Evolution
• Primate Comparative Anatomy and Morphology
• Nonhuman Primate Evolution
• Human Skeletal Anatomy
  

TERMS

You may be asked the definitions of some of the following terms but certainly not all of the terms.  You will, however, need to know what these terms mean in order to understand test questions and answers, and you will be expected to use key terms in essay answers.  So try to balance your time in studying these terms.

• paleoanthropology
• anthropology
• biological anthropology
• archaeology

• biological species
• phylogenetic species
• evolutionary species
  
• geographic isolation
• ecological isolation
• reproductive isolation
• speciation
• macroevolution
  
• allopatric (geographic) speciation
• sympatric speciation
• parapatric speciation
• anagenesis
• cladogenesis
  
• extinction
• extinct
• extant
• homologous traits (homologies)
• analogous traits (analogs, homoplasies)
• synapomorphs (shared derived traits)
  
• symplesiomorphs (shared ancestral traits)
• phenetics
  
• cladistics
• evolutionary systematics
  
• phylogeny
• phylogenetic tree

• fossil
• mineralized body part
• mold
• trace fossil
• principle of taxonomic relevance
• principle of morphological equivalence
• principle of mosaic evolution
• comparative anatomy
• homologies
• molecular biology
• genetics
• protein
• amino acid
• DNA
• DNA hybridization
• protein sequencing
• immunology
• DNA sequencing
• nuclear DNA
• mitochondrial DNA
• primate analogy
• hunter-gatherer analogy
• paleobehavior

• archaic primate (proto-primate)
• euprimate (true primate)
• adaptive radiation
• insectivore
• basal anthropoid
• true anthropoid
• Cenozoic Era
• Paleocene Epoch
• Eocene Epoch
• Oligocene Epoch
• Miocene Epoch

TAXA

For general taxonomic names, you need to know the definitions of the terms.  For example, you need to know that anthropoids include all monkeys and apes (extinct and extant).

For specific taxa, you need to know the general type of primate, the time period, and the significance.  For example, for Altiatlasius sp. you need to know that it is prosimian grade, dates to the Paleocene Epoch, and is the oldest dated primate species.

• insectivore
• proto-primate
• euprimate
• primate
• prosimian
• basal anthropoid
• anthropoid (true anthropoid)
• Old World monkey
• New World monkey
• hominoid
• hominid

• Altiatlasius sp.
• Adapid family
• Omomyid family
• Aegyptopithecus sp.
• Proconsul sp.
• Sivapithecus sp.

LISTS

• two subdisciplines of anthropology to which paleoanthropology is most closely related
• four forces of evolution
  

• three major types of isolation
• three major processes of speciation
• two forms of extinction
• three approaches to classification and phylogeny construction
  

• five types of evidence of evolution
• three uses of fossils in evolutionary studies
• five rules for evaluating fossil evidence
• two uses of comparative anatomy and morphology in evolutionary studies
• three uses of molecular biology and genetics in evolutionary studies
• four methods of molecular biology and genetics
• two uses of primate analogy in evolutionary studies
• four primates used as analogs for human evolution
• three uses of hunter-gatherer analogy in evolutionary studies
• two hunter-gatherer groups used as analogs for human evolution

CONCEPTS

• basic principles of evolutionary theory
  
• level(s) of evolutionary change of concern to paleoanthropologists

• how the four forces of evolution relate to the process of speciation
• conditions that lead to a rapid rate of speciation; conditions that lead to a slow rate of speciation
• types of morphological traits (in general) used in developing phylogenetic trees

• what general patterns of relatedness among anthropoids are indicated by molecular biology and genetics (do not memorize specific numbers and percentages)

• general trends in climate change during the Cenozoic Era
• general statements about non-human primate evolution
• major events in non-human primate evolution during the Paleocene, Eocene, Oligocene, and Miocene epochs

LAB MATERIAL

Lab 1: Classification and Phylogeny

derived traits

ancestral traits

characters

cladistic classification

evolutionary classification

cladogram

primate

prosimian

anthropoid

hominoid

hominid

be able to develop a cladogram

• proximal
• distal
• medial
  
• lateral
• dorsal
• ventral
• locations of these skull bones: frontal, temporal, parietal, occipital, maxilla, mandible
• locations of these skull features: supraorbital ridge, nuchal ridge, sagittal suture, zygomatic arch
  

PRACTICE QUESTIONS
 

OBJECTIVE QUESTIONS

1.    Paleoanthropology

a. is concerned with human origins and human evolution.
b. is most closely related to physical anthropology and archaeology within the discipline of anthropology.
c. is concerned with macroevolutionary and megaevolutionary change.
d. primarily uses fossil evidence but also incorporates genetic evidence, comparative anatomy, primate analogy, and hunter-gatherer analogy.
e. All of these are correct.

a. homologous traits.
b. analogous traits.
c. convergences.
d. parallelisms.
e. geomorphs.

a. use authentic specimens that are as complete as possible.
b. use subadult specimens.
c. equally weight all traits.
d. compare different morphological traits among species.
e. use the same traits over the entire course of evolutionary change.

a. fossils
b. comparative anatomy and morphology
c. molecular biology and genetics
d. primate analogy
e. hunter-gatherer analogy

a. Altiatlasius sp.
b. Algeripithecus sp.
c. Proconsul sp.
d. Aegyptopithecus sp.
e. Sivapithecus sp.

a. shape of femur
b. shape of ilium
c. shape of vertebral column
d. presence/absence of external tail
e. size and shape of big toe

8.    True or False:  The development of new species requires isolation, which can be geographic, reproductive, or morphologic.

9.    True or False:    Compared to prosimians, anthropoids have fused mandibular symphyses and fused frontal bones.

10.    True or False:    Omomyids are probably ancestral to living tarsiers, while adapids are probably ancestral to living lemurs and lorises.

Click here for answers to the objective practice questions.
 

IDENTIFICATION AND ESSAY QUESTIONS

1.    Identify the four types of primates used as analogs for early human behavior and adaptation.

2.    Relate the two processes of speciation with the three main types of isolation.

3.    How can a species go extinct?  Explain the two processes and clearly illustrate each with a phylogenetic tree.

4.    List the five types of evidence used in evolutionary studies and explain how each is used in evolutionary studies.

5.    Using key terms, discuss the main events in non-human primate evolution during the Paleocene, Eocene, Oligocene and Miocene epochs.