Acheulean | relating to the type of stone tool that follows the Olduwan in the archaeological record, dating to about 1.5 million years ago and consisting of bifaced tools (flaked on both sides) that are more complex to make and allow more kinds of manipulation than the earlier types
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biocultural evolution | evolutionary change and adaptation through both somatic (biological) and extrasomatic (material/cultural) means
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Homo | the hominin genus to which humans belong; characterized by bipedal locomotion, large brains, and biocultural evolution
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megadontia | he characteristic of having larger postcanine teeth than would be expected for body size
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megadontia quotient (MQ) | measure of premolar/molar tooth area relative to body size
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mosaic habitat | area that consists of two or more habitat types
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occipital (or nuchal) torus | pronounced ridge at the rearmost point on the occipital bone
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Olduwan | relating to the first stone tools in the archeological record, dating to about 2.5 million years ago and consisting of relatively simple flakes and choppers
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Pleistocene | epoch dating from 1.8 million to 10,000 years ago
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precision grip | ability to grip objects forcefully with the phalanges of the hand and yet exert finetuned control of the movement of the objects; includes the ability to grip items between the thumb and any of the fingers
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sagittal crest | a ridge running between the parietal bones along the top of the cranium, usually representing increased bone area for the attachment of chewing muscles
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sagittal keel | raised area, much less pronounced than a sagittal crest, where the parietals meet on top of the cranium
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