CARTA Glossary

A relationship between organisms where one derives food or other benefits from the other without hurting or helping it.

An illness that is transmittable from an infected person or animal to another person or animal through direct contact or indirectly via contaminated food, water, or a vector.

Capability for effective function in the environment, potential or manifested.

The principle governing the combination of meaningful linguistic elements into higher order units of meaning. Compositionality guarantees that the meaning of the whole will be determined by the meaning of its parts and rules used to combine them (Kluender, 2020).

A disease or physical abnormality present from birth.

The waking state and awareness of existence.

Infectious diseases that can be spread from organism to organism by direct or indirect contact. Contagious disease is a subset of communicable, infectious, and transmissible.

An evolutionary model in which change occurs gradually over time. Compare with Punctuated Equilibrium.

A social system in which parents and other individuals within the group provide care for offspring.

A phenomenon in which sections of the genome are repeated on the same or different chromosome and the number of repeats in the genome varies between individuals in the human population. Such repeats can include functional genes.

A member of the large, single-stranded RNA virus family (Coronaviridae) named for their ring (“crown”) shape. They are also characterized by a fatty membrane envelope that is covered with club-shaped spike glycoproteins. Coronaviruses are known to infect many mammals (including us humans) and birds. Different coronaviruses are responsible for causing MERS, SARS, and COVID-19.

A segment of the cerebral cortex that carries out a given function.

A neuropeptide that regulates the hypothalamic pituitary adrenal (HPA) axis response, a major neuroendocrine system.

The American crow.

The number of reads for a given locus.

Behavior and norms that are shared, learned, and socially transmitted.

A phylum of photosynthetic Gram-negative bacteria.

The human lineage lost the function of the CMAH gene over 2 million years ago that caused human cells to both lack Neu5Gc and carry an excess of Neu5Ac.

A broad and loose category of small proteins secreted by certain cells of the immune system and are important in cell signaling and have an effect on other cells.

Resulting cell(s) formed when neural stem cells or progenitor cells undergo cellular division.

Areas of bodies of water that are depleted of oxygen, rendering them uninhabitable by aquatic life. Agricultural runoff rich in nitrogen and phosphorus (limiting nutrients) are prime culprits. These nutrients contribute to eutrophication large blooms of algae which then die and are consumed by bacteria along with oxygen in the water.

A genetic change that decreases an individual’s fitness and increases susceptibility to or causes disease or disorder. Most deleterious mutations are recessive, i.e. selection can only act on them when an individual carries two copies of the same mutation.

A tropical disease caused by the Dengue virus and spread several species of female Aedes mosquitos, especially A. aegypti. Symptoms may include a high fever, headache, vomiting, muscle and joint pains, and a characteristic skin rash. Severe infections may develop into Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever or Dengue Shock Syndrome.

A severe form of Dengue Fever in which dangerously low blood pressure occurs.

An extinct hominin population contemporary with Neanderthals that hybridized with ancient humans and Neanderthals. Knowledge of Denisovan morphology is limited to two small fossils found in Siberia and a jaw in Tibet.

Calcified dental plaque, provides information on diet, disease, health, microbiome and protects the genetic information within the tooth from degradation.

The molecule of inheritance, which consists of sequences of the four nucleotide bases: Adenine, Thymine, Guanine, and Cytosine.

Latin for “things desired.”

A selective disorder characterized by marked impairment in episodic memory despite relatively preserved semantic memory.

The study of physical, cognitive, social, intellectual, perceptual, personality, and emotional growth and development over the lifespan.

A segment of DNA where the methylation pattern differs between two or more samples, conditions, or tissues. DMRs can be associated with gene silencing and epigenetic modifications.

The organs of the body that are involved in the breakdown and absorption of food, and elimination of wastes. This includes the mouth, pharynx (throat), esophagus, stomach, small intestine, large intestine, rectum, and accessory digestive organs such as the salivary glands, liver, gallbladder, and pancreas.

Outwardly apparent effects of a disease.

Change in genetic content or phenotype between isolated populations or species.

A process by which methyl groups are added to the DNA molecule. Methylation can change the activity of a DNA segment without changing the sequence. When located in a gene promoter, DNA methylation typically acts to repress gene transcription.

The process of artificial selection by humans for desired traits of plants, animals, fungi, and microorganisms. This implies the complete control of the reproduction of those species.

An incision to the male foreskin above the glans. Synonymous with superincision.

A gene that encodes the dopamine receptor D2 protein, a receptor targeted by many antipsychotic drugs.

A theory that human behavior is a product of two different and interacting evolutionary processes: genetic evolution and cultural evolution. Genes and culture continually interact in a feedback loop.

A class of endogenous opioid peptides that have been shown to play a role in the complex molecular changes in the brain that result from cocaine addiction.

A condition characterized by painful or uncomfortable menstrual cramps.

A mechanical device, instrument, or system designed for piercing the earlobe.

A sleep schedule therapy hypothesized to relieve peripartum depression by altering melatonin and sleep timing (sleep from 3:00 - 7:00 am).

A rare but serious and often fatal infection of Togavirus that causes encephalitis (inflammation of the brain). The virus is maintained via a bird- to-mosquito cycle, primarily by mosquitos that feed on the blood of birds. Transmission of EEE to mammals (including horses and humans) occurs via “bridge vectors,” mosquito (including those from the Aedes genus) that feed on the blood of both birds and mammals and transfer the virus. Origin: Americas.

The interaction of organisms with their physical environment, along with other organisms.

A class of organs that all develop from the outer layer of the embryo, the ectoderm, through a series of coordinated and reciprocal interactions between the embryonic ectoderm and underlying dermal layer. This class of organs includes, sweat glands, hairs, mammary glands, teeth and nails. A largely shared set of genetic pathways initiate and control the development of this organ class.

The size of an idealized population (random mating, no selection, mutation or migration) with the same rate of genetic drift as the study population.

Large herbivorous mammals recognized by their long trunks, tusks, large ear flaps, and pillar-like legs. Elephants are found throughout sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia, and Southeast Asia and consist of three species, the Africa bush elephant (Loxodonta africana), the African forest elephant (L. cyclotis), and the Asian elephant (Elephas maximus).