4/18 Lecture - Hominin Evolution - Early Homo

Question 1

Ledi-Geraru

Answer 1

Oldest known Homo, Found in Ethiopia

• mandible is the only fossil discovered*
  - Uniform Depth across mandible b/w Ledi-Geraru and Homo

Question 2

Distinguish Early Homos*

Answer 2

1) Large Brain Size
2) Small Cheek teeth
3) Orthognactic jaws
4) Shape of Mandible (Ramus)

Question 3

Australopithecus Sediba = split

Answer 3

Controversial*

                     Primative Traits:

                                                 - small brain
                                                 - long arms/short legs

Derived Features identifying as Homo:

                                                                - orthognactic/ homo-like mandible *
                                                                 - small molars

Question 4

Homo Erectus (Triple L)

Answer 4

KNM - ER 3733

derived traits :

                    - Large ROBUST face:
                    - Large brow - supraorbital torus
                    - Long Legs/ Tall Stature

Question 5

Homo erectus : First hominin to have all Feat.s *

Answer 5

KNM - ER 3733

                                                    - Big Brain size
                                                    - Small Cheek Teeth
                                                    - Orthognactic Face
                                                    - Modern stature/ limb proportions
                                                    - No evidence of climbing adaptations

Question 6

3 - Striding

Answer 6

Hominin Adaptations

1. Bipedal locomotion -> 1. Striding : more efficient/ dedicated biped/ loss of climbing abilities
2. Large molars -> 2. Reduction of Cheek Teeth/ large to small/ mega DONT
3. Tool Use -> 3. Mode 1 & 2 Tool use

Question 7

H. erectus -> derived features (football head)

Answer 7

occipital torus - a horizontal ridge at the back of the skull / pointed appearance when viewed from the side.

supraorbital torus - shell-like browridge.

Question 8

Mode 2 tools

Answer 8

Acheulean industry

biface - toolmaker strikes a boulder to claim a core
THEN flakes this core on all sides

= Creates a flattened form with a sharp edge along its entire circumference

Question 9

Types of Mode 2 Bifaces

Answer 9

1) hand ax –> shaped like a teardrop and has a sharp point at the narrow end
2) A cleaver –> a lozenge-shaped biface with a flat, sharp edge on one end
3) a pick –> a thicker, more triangular biface

Question 10

Hand axes were probably used for…? *

Answer 10

1) Butchering large animals.
2) Dispensing flake tools.
- Hand axes weren’t tools at all/ hominins struck flakes to be used for many everyday purposes.
3) Woodworking.
- Hand axes were used to shape spears, throwing sticks, and digging sticks.

Question 11

Ranks of Three categories: how difficult it is to acquire food resources?

Answer 11

1) Collected foods
- directly taken from environment.
- Examples include ripe fruit and leaves.

2) Extracted foods : don’t move but are protected in some way.
- must be processed before eaten.
- Ex. hard-shelled fruits, tubers/termites buried, honey in hives high in trees, and plants toxins

3) Hunted foods: things that run away and must be caught or trapped.
- may also need to be extracted and processed before consumption.
- Vertebrate prey are the prime example of hunted foods for both humans and chimpanzees.

Question 12

3 traits that make it easier to learn complex foraging methods:

Answer 12

1) larger brains,
2) a prolonged juvenile period, *
3) a longer life span

Question 13

home bases

Answer 13

a temporary gathering spot, where food is shared, processed, cooked, and eaten

Question 14

knapping

Answer 14

1 : to break with a quick blow especially :
- to shape (something, such as flints) by breaking off pieces

Question 15

cortex

Answer 15

the rough, unknapped (unstricken) surface of the stone

Question 16

Taphonomy (Toph)

Answer 16

The study of the processes of site formation:
- to study the processes that produce archaeological sites.