click below
click below
Normal Size Small Size show me how
Biology
WCHS Biology Chapter 16
| Word | Definition |
|---|---|
| Primate | group of mammals including lemurs, monkeys, apes, and humans that evolved from a common ancestor; shared characteristics include a rounded head a flattened face, fingernails, flexible shoulder joints, opposable thumbs or big toes, and a large brain |
| Opposable Thumb | primate chacteristic of having a thumb that can cross the palm and meet the other fingertips; enables animal to grasp and cling to objects |
| Anthropoid | humanlike primates that include New World monkeys, Old World monkeys, and hominoids |
| Prehensile Tail | long muscular tail used as a fifth limb for grasping and wrapping around objects; chacteristics of many New World monkeys |
| Hominoid | a group of primates that can walk upright on two legs; includes gorillas, chimpanzees, bonobos, and humans |
| Bipedal | ability to walk on two legs; leaves arms and hands free for other activities such as hunting, protecting young, and using tools |
| Hominid | a group of bipedal primates that includes modern humans and their direct ancestors |
| Australopithecine | early African hominid, genus Australopithecus, that had both apelike and humanlike characteristics |
| Neandertal | archaic Homo sapiens that lived from 35,000 to 100,000 years ago in Europe, Asia, and the Middle East; had thick bones and large faces with the prominent noses and brains at least as large as those of modern humans |
| Cro-Magon | modern Homo sapiens that spread throughout Europe between 35,000 to 40,000 years ago; were identical to modern humans in height, skull and tooth structure, and brain size |