Glossary

A

Acheulean
Cultural period named after the site of Saint-Acheul (Somme, France). The Acheulean lithic industry is distinguished from the Oldowayen by a diversification of the tools made of stone. This industry is characterized, among other things, by the bifaces and axes.

Argon
Noble gas used in dating, especially for volcanic contexts, resulting from the disintegration of Potassium 40.

Mitochondrial DNA
Circular DNA coding for mitochondria. This type of DNA is only transmitted by the mother.

Alluvium
Deposits resulting from transport by a watercourse.

Masticatory apparatus
Set of organs used to chew.

Arboriculture
Who lives in the trees. By extension, an arboreal mode of locomotion means a movement in trees.

Archaeozoology
Scientific discipline that studies the natural and cultural relationships between humans and animals.

B

Biface
Lithic tool cut on both sides and presenting a certain symmetry.

Biochronology
A dating method used to estimate the age of a deposit based on the fossil assemblage present in it.

Biostratigraphy
Term synonymous with biochronology.

Bolas
Lithic pieces of spherical shape.

BP
Acronym for "before present". The present, here, is set at 1950. Thus a date indicating -7000 BP corresponds in reality to 5050 BC. This choice is linked to carbon 14 dating. Indeed, the tests on the nuclear bomb since 1945 have disseminated C14 on the planet. It is the concentration of C14 in the atmosphere in the year 1950 that is used as a benchmark.

Brachiation
Bimanual progress over several meters between two structures without using any other type of locomotion and without using the support of the tail or the hind limbs.

C

Cal BP
Acronym for "calibrated Before Present". Raw carbon-14 dates are inaccurate because the radiocarbon content fluctuates with time. These must be calibrated to overcome this problem. This is called a "calibrated" date.

Calvaria
Part of the skull including the parietal bones, frontal bone, temporal bones and occipital bone.

Cranial capacity
Volume of the internal cavity of the cranium (equivalent to the volume of the brain).

Carpology
Scientific discipline studying seeds and fruits found in archaeological context.

Hunter-Gatherers
Subsistence behavior based on hunting and gathering.

Ordinary chondrites
Most frequent type of meteorites.

Subsistence behaviour
Methods of exploitation (acquisition and processing) of natural resources, of animal and vegetable origin.

Post-orbital constriction
Bony narrowing taking place behind the orbits.

Stratigraphic layer
Set of sedimentary deposits with the same characteristics. These geological layers are superimposed with time forming a stack used to date in archaeology. The oldest layers are found at the bottom of the stack and the most recent layers are found at the surface.

Cranium
All the bones forming the skeleton of the head except the mandible and the hyoid bone.

Sagittal ridge
Bony ridge forming a median line on the top of the skull.

Cuspids
Eminences and convex surfaces on the crown of the teeth. The morphology of the cusps is characteristic of a species.

D

Cosmogenic dating (Beryllium 10)
The interaction between cosmic rays and minerals on the earth's surface results in the production and accumulation of radioactive isotopes within the minerals. These isotopes can be used to date the last light exposure of a mineral.

Cutting
Technique whose objective is to obtain usable stone chips from a block of rock called nucleus.

Continental drift
Corresponds to the horizontal movements of the continents. The continents were not always positioned as they are today. For example, 250 million years ago, a single supercontinent, called Pangea, existed. As a result of fracturing. The continents continue to move nowadays.

Diastema
Space between two teeth.

Sexual dimorphism
Phenotypic and morphological differences between males and females of the same species.

E

Early Stone Age (ESA)
First division of Prehistory in Africa. This period begins with the first carved tools at 3.3 million years and lasts until 300,000 years.

Predatory economy
Economy whose subsistence behavior is based on hunting and gathering.

Economy of production
Economy whose subsistence behavior is based on agriculture and livestock.

EPO
Abbreviation for "erythropoietin". Hormone that stimulates the body's production of red blood cells.

Euprimates
Some researchers classify the order Scandentia, which includes the tree shrew toupayes that live in Southeast Asia, as a primate. They then use to describe the primates stricto sensu "Euprimates".

F

Foramen magnum
Synonym of occipital hole.

Evergreen forest
Forest whose trees have an evergreen foliage throughout the year.

G

Grasses
Plants whose flowers are arranged in spikes (e.g. wheat).

H

Hachereau
Large lithic chip with a transverse edge.

Holotype
Specimen from which a species was first described. This specimen then serves as a reference for the species.

Hominins
Denomination including fossils belonging to the genus Homo as well as all fossils that are considered closer to us than chimpanzees via for example criteria related to bipedalism.

Hominization
All the processes (anatomical, physiological, evolutionary, etc.) that led to the emergence of the Hominins.

Hominoids
Great apes without tails.

Anatomically modern men
Expression used to designate Homo sapiens.

I

Archaic industry on pebbles
Industry dominated by developed cobbles These cobbles are weakly developed and are generally made sharp by removing chips.

Lithic industry
All the stone objects transformed by a human activity.

Iteroparity
An organism that can reproduce several times during its life.

J

K

L

Lagomorph
Herbivorous mammal such as the rabbit.

Later Stone Age (LSA)
Period between 50 000 and 20 000 BC. J-C in Africa.

Lomekwien
The oldest lithic industry according to our current knowledge. Industry discovered in 2015 at the Lomekwi site (Kenya, Africa) and dated at 3.3 million years old. The tools are massive and heavy (15 kg).

M

Melanesia
One of the three major island groups in the Pacific Ocean. Melanesia includes the following territories: Fiji, New Caledonia, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu and New Guinea.

Mesolithic
Intermediate period between the Paleolithic and the Neolithic. Climatic and environmental changes lead to a modification of subsistence behaviors with, in particular, a diversification of the animal and plant resources exploited. Development also of bow hunting. In Europe, this period lasts from -9600 BC to -5200 BC.

Metacarpus
Bone of the hand between the wrist and the phalanges of the fingers.

Microliths
Small tool in cut stone.

Middle Stone Age (MSA)
African equivalent of the European Middle Paleolithic. This period lasts from about 300,000 years to 40/20,000 years. Numerous innovations related to the symbolic, socio-economic (management of a larger territory, first traces of fishing, exchange of raw materials, etc.) and technical (production of blades and pressed tips) spheres will take place.

Mousterian
Lithic industry corresponding to the European Middle Paleolithic (-300 000 years to -40 000 years approximately). Development of debitage and tools made on chips. This period saw a strong diversification of the exploited fauna, a generalization of the use of fire as well as the development of the first burials at the end of the Middle Paleolithic. Although in Africa and the Near East this culture corresponds to the species Homo sapiens, in Europe it is attributed to Homo neandertalensis.

N

Neolithic
Term coming from the Greek neos meaning "new" and lithos meaning stone. The most recent period of prehistory that succeeded the Mesolithic. In Europe, this period lasts from 5200 years to 3400 years. The passage to the Neolithic is marked by profound social, ecological, demographic, techno-economic and even for some prehistorians, like Jacques Cauvin, ideological changes.

Linnaean Nomenclature
Binomial nomenclature in Latin. Living things are designated by the names of genus and species.

O

Oldowayen
Culture characterized by lithic tools of the type "choppers" and arranged pebbles. These are pebbles or angular blocks with a sharp edge, made by percussion with a stone or pebble. Industry only African and lasting between 2 and 1.8 million years.

Orogenesis
Scientific term for the formation of mountain ranges.

Oxic
Which contains oxygen.

P

Paleoanthropology
Scientific discipline studying the origins and evolution of the human lineage.

Palaeolithic
Etymologically, "Paleolithic" means "age of the ancient stone" in opposition to the Neolithic. The most ancient period of prehistory. This period saw the emergence of the lithic industry and a subsistence behavior based on predation.

Paleomagnetism
Study of terrestrial magnetism during the different geological periods.

Paleoproteomics
Study of ancient proteomes (set of proteins).

Palynology
Scientific discipline studying pollens found in archaeological contexts.

Paratype
Specimen completing the description of a species given by the holotype. There can be only one holotype but a same species can have several paratypes.

Photosynthesis
A mechanism that allows plants and some microorganisms to make organic matter using carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere. To do this, organisms use light energy and convert it into chemical energy.

Phylogeny
Study of the evolutionary history of species and their relationship to each other.

Plants in C3 and C4
Classification of plants according to the type of photosynthesis performed by the plant. C3 and C4 correspond to the number of carbons of the first molecule synthesized during photosynthesis. C4 plants are generally found in arid, semi-arid and tropical climates (grassy plants and tropical grasses such as sorghum or mill for example).

Orthograde position
Who walks upright, in an upright position.

Pronograde position
Who moves with the spine bent forward.

Postcranial
Term used in paleoanthropology to designate the whole skeleton except the skull.

Prehensile
Which can be used to enter.

Alveolar prognathism
Forward projection in the lower region of the face.

Subnasal prognathism
Term synonymous with alveolar prognathism.

Prossimian
Groups primates that are not monkeys (the infra-order of Lemuriformes and Tarsiiformes).

Q

Quadruped palmigrade
Walk on all four limbs while leaning on the palms of the hands and feet.

R

Rhinarium
Truffle.

S

Sedentary
Who has a fixed habitat throughout the year.

Simiiformes
Refers to monkeys.

Stromaliths
Fossil carbonates resulting from the biological activity of photosynthetic bacteria. The oldest stromalites are dated at 3.8 million years and constitute the oldest trace of life known today on Earth.

Cranial superstructures
Localized thickening of the skull.

Metopic suture
Cranial suture forming a median line at the level of the frontal bone. This suture disappears in most people with age.

Symphysis
Connection between two bones.

T

Supraorbital torus
Bony protrusion located above the eye sockets and below the forehead.

Post-orbital torus
Synonym of supraorbital torus.

Occipital hole
Hollow located at the base of the skull allowing the passage of the medulla oblongata. Allows the attachment of the spinal cord to the brain.

Stereoscopic vision
Vision in 3 Dimensions.

U

V

W

X

Y

Z