Quizlet Chapter 17 "Human Evolution" Vocab

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  1. Anthropoid Primate: one of a subgroup of primates that includes monkeys and apes
  2. Australopithecines: early hominid from the genus Australopithecus
  3. Bipedalism: the ability to walk primarilyon two legs
  4. Dental Formula: number and arrangement of teeth
  5. Great Ape: a gibbon, orangutan, gorilla, or chimpanzee
  6. Hominids: a group that comprimises humans and their immediate ancestors
  7. Lucy: unofficial female Australopithecus fossil
  8. Multiregional Hypothesis: suggests regional differences in phenotype have been developing for well over a million years
  9. Opposable Thumb: a thumb that can be positioned opposite the other fingers
  10. Paleoanthropologists: scientists who study fossil evidence of human evolution
  11. Pelvis: hipbone; can indicate whether an organism walked upright
  12. Prehensile: grasping, as in a primate's hand, foot, tail
  13. Primate: a member of the order Primates, the mammalian order that includes humans
  14. Prosimian Primate: a suborder of modern primates that includes lemurs, lorises, and tarsiers
  15. Quadrupedal: organisms that walk on four limbs
  16. Recent-African-Origin Hypothesis: states that Homo sapiens originated in Africa only about 100,000 to 200,000 years ago and then, like Homo erectus before them, left Africa