what traits characterize humans? bipedal locomotion –involves modifications of pelvis, femur, and...
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What Traits Characterize Humans?• Bipedal Locomotion
– Involves modifications of pelvis, femur, and backbone– Various hypotheses regarding benefits, including free hands (vs. knuckle-
walking and brachiation of great apes)
• Large Brain Size – Requires omega fatty acids – high levels in marine organisms, nuts, marrow
• The Making and Use of Complex Tools– Earliest stone tools produced by chipping flakes from a rock; oldest dated at
~ 2.5 mya (Oldowan Stone Tools) – Opposable thumbs allow fine control and tight grips; include thick meta-
carpals with broad heads for muscle attachment; three muscles not found in chimpanzees
• Language and Cultural Evolution– Capacity for language is innate in humans (ex., children born deaf create
languages)– Modifications of larynx allow more tongue movement and great diversity of
vocalizations (trade-off is greater chance of choking); hyoid bone of Neanderthals virtually identical to that of present-day humans
– Memes: ideas that can be disseminated via oral or written means, subject to modifications and non-genetic descent (impart information, cultural analogue to genes)
Fig. 34-37Lemurs, lorises,and pottos
Tarsiers
New World monkeys
Old World monkeys
Gibbons
Orangutans
Gorillas
Chimpanzeesand bonobos
Humans
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Time (millions of years ago)
ANCESTRALPRIMATE A
nth
rop
oid
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What are Some Notable Fossil Hominids?• Pre-australopithecine: ~ 7 - 5 million years ago (mya)
– Sahelanthropus tchadensis: 6-7 mya (Chad); found in lake deposits from ancient Lake Chad
– Orrorin tugenensis: ~ 6 mya (Kenya); recent evidence for bipedalism based on CT scan of femur neck (controversial)
• Australopithecines: projecting faces; braincases < 550 cm3
– Australopithecus africanus: ~ 2.8 - 2.4 mya; first hominid fossil found in Africa (“Taung Child”); discovered in coastal South
African cave by Raymond Dart in 1925; more specimens found nearby in 1930s - 1940s
– Australopithecus afarensis (incl. “Lucy”): ~ 3.9 - 3.0 mya (Tanzania and Kenya); footprints in volcanic ash dated at 3.6 mya
• Early Humans: apparently coexisted with robust australo-pithecines in Africa
– Homo erectus (= H. ergaster): ~ 1.8 - 0.4 mya; widespread through Africa and Asia (ex. “Java man”); large braincase (> 850
cm3); most likely ancestor of more modern humans – Homo neanderthalensis: ~ 0.3 - 0.03 mya; found in Europe – Early Homo sapiens (incl. Cro-Magnon): ~ 0.1 mya - present;
present-day average braincase = 1200 cm3; Cro-Magnon Man (30,000 ya) buried with animal bones, jewelry, and tools
Fig. 34-40
Homoerectus
Homohabilis
Homosapiens
Homoneanderthalensis?Homo
ergaster
Paranthropusrobustus
Paranthropusboisei
Australopithecusafricanus
Australopithecusgarhi
Australopithecusafarensis
Sahelanthropustchadensis
Orrorin tugenensis
Ardipithecusramidus
Australo-pithecusanamensis
Kenyanthropusplatyops
HomorudolfensisM
illio
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s ag
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1.5
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3.5
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Fig. 34-41
(c) An artist’s reconstruction of what A. afarensis may have looked like
(a) Australopithecusafarensis skeleton
(b) The Laetoli footprints