CARTA Glossary

Infant care provided by individuals other than the mother/parents.

One of the two species comprising the genus, Pan, having branched from chimpanzees ~1 million years ago. Sometimes referred to as “pygmy chimpanzee.” Bonobos, compared to chimpanzees, are more gracile, have female social dominance, relatively long legs, pink lips, a dark face, a “tail-tuft” through adulthood, and parted long head hair. The species is omnivorous and inhabits primary and secondary forests, including seasonally inundated swamp forests. The bonobo is found in a 500,000 km² (190,000 sq mi) area of the Congo Basin, only south of the Congo River, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Due to political instability, little field work in their natural habitat has been performed. Most behavioral knowledge is a result of studies of captive bonobos.

A family of New World monkeys

A complex of DNA and proteins (histone and adaptor proteins) forming chromosomes.

Behavior and norms that are shared, learned, and socially transmitted.

Cyclical periods of sexual receptivity and fertility. From the Greek word, oistros, for “gadfly/horsefly,” with the additional meaning of “frenzy.”

The probability of achieving a pregnancy within a mentrsual cycle.

The process by which the information contained within a gene (nucleotide sequence) is used to direct protein synthesis and dictate cell function. Nearly all of the cells in the body contain identical genes, but only a subset of this information is used or expressed at any time. The genes expressed in a cell determine what that cell can do.

The hominin species comprising all living humans. Meaning “wise man” in Latin, the name was introduced by Carl Linnaeus in 1758. The earliest fossil evidence of Homo sapiens appears in Africa around 300 kya (see Jebel Irhoud Hominins).

The oldest known “early” human fossils discovered, dating to roughly 300 kya from an archaeological site in Morocco. The location of this discovery suggests a “pan-African” origin of humans, with a dispersed interbreeding population, likely aided by climactic factors.

A collective term for non-Bantu indigenous people of South Africa, as well as for the related languages they speak.

An evolutionary framework for understanding the timing of developmental milestones and life stages.

The geologic temperature record between 130,000-80,000 years ago.

Relating to monthly ovulation or menses.

The delay or slowing of development. Compared to other primates, humans are considered neotenous due to the retention of physiological traits typical of juveniles such as facial features (globular skull shape, thinness of skull bones, reduction of browridge, flattened face, larger eyes), limb length ratio, and behavior.

Molecular building blocks for DNA and RNA Specifically, they consist of three components: a 5-carbon sugar, a phosphate group, and a nitrogenous base. The type of sugar, either deoxyribose or ribose, determines if the resulting nucleic acid is DNA or RNA.

The timepoint of the menstrual cycle involving the release of an egg from an ovary.

Evolutionary conflict between the sexes arising from differences in optimal parental investment in offspring across a lifetime.

The parental effort of fathers.

A male’s confidence in being the father of one or more offspring.

Around the time of ovulation.

Molecules that are produced by one individual and have signal value for another individual of the same species.

A mating system in which males and females mate with multiple partners.

Temporary cessation of menstrual cycles after giving birth.

One of the four classes of major biomolecules. Proteins are molecules encoded by DNA sequences and composed of amino acids connected by peptide bonds. These range in size from a few amino acids (short peptides) to large molecules (long polypeptides) comprised of thousands of amino acids.

A mating system where individuals from different groups repeatedly from pair bonds across groups, track these relationships (with the help of personal names and kinship terms), and exchange goods and services.

Members of various Khoisan-speaking indigenous hunter-gatherer and former hunter-gatherer groups that are the first nations of Southern Africa, and whose territories span Botswana, Namibia, Angola, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Lesotho and South Africa. mtDNA and Y chromosome studies show that the San carry some of the most divergent (oldest) human haplogroups.

Visible swelling of the perineum during estrus.

A population whose individuals can mate with one another to produce viable and fertile offspring. This is a debated definition and the concept is problematic for extinct fossil organisms for which DNA is not available. This definition is problematic in regard to bacteria as they can exchange genetic material across widely separate taxa.

The first step in gene expression during which the nucleotide sequence of DNA is transcribed into an RNA molecule that can ultimately be translated into protein.