CARTA Glossary

A sign for a number, such as the Hindu-Arabic digit ‘5’, the Roman ‘V’, or the French word ‘cinq’, that signify the number five.

A property or attribute of a stimulus (discrete quantities) which can be measured by an investigator in units of numerosity.

Tool use is a necessity for survival. Tool use is an essential part of being human and we are the only known obligate tool users.

The ratio between the odds of individuals having a phenotype associated with a specific allele and the odds of the same phenotype for individuals who do not have that same allele. 

A neural structure of the vertebrate forebrain involved in sense of smell.

An organism that derives its energy and nutrient requirements from a diet of plant, animal, and fungal origin.

An almost universally human cognitive bias that seems to cause individuals to believe that they are at less risk of experiencing a negative event and more likely to experience a positive outcome compared to other people.

Found in the outer subventricular zone of the neocortex, outer radial glia preferentially express genes related to extracellular matrix formation, migration, and stemness.

Forming a close relationship with another individual through courtship and sexual activity.

A broad prehistoric period during which stone was used to make tools and weapons and is synonymous with Stone Age. Subdivisions:

• Lower Paleolithic: ~3.4 mya - 300 kya.
• Middle Paleolithic: Consists of use of prepared cores (i.e. Levallois Technique) and hafted tools and weapons. ~300 - 30 kya.
• Upper Paleolithic: Coincides with behavioral modernity and predates the advent of agriculture. Artifacts include finely crafted stone blades and bone and antler tools, such as harpoons and needles. ~50 - 10 kya.

A theory of the mental representations (or “data structures”) involved in the language faculty that are organized by phonology, syntax, and semantics.

An organism that lives on or in a host organism at the expense of the host.

Any behavior of a member of a species toward an immature conspecific that increases the likelihood that the immature organism will survive to maturity.

The investment of resources (time, energy, provisions) into offspring.

One of the major lobes in the human brain, roughly located at the upper back in the skull (“crown”). It processes sensory information such as touch, taste, and temperature, spatial senses and navigation (proprioception), and language processing.

The biological mechanism (or mechanisms) that leads to a disease state and can also refer to the origin and development of a disease, and whether it is acute, chronic, or recurrent.

Disordered physiological processes associated with disease or injury.

The ability to see, hear, or become aware of something through the senses.

A small, spineless cactus with psychoactive alkaloids (mescaline) that is native to Mexico and southwestern Texas.

The organization of the sounds or signs in language.

Historical relationships of species or loci.

A branched chain fatty acid produced during the digestion of chlorophyll, especially in foregut fermenting species (ruminants) that consume plant materials. Humans obtain phytanic acid by consuming dairy products, ruminant animals, and some fish.

A type of transcription factor that can open and bind to chromatin. They control enhancer activation and are important in the recruitment of other transcription factors and in controlling DNA methylation.

The ability of the brain to change and adapt to new information. These changes can involve the establishment of new synapses or new neurons in some regions.

A fine particulate matter (particles or droplets less than 3 microns in width) air pollutant that causes haze, reduces air quality, and can cause short- and long-term negative health effects.

The idea that some genes are more easily expressed because of their chromatin state.

A method of copying a specified locus.

A homopolymer of sialic acids abundant in the brain and fish eggs and found on certain pathogenic bacteria.

A defined group of similar individuals among whom interbreeding occurs.

A functional imaging technique used to observe metabolic process in the body.

The portion of parietal neocortex that plays an important role in planned movements, spatial reasoning, and attention.

Depression that occurs after pregnancy. 15% of women experience depression after childbirth, making this the most common complication of childbirth.

A genetic disorder usually caused by deletion of part of chromosome 15 inherited from the father, causing imbalance in sex-specific imprinting. Results in behavioral problems, intellectual disability, and short stature.

A pregnancy associated disorder characterized by high blood pressure and large amounts of protein in urine, typically accelerating during the third trimester.

The transport of vesicles containing neurotransmitters on the presynaptic side prior to release of neurotransmitters into the synaptic cleft (chemical synapse).

A group of mammals that include humans, apes, monkeys, and prosimians.

A type of abnormal, pathogenic protein that can cause other, normal, proteins to similarly misfold. Prions are involved in many neurodegenerative diseases, such as Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE), also known as “mad cow disease.”

The open-ended ability to combine meaningful linguistic units into new higher order units of meaning: for example, roots, prefixes (e.g. anti-), and suffixes (e.g. -ish) into words, and words (or signs) into phrases and sentences (Kluender, 2020).

Unicellular organisms that lack a membrane-bound nucleus, mitochondria, or any other membrane-bound organelle. This definition is now debated as some “prokaryotes,” such as archea (“extremophiles”), are more closely related to eukaryotes.

Predictor of positive outcome under most conditions, whether risk is low or high.

A short-acting medication, believed to work at least partly via GABA receptors, that is used for the starting and maintenance of general anesthesia, sedation for mechanically ventilated adults, and procedural sedation. Effects include decreased level of consciousness and a lack of memory for events.

A group of primates that includes all living and extinct galagos, lemurs, lorises, and tarsiers. They are considered to have characteristics that are more “primitive” (ancestral) than those of monkeys, apes, and humans.

One of the four classes of major biomolecules. Proteins are molecules encoded by DNA sequences and composed of amino acids connected by peptide bonds. These range in size from a few amino acids (short peptides) to large molecules (long polypeptides) comprised of thousands of amino acids.

An informal term for unicellular (single celled) eukaryotes, either free-living or parasitic.

A gene that has lost its function. Some pseudogenes may be translated into a protein, but typically the protein is inactive.

The mental equivalent of a physiological evolutionary barrier (such as the difficulty of evolving from an aquatic existence to living on land). A hypothetical concept.

A broad class of drugs that stimulate sympathetic nerves and whose effects can include increased movement, arousal, vigilance, anorexia, vigor, wakefulness, and attention. Some psychostimulants, especially at high doses and with a rapid route of administration, can produce euphoria, a sense of power and confidence, and addiction. Cocaine is a psychostimulant.

An evolutionary model in which pronounced change takes place in short bursts followed by periods of evolutionary continuity. Compare with Continuity.