Evolution (CH. 6)

analogy

Click the card to flip 👆

1 / 8

Terms in this set (8)

similar functions are shared- but this doesn't necessarily indicate any evolutionary connection
*example: bird and bat wings, fins on a shark vs. on a dolphin
(similar functions, but no common ancestry)

features based on common ancestry
*example: tailbone in humans and the tails of cats and dogs

similar features that evolve separately or independently
ex: common ancestor of bird and bat is same as humans; however, humans do not have wings, the wings are homoplasies since humans evolved after the fact

encephalization factor

a factor which takes into account each class's deviation from the slope of the ratio of the brain weight
-it is important to account for body size when looking at brain size

what is the general timeline of human brain evolution?

australopithecus---> homo habilis ---> homo erectus---> homo sapiens

how did the tool making of australopithecus affect human evolution?

it likely reduced selective pressure for large jaws and teeth
-it may also relate to increasing social tolerance

what are the costs of having a large brain?

long gestation period-causing difficulty for mother, complex genetics require slower development leading to behavioral disorders, may require prolonged dependence and parental care

social brain hypothesis

the belief that selection pressure in the domain of social interactions favored larger brain size
-rapid expansion in brain size is indicative of an advantage for survival