Glossary

palate

the roof of the mouth which is protected by a soft tissue.

paleoanthropology

the study of the fossil record of human evolution.

paleoecology

the study of past environments.

palmar

a relative term used to describe a feature on the anterior portion of the hand; the side with the palm.

paracone

the mesial cusp located on the buccal side of the upper molar.

paraconid

the mesial cusp located on the lingual side of the lower molar.

parallel evolution

the evolution of similar morphologies in unrelated species as a result of adapting to similar environment and/or functions.

parapatric speciation

the evolution of a daughter species from a small portion of individuals along a common border between two populations.

paraphyletic group

in cladistics, a clade (i.e., group) that consists of a single common ancestor and some, but not all, of its descendants.

parietal

bones forming the sides and the roof of the skull.

parietal foramina

a foramen, found in pairs, located laterally on the posterior half of the sagittal suture on either parietal bone.

parsimony

the idea that the simplest explanation is the most likely. In cladistics, parsimony states that the best representation of a relationship between species is that which depicts the least amount of evolutionary changes from the last common ancestor.

patella

kneecap.

pathology

the study of disease and disease processes.

pectoral

associated with the chest.

pedal distal phalanx 1

tip of the big toe, or hallux.

pedal distal phalanx 2

tip of the second toe.

pedal distal phalanx 3

tip of the middle, or third, toe.

pedal distal phalanx 4

tip of the fourth finger.

pedal distal phalanx 5

tip of the little, or fifth, toe.

pedal intermediate phalanx 2

[syn. pedal middle phalanx 2] middle bone of the second toe.

pedal intermediate phalanx 3

[syn. pedal middle phalanx 3] middle bone of the middle, or third, toe.

pedal intermediate phalanx 4

[syn. pedal middle phalanx 4] middle bone of the fourth toe.

pedal intermediate phalanx 5

[syn. pedal middle phalanx 5] middle bone of the little, or fifth, toe.

pedal proximal phalanx 1

the first bone of the big toe, or hallux, that articulates with the pedal distal phalanx 1 and the first metatarsal.

pedal proximal phalanx 2

the first bone of the second toe that articulates with the pedal intermediate phalanx 2 and the second metatarsal.

pedal proximal phalanx 3

the first bone of the middle, or third, toe that articulates with the pedal intermediate phalanx 3 and the third metatarsal.

pedal proximal phalanx 4

the first bone of the fourth toe that articulates with the pedal intermediate phalanx 4 and the fourth metatarsal.

pedal proximal phalanx 5

the first bone of the little, or fifth, toe that articulates with the pedal intermediate phalanx 5 and the fifth metatarsal.

pelvic inlet

the border of the pelvic cavity.

peridontal disease

infection of the tissues surrounding the teeth.

periodontal membrane

connective tissue binding the teeth to the alveolus allowing nutrients and nerve supply to the pulp cavity of the tooth.

periosteum

a sheet of connective tissue that encompasses a bone excluding articular surfaces.

periostitis

an inflammation of the periosteum.

phalangeal shaft curvature

the observed curve in the shaft of a phalanx (i.e., finger bone).

phenotype

observable physical properties of an organism resulting from genes and the affects of the environment.

phyletic

in cladistics, a group that has a common ancestor

phyletic classification

see phylogenetic tree or phylogeny.

phyletic gradualism

one of two competing models of evolutionary change that states adaptations occur gradually within a lineage or population. See also punctuated equilibrium.

phylogenetic tree

a hypothetical reconstruction of evolutionary relationships and times between groups.

phylogeny

an evolutionary lineage.

physical anthropology

the study of humans and the other primates from a biological and evolutionary perspective.

pisiform

a small, pea shaped carpal bone that articulates with the triquetral.

plantar

a relative term that describes features on the inferior portion of the foot; the sole.

plantarflexion

flexion of the foot toward the ground or distally. The foot is plantarflexed when you stand on the tips of your toes.

plesiomorphy

a primitive trait.

pollex

the thumb, or first finger.

polyandry

a mating relationship involving more than one male but only one female.

polygamy

a mating relationship involving more than one male and more than female.

polygenic inheritance

refers to the shared common ancestor within a group of species.

polygymy

a mating relationship involving one male but more than one female.

polymorphism

[adj. polymorphic] many forms.

polyphyletic group

in cladistics, a clade (i.e., group) that consists of descendants, but not a common ancestor of those descendants; usually depicts convergent evolution.

population

a single organism or group of organisms of a single living species in a particular geographical area. The organism(s) living within a population are more likely to breed with members of their own population than they are with members of other populations.

population genetics

the study of how genes change in frequency within populations, often in response to natural selection

porosis

the development of a callus at the site of a bone fracture.

positional behavior

the entire repertoire of positions that an animal engages in, including movement or locomotion (i.e., leaping, walking, climbing, brachiation, etc.), and positions at rest or posture (sitting, standing, hanging, feeding, sleeping, etc.).

post-orbital bar

the bony protuberance found on the side of the orbits on the skull that surrounds and protects the eye; found in most living primates and mammals.

post-orbital constriction

the narrowing bony portion behind the orbits of the skull; produced by a combination of having a large face and a small brain and sometimes large temporalis muscles.

postcranial

refers to the body below the cranium (i.e., skull and mandible).

posterior

a relative term used for bipedal hominins (those that travel on two legs) to describe features that are closer to the back of the body; opposite of anterior. The term dorsal is a synonym commonly used when referring to quadrupedal anatomy.

postmortem

the time frame after death.

prehensile

grasping capabilities.

premortem

[syn. antemortem] the time frame before death.

primates

in taxonomic classifications, a mammalian order that includes prosimians, monkeys, apes, and humans.

primatology

the study of primates.

primitive trait

a trait that is present in the ancestral form.

process

in anatomical terms, a projection from the bone

processing

modification of the messenger RNA (mRNA) by adding a cap, a tail, and by splicing the RNA molecule through the elimination of the entrons and leaving only the exons; the second part in the process of creating protein from genes.

prognathism

forward projection of the jaws beyond the rest of the face.

pronation

rotary motion that moves the thumb from the lateral to the medial position; the opposite of supination.

protein

the base for most of the body's structure that is made up of amino acids.

protocone

the mesial cusp located on the lingual side of the upper molar.

protoconid

the mesial cusp located on the buccal side of the lower molar.

protuberance

an elevation or raised deposition on the bone surface.

proximal

a relative term used to describe a part of a limb that is closer to the attachment point to the trunk of the body; the opposite of distal.

pubis

[plural: pubes] a bone of the os coxa that fuses into the ischium and ilium and forms the ventral and inferior component of the acetabulum.

pulp

the soft tissue located in the central cavity of the tooth, allowing blood and nerve supply to the tooth.

punctuated equilibrium

one of two competing models of evolutionary change that states a population is generally unchanging but may undergo occasional (short) periods of intense change. See also phyletic gradualism.