ANTH 1 
Introduction to Physical Anthropology 
Study Guide #2

Last Updated: April 10, 2006

Understand the concept of Convergence and Homology and know some examples

Know the following:

Subphylum Vertebrata

• (External Fertilization)
• Class Pisces
• Class Amphibia
• (Internal Fertilization)
• Class Reptilia
• Class Aves
• Class Mammalia

• Contrast & understand the functions of the following for Reptiles and Mammals re:
• Body Temperature
• endothermy vs ectothermy
• Reproduction
• Amniotic Egg
• Amnion, Allantois, Yolk Sac, Chorion
• shell vs placenta/uterus
• Parental Care
• none vs lots (mammary glands)
• Locomotion
• limb placement
• sprawled vs beneath body
• axial skeleton movement
• rotation vs flexion/extension
• Growth
• discrete stages vs continuous growth
• Bones
• diaphysis + epiphyses
• bone, cartilage, epiphyseal growth plates, ossification centers
• cells involved in bone growth:
• osteoblasts (make bone); osteoclasts (destroy bone)
• Dentition & Skull
• homodonty vs heterodonty
• structural & functional differentiation of mammalian teeth
• incisors: spatulate, nipping
• canines: dagger-like, piercing
• cheek-teeth: polycuspidate, chewing, grinding, slicing; mortar & pestle action; premolars & molars
• polyphyodonty vs diphyodonty
• continuous replacement vs deciduous teeth replaced by permanent teeth
• Muscles
• no cheek bone vs cheek bone
• temporalis for up/down movement
• masseter for side-to-side movement
• Lower jaw & ear bones
• reptiles have many bones in jaw and one (stapes) in ear
• mammals have one bone in jaw (dentary) and three (stapes, incus, malleus) in ear

 

Order Primates

• Understand the difference between the following subordinal classifications of primates:
  • gradistic (i.e., Prosimii vs Anthropoidea)
  • and cladistic (i.e., Strepsirhini vs Haplorhini)
• General Information:
  • distribution: Tropics & Sub-tropics of Old and New Worlds
• models for origin:
  • Co-evolution of Primates and Angiosperms
  • Wood-Jones Arboreal Hypothesis
  • Matt Cartmill's Terminal Branch Predation Hypothesis
• Be sure you understand the anatomy and function of the following list of features that characterize primates:
• large brain,
• long gestation and childhood,
• stereoscopic vision,
• increased reliance on vision over smell,
• grasping thumbs and big toe,
• nails instead of claws, 
• five fingers/toes with sensory pads,
• retain the clavicle
• Be sure you understand the types of social groups in primates and the attributes of spatial distribution
• Suborder Strepsirhini (e.g., lemurs [aye-aye distinctive - in what ways?], galagos [VCL], lorises [slow, cautious quadrupeds])
  • primarily nocturnal & insectivorous
  • characterized by

• grooming claw on second toe of foot,
• toothcomb (lower incisors and canines),
• tapetum lucidum & little color vision (primarily rods vs cones),
• scent glands,
• strepsirhine condition (split lip, moist rhinarium, comma-shaped nostrils, Jacobson's organ)
• mostly solitary social organization
• postorbital bar
• distribution
  • Africa & Asia (lorises & galagos)
  • Madagascar (lemurs)
• Suborder Haplorhini
  • primarily diurnal & frugivorous or folivorous
• characterized by:
• haplorhine condition (fused lip, dry rhinarium, simple nostrils, no JO),
• no tapetum lucidum, color vision (rods & cones)
• postorbital closure
• Tarsiiformes
• Tarsiers (their position changes in a gradistic vs cladistic classification)
• characterized by large eyes, grooming claws on second and third toes
• Anthropoidea
• Platyrrhini (aka NW monkeys)
• characterized by:
• wide internaral septum,
• laterally directed nostrils
• 3 premolars
• know what distinguishes the Callitrichidae (marmosets and tamarins) and the Cebidae
• Catarrhini (aka OWM and apes (including humans))
• characterized by:
• narrow internaral septum,
• down- or forward directed nostrils
• 2 premolars
• Superfamily Cercopithecoidea (OWM)
• characterized by sitting pads
• large number of lumbar vertebrae
• anteroposteriorly deep and side-to-side narrow thorax (ribcage)
• shoulder points downwards
• bilophodont dentition
• Know the feeding adaptations and diets of the two subfamilies: Colobinae (leaf monkeys) and Cercopithecinae (cheek pouched monkeys)
• Superfamily Hominoidea
• Family Hylobatidae (gibbons), monogamous, brachiators, aka lesser apes, Asian distribution
• Family Hominidae
  • Subfamily Ponginae (orangs), solitary, quadrumanous, great ape, Asian distribution
  • Subfamily Gorillinae (gorillas), single male, knuckle-walking, great ape, sub-Saharan Africa distribution
  • Subfamily Homininae
    • Tribe Panini (chimpanzees & bonobos), multi-male, knuckle-walking, great ape, sub-Saharan Africa distribution
    • Tribe Hominini (fossil and living humans), variable social org., bipedal, great ape, world-wide distribution
• share following postcranial traits related to suspensory behavior:
• small number of lumbar vertebrae
• no tail
• anteroposteriorly shallow and side-to-side wide thorax
• shoulders point sideways; able to completely circumduct arm at shoulder
• ability to completely extend elbow
• ability to rotate forearm and hand through 180 degrees
• Be sure you understand the different limitations on male and female reproductive strategies
• Be able to identify the following social systems: solitary, polygyny, polyandry, monogamy and understand the relationship between monomorphism/dimorphism and social systems