Glossary
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Glossary Terms for letter: M
macroevolution Large-scale evolution, such as a speciation event, that occurs after hundreds or thousands of generations.
macronutrients Essential chemical nutrients, including fat, carbohydrates, and protein, that a body needs to live and to function normally.
masticatory-functional hypothesis The hypothesis that cranial shape change during the Holocene was related to the consumption of softer foods.
material culture The part of culture that is expressed as objects that humans use to manipulate environments.
matriline DNA, such as mitochondrial DNA, whose inheritance can be traced from mother to daughter or to son.
megafauna General term for the large game animals hunted by pre-Holocene and early Holocene humans.
meiosis The production of gametes through one DNA replication and two cell (and nuclear) divisions, creating four haploid gametic cells.
melanic Refers to an individual with high concentrations of melanin.
melanin A brown pigment that determines the darkness or lightness of a human's skin color due to its concentration in the skin.
melanocytes Melanin-producing cells located in the skin's epidermis.
menarche Refers to the onset of menstruation in an adolescent female.
Mendelian inheritance The basic principles associated with the transmission of genetic material, forming the basis of genetics, including the law of segregation and the law of independent assortment.
menopause The cessation of the menstrual cycle, signifying the end of a female's ability to bear children.
Mesozoic The second major era of geologic time, 230-65 mya, characterized by the emergence and extinction of dinosaurs.
messenger RNA (mRNA) The molecules that are responsible for making a chemical copy of a gene needed for a specific protein, that is, for the transcription phase of protein synthesis.
microcephaly A condition in which the cranium is abnormally small and the brain is underdeveloped.
microevolution Small-scale evolution, such as changes in allele frequency, that occurs from one generation to the next.
micronutrients Essential substances, such as minerals or vitamins, needed in very small amounts to maintain normal body functioning.
Micropithecus A genus of very small proconsulids from the Miocene, found in Africa.
microsatellites Specific loci in nuclear or organellar DNA that have repeated units of 1-4 base pairs in length; they can be used in various genetic studies.
Middle Paleolithic The middle part of the Old Stone Age, associated with Mousterian tools, which Neandertals produced using the Lavallois technique.
mitochondria Energy-producing (ATP) organelles in eukaryotic cells; they possess their own independent DNA.
mitosis The process of cellular and nuclear division that creates two identical diploid daughter cells.
monogamous Refers to a social group that includes an adult male, an adult female, and their offspring.
monosomy Refers to the condition in which only one of a specific pair of chromosomes is present in a cell's nucleus.
morphology Physical shape and appearance.
motor skills Refers to the performance of complex movements and actions that require the control of nerves and muscles.
Mousterian The stone tool culture in which Neandertals produced tools using the Lavallois technique.
mutagens Substances, such as toxins, chemicals, or radiation, that may induce genetic mutations.
mutation A random change in a gene or chromosome, creating a new trait that may be advantageous, deleterious, or neutral in its effects on the organism.
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