ANT101H5 Lecture 9: LEC #9 (Primate Origins)
Document Summary
Human diversity is the result of microevolutionary forces small changes in allele frequencies acting on the human gene pool. This is as opposed to macroevolution: appearance of new species due to many generational changes in allele frequencies. Analogies: structures that are superficially similar. Do not pass through similar stages during embryonic development. Organisms do not share a common ancestor. Homologies: structures possessed by 2 different organisms that arise in a similar fashion. Pass through similar stages during embryonic development. Systematics: traditional approach, categorize organisms based on homologous traits. Cladistics: determine ancestral versus derived (modified) homologous traits to determine lineage, clade. A group of organisms with a common ancestor. Divergent: a single ancestral species gives rise to 2 or more descendant species, physical & social barriers. Convergent: two phylogenetically unrelated organisms develop greater similarities, similar environments. Ecological niche: a species way of life considered on the context of its environment.
