Glossary
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Glossary Terms for letter: C
canine-premolar honing complex The dental form in which the upper canines are sharpened against the lower third premolars when the jaws are closed.
capillaries Small blood vessels between the terminal ends of arteries and the veins.
Carpolestes A plesiadapiform genus from the Paleocene, probably ancestral to the Eocene euprimates.
catastrophism The doctrine asserting that cataclysmic events (such as volcanoes, earthquakes, and floods), rather than evolutionary processes, are responsible for geologic changes throughout Earth's history.
Cenozoic The era lasting from 65 mya until the present, encompassing the radiation and proliferation of mammals such as humans and other primates.
C4 plants Plants that take in carbon through C4 photosynthesis, which changes carbon dioxide into a compound with four carbon atoms. These plants tend to be from warmer regions with low humidity and include corn, sugarcane, millet, and prickly pear.
chemical dating Dating methods that use predictable chemical changes that occur over time.
chromosomes The strand of DNA found in the nucleus of eukaryotes that contains hundreds or thousands of genes.
cline A gradual change in some phenotypic characteristic from one population to the next.
Clovis Earliest Native American ("Paleoindian") culture of North America; technology known for large, fluted, bifacial stone projectile points used as spear points for big game hunting.
coding DNA Sequences of a gene's DNA (also known as exons) that are coded to produce a specific protein and are transcribed and translated during protein synthesis.
codominance Refers to two different alleles that are equally dominant; both are fully expressed in a heterozygote's phenotype.
codons The sequences of three nitrogen bases carried by mRNA that are coded to produce specific amino acids in protein synthesis.
cognitive abilities Refers to the capacity of the brain to perceive, process, and judge information from the surrounding environment.
complementary bases The predictable pairing of nitrogen bases in the structure of DNA and RNA, such that adenine and thymine always pair together (adenine and uracil in RNA) and cytosine and guanine pair together.
cribra orbitalia Porosity in the eye orbits due to anemia caused by an iron-deficient diet, parasitic infection, or genetic disease.
cross-over The process by which homologous chromosomes partially wrap around each other and exchange genetic information during meiosis.
C3 plants Plants that take in carbon through C3 photosynthesis, which changes carbon dioxide into a compound having three carbon atoms. Tending to be from more temperate regions, these plants include wheat, sugar beets, peas, and a range of hardwood trees.
cultural anthropology The study of modern human societies through the analysis of the origins, evolution, and variation of culture.
cultural dating Relative dating methods that are based on material remains' time spans.
culture Learned behavior that is transmitted from person to person.
cytoplasm The jellylike substance inside the cell membrane that surrounds the nucleus and in which the organelles are suspended.
cytosine One of four nitrogen bases that make up DNA and RNA; it pairs with guanine.
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