ACBS 160: Human & Animal Interrelationships – Final Exam
Australopithecines - (ANSWER)Our early human ancestors, millions of years before present, who had the
first important relationships to animals, including a predator-prey relationship on the African savanna,
and the detection of other dangerous animals.
Amygdala - (ANSWER)This brain area quickly informs your frontal cortex of an emotionally salient
stimulus, such as the presence of desirable food, a potential mate, or a dangerous animal, invoking an
appropriate response. Nerve cells in specific parts of this area are specialized for the processing of
animal stimuli.
The Human-Animal Divide - (ANSWER)In Western philosophical and theological traditions, humans are
different from animals because humans have either reasoning, morality, or a soul.
Categorical Perception - (ANSWER)The human brain's intrinsic tendency to impose categories on the
world
Symbioses - (ANSWER)Different types of ecological relationships between two species that reflect the
fitness or energetic costs and benefits to each.
Basis of Animal Categories - (ANSWER)How people categorize animals is determined by their innate
"biophilic values" and their cultural beliefs and uses, rather than taxonomic classification
Darwinian Perspective - (ANSWER)The conceptualization of humans and animals as related to each
other through common ancestry so our differences lie on a continuum rather than sharp categories.
The rise of Homo - (ANSWER)About 2 million years ago, large brain size along with the harnessing of fire
enabled our ancestors to become full-time hunters.
Modern Humans' Rise to Dominance - (ANSWER)By 40,000 years before present, fully modern humans
had out competed and likely exterminated all other forms of Homo. Likely reasons included greater
cognitive complexity, projectile weapons, and perhaps most importantly the partnership with wolves.
, ACBS 160: Human & Animal Interrelationships – Final Exam
Savanna Hypothesis - (ANSWER)Preference for particular landscapes or habitats that offered key
resources.
Modern Hunter-Gatherers - (ANSWER)These cultures provide evidence of how the human-dog
mutualism results in significantly greater hunting success.
The Beginning of the End for Neanderthal - (ANSWER)Around 100,000 years ago modern humans (Homo
sapiens) began to spread from Africa into Eurasia, where they encountered and quickly outcompeted
other large carnivores including other hominins.
Out of Africa - (ANSWER)There were 2 waves of expansion from Africa to Eurasia and beyond. The first
was a Homo species that evolved into Neanderthal. The second was fully modern Homo sapiens that
expanded worldwide
Cognitive Empathy - (ANSWER)Capacity to take another's perspective and gauge their intentions or
desires (a.k.a. Theory of Mind)
Domestication Syndrome - (ANSWER)A suite of traits that consistently appear together as a by-product
of the selection for tameness, such as floppy ears, curly tails, smaller brains, teeth and muzzles, and
white fur patches and behavior such as licking, and responsiveness to human social cues.
Wolf Adoption Hypothesis - (ANSWER)Our hunter-gatherer ancestors kidnapped wolf puppies by taking
them directly from a wolf den, and then hand-reared them.
Pedigree Dog - (ANSWER)Dogs with such highly specialized abilities, produced by careful breeding and
even inbreeding, and guaranteed by the American Kennel Club (AKC).
Silver Fox Experiment - (ANSWER)Only six generations of artificial selection for tameness produced
domestication traits such as curly tail, white spots, and floppy ears
Australopithecines - (ANSWER)Our early human ancestors, millions of years before present, who had the
first important relationships to animals, including a predator-prey relationship on the African savanna,
and the detection of other dangerous animals.
Amygdala - (ANSWER)This brain area quickly informs your frontal cortex of an emotionally salient
stimulus, such as the presence of desirable food, a potential mate, or a dangerous animal, invoking an
appropriate response. Nerve cells in specific parts of this area are specialized for the processing of
animal stimuli.
The Human-Animal Divide - (ANSWER)In Western philosophical and theological traditions, humans are
different from animals because humans have either reasoning, morality, or a soul.
Categorical Perception - (ANSWER)The human brain's intrinsic tendency to impose categories on the
world
Symbioses - (ANSWER)Different types of ecological relationships between two species that reflect the
fitness or energetic costs and benefits to each.
Basis of Animal Categories - (ANSWER)How people categorize animals is determined by their innate
"biophilic values" and their cultural beliefs and uses, rather than taxonomic classification
Darwinian Perspective - (ANSWER)The conceptualization of humans and animals as related to each
other through common ancestry so our differences lie on a continuum rather than sharp categories.
The rise of Homo - (ANSWER)About 2 million years ago, large brain size along with the harnessing of fire
enabled our ancestors to become full-time hunters.
Modern Humans' Rise to Dominance - (ANSWER)By 40,000 years before present, fully modern humans
had out competed and likely exterminated all other forms of Homo. Likely reasons included greater
cognitive complexity, projectile weapons, and perhaps most importantly the partnership with wolves.
, ACBS 160: Human & Animal Interrelationships – Final Exam
Savanna Hypothesis - (ANSWER)Preference for particular landscapes or habitats that offered key
resources.
Modern Hunter-Gatherers - (ANSWER)These cultures provide evidence of how the human-dog
mutualism results in significantly greater hunting success.
The Beginning of the End for Neanderthal - (ANSWER)Around 100,000 years ago modern humans (Homo
sapiens) began to spread from Africa into Eurasia, where they encountered and quickly outcompeted
other large carnivores including other hominins.
Out of Africa - (ANSWER)There were 2 waves of expansion from Africa to Eurasia and beyond. The first
was a Homo species that evolved into Neanderthal. The second was fully modern Homo sapiens that
expanded worldwide
Cognitive Empathy - (ANSWER)Capacity to take another's perspective and gauge their intentions or
desires (a.k.a. Theory of Mind)
Domestication Syndrome - (ANSWER)A suite of traits that consistently appear together as a by-product
of the selection for tameness, such as floppy ears, curly tails, smaller brains, teeth and muzzles, and
white fur patches and behavior such as licking, and responsiveness to human social cues.
Wolf Adoption Hypothesis - (ANSWER)Our hunter-gatherer ancestors kidnapped wolf puppies by taking
them directly from a wolf den, and then hand-reared them.
Pedigree Dog - (ANSWER)Dogs with such highly specialized abilities, produced by careful breeding and
even inbreeding, and guaranteed by the American Kennel Club (AKC).
Silver Fox Experiment - (ANSWER)Only six generations of artificial selection for tameness produced
domestication traits such as curly tail, white spots, and floppy ears
