Glossary
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adaptive radiation - relatively rapid diversification and expansion of an evolving group of organisms as they adapt to new niches.
affiliative behavior - ie. grooming, touching. Strengthens bonds between individuals in a group.
alloparenting - Individuals other than parents interacting with infants, carrying, playing with...
anthropoids - members of the suborder Anthropoidea, including monkeys, apes, and humans.
arboreal - adapted to life in the trees.
arboreal quadrupedalism - walking on four limbs on top of the tree limbs.
binocular vision - aka stereoscopic, although this refers more to brain structures. important for depth perception. forward-facing eyes, with overlapping visual fields.
binomial nomenclature - established by Carolus Linnaeus. the practice of using genus and species names to refer to an organism.
bipedalism - walking on two hindlimbs.
brachiation - a form of suspensory locomotion. swinging from forelimbs underneath branches.
derived trait - a charaterization that has been modified from the ancestral condition. Reflects a specific evolutionary line, and therefore more helpful in deciphering evolutionary relationships.
displays - sequences of repetitious behaviors that communicate certain emotions. Most often refers to agression when discussing non-human primates.
diurnal - active during the day.
dominance hierarchies - a ranking of group individuals. High ranking individuals typically have greater access to resources than lower.
ecological niches - the positions of species within their physical and biological environments, which makes up the ecosystem. Characteristics of a niche include relations with other species, diet, predators, terrain, and each is unique.
estrus - period of sexual receptivity in female mammals (except for humans and bonobos).
evolution - a change in the genetic structure of a population over time.
"fist-walking" - a form of terrestrial quadrupedalism. orangutans walk on their fists when on the ground for short periods of time. they ball up both their hands and feet and walk an the segment of finger closet to the hand (where humans typically wear rings).
folivorous - primarily leaf-eaters.
frugivorous - primarily fruit-eaters.
Grooming - the picking through fur to remove dirt and parasites. social grooming is a common affiliative behavior in primates.
Haplorrhines members of the biochemical suborder Haplorrhini. includes tarsiers, monkeys, apes, and humans.
Hominoids - members of the superfamily Hominoidea. Includes lesser apes, great apes, and humans.
ischial callosities - patches of though skin on the rear ends of old world monkeys and chimps and gibbons.
"knuckle-walking" - a form of terrestrial quadrupedalism. gorillas, chimpanzees, and bonobos walk of the second segment of their fingers.
macroevolution - changes produced through generations, may include the appearance of a new species.
microevolution - changes occuring within a species.
natural selection - the mechanism of evolutionary change referring to genetic changes in a population due to differential reproductive success of individuals. first discussed by Charles Darwin.
nocturnal - active at night.
population - a community os individuals within a species where mating occurs.
prehensile tail - muscular, capable of grasping like hands of feet. used as a fifth limb.
primates - members of the order primates (pry-mate-ees), including prosimians, monkeys, apes, and humans.
primatologists - scientists who study the behavior, biology, ecology, evolution, and anatomy of non-human primates.
primative - a characterization close to the ancestral condition. Not useful in studying derived traits that branched later. the term not considered so "PC" today, although a consise term has not yet been mainstreamed to replace it.
prosimians - members of the suborder Prosimii, including lemurs, lorises, and tarsiers.
quadrupedalism - walking on all four limbs. in non-human primates, on the palms or soles, unless fist or knuckle walkers.
rhinarium - the moist pad at the end of most mammal's noses. it serves to enhance the sense of scent/
sagittal crest - raised ridge along the midline of the cranium (skull) where the temporal muscle (used to move the jaw) is attached.
sexual dimorphism - physical differences between males and females of the same species.
social structure the composition, size, and sex-ratio of a group of animals.
species - a group of organisms that are capable of breeding to produce viable and fertile offspring.
stereoscopic vision - aka binocular vision, although this refers more to eye placement. visual images are to a certain degree superimposed on one another in the brain, aiding in depth perception.
territories - parts of land actively defended against intruding animals.