anatomy the study of the structure of organisms, or the inner and outer shapes of plants and animals
anthropology the study of human beings; various branches of anthropology focus on human origins, on the biological and social features of human populations, on the relationships of people with their environments and with other groups of people, on family structures, and on the differences and similarities among cultures
archaeology the study of past human cultures through their physical remains, such as fossils, skeletons, buildings, and objects they made and used
artifact something made by humans, such as a tool, a household utensil, or a piece of clothing or jewelry
biogeography the study of how the different species of plants and animals are distributed, or spread, across the earth’s surface
colonize to settle in a new territory and establish political control over it
Cro-Magnon a member of an early population of humans first identified from forty-thousand- year-old skeletons found in a cave called Cro-Magnon in southern France; they were modern humans belonging to the same species as people today, Homo sapiens
DNA short for deoxyribonucleic acid; the set of molecules that contain the genetic code for each living thing, and that are the basis for genetic traits passed from parents to their offspring; DNA is made up of genes grouped into strands called chromosomes
ecology the study of the connections and relationships among living things and their environments
ethical having to do with ethics or morality, which is the consideration of what is good and bad, or right and wrong, behavior
Eurasia the large land mass that contains the continents of Europe and Asia
evolution the changing pattern of life forms over time as new species arise because of mutations, and old species become extinct
exterminate to destroy, kill off, or wipe out something, usually by a deliberate effort
extinct died out, no longer in existence
first contact to anthropologists, the first meeting between two peoples or cultures when one is more technologically advanced than the other; first contacts usually lead to dramatic changes in the less advanced culture’s way of life
fossil something from a past time in earth’s history that has been preserved by being turned to stone; bones, plants, and footprints are among the traces of ancient life that have survived as fossils
gene a distinct series or sequence of nucleic acids, part of the genetic code carried in DNA
genetics the branch of biology that studies the ways DNA causes variety and heredity in living things
genocide a deliberate, often organized, attempt to destroy a particular group; populations have been targeted for genocide because of their race, religion, national or ethnic origin, or for other reasons
heredity in genetics, the passing of features and traits from parents to offspring; traits passed on in this way are called inherited traits
hunter-gatherers people who follow a lifestyle called hunting and gathering, which means living by hunting game animals and gathering wild food plants; for most of human history, everyone was a hunter- gatherer, and a few small groups still are
lineage the line of descent from an ancestor; every organism whose origins can be traced to the same shared ancestor belongs to one lineage
mammal a member of the class of warmblooded animals that have a backbone, nurse their young from the mother’s mammary glands, and usually have some hair on their skins
millennium a thousand years
molecular biology the branch of biology that studies the chemical makeup of living organisms and their cells, with special interest in the molecules that create proteins in organisms and those involved in heredity
mutation in genetics, a change in the structure of a gene or chromosome that leads to an organism having traits or features that its parents did not have; a mutation may have no noticeable effect, or it may be harmful to the organism, or it may be favorable and improve the organism’s chances of survival; evolution is a drive by favorable mutations that leads to the development of new species
Neanderthal a member of an early population of humans first identified in skeletons from the Neander Valley in Germany;Neanderthals were a different species than modern humans
paleobotany the study of fossil plants or of plant life in earlier eras
paleontology the study of life in past eras of earth’s history, mostly based on fossils
paleopathology the study of ancient diseases and physical ailments
physiology the study of how biological structures, such as blood, skeletons, and internal organs, work
polygamy type of marriage in which a spouse can be married to multiple partners at the same time
polygyny type of polygamy in which a man can be married to more than one woman
primate a member of the group of mammals that includes humans, apes, monkeys, and various small animals such as lemurs, tarsiers, and bush babies; primates have hands and sometimes feet that are well developed for handling and picking up objects, with opposable thumbs and sometimes opposable big toes; most primates have flat nails, not claws, on their hands and feet
protohuman having to do with an early form of humans or with the ancestors of humans
syntax the part of grammar that has to do with the way words are joined together to create meaningful phrases or sentences; different languages may have different syntaxes, as shown in word order—for example, some languages put verbs at the ends of sentences
toxic poisonous or damaging
xenophobia fear and dislike or hatred of those who are different or foreign
zoology the branch of biology that studies animal life