ANT 2511 Exam 3 Sinelli

Question 1

What is a fossil?

Answer 1

the remains of an organism chemically changed into rock

Question 2

What is taphonomy?

Answer 2

the study of what happens to an organism after death

Question 3

Best conditions for fossilization?

Answer 3

soil, sediments, water, sand, mud, ash

Question 4

Steno’s Law of Superposition in Stratigraphy

Answer 4

things on the bottom are older than
things on the top

Question 5

Cultural dating

Answer 5

things found together can be related and used to date each other

Question 6

Relative dating

Answer 6

simple observation that one artifact or fossil is older than another. Ex: stratigraphy, biostratigraphy, cultural dating, flourine dating

Question 7

Absolute dating

Answer 7

methods provide specific dates and time ranges. Ex: K-Argon dating, fission track dating, luminescence dating, dendrochronology

Question 8

Dendrochronology

Answer 8

based on reading rings of trees

Question 9

Radiocarbon C14 dating

Answer 9

-based on the
decay of 14C, which is an unstable isotope of carbon.
-Carbon 14 has a half-life of 5,730
years
-Only used on remains of biological organisms
-date up to 50,000 years old

Question 10

Argon dating

Answer 10

-half-life of circa 1.3 billion years
-based on decay of potassium-40 (40K) to argon-40 (40Ar)
-dates the layers around the fossil to give approximate dates for when fossil was deposited

Question 11

Hominin

Answer 11

Members of the Family Hominidae that occurred after the split from African great apes

Question 12

Protohomin

Answer 12

-Early hominin, do not exhibit all the characteristics of hominins. maintain some climbing/ robust features.
-Sahelanthropus tchadensis, Orrorin tuganensis

Question 13

How is bipedalism in hominids distinct from that of birds and kangaroos?

Answer 13

-“habitual” bipedalism in humans, main form of locomotion
-bipedal posture, body always at 90 degree to walking surface

Question 14

Skeletal indicators of bipedalism

Answer 14

-foramen magnum position—centered (anterior) toward the back (posterior)
-S-shaped spine
-basin shaped pelvis, (also know impacts on birthing with bipedal pelvis shape)
-lower limb features: enlarged femoral head, knee angled inward, short toes
-arched feet
-Valgus angle (Knees inward)

Question 15

Foramen Magnum position

Answer 15

Means “Large Hole”
Ape: Spine attaches to back of skull
Hominin: Attaches under skull, indicating bipedalism

Question 16

Hypotheses of the origin of bipedalism

Answer 16

-Darwin’s: freeing hands, looking over tall grass, ability to make tools, hunting
-Lovejoy’s provisioning: food sharing improves status, status improves fitness, better fitness is everything

Question 17

“Ghari” meaning

Answer 17

Afar language in Ethiopia meaning “surprise”

Question 18

Gracile vs. Robust

Answer 18

Gracile: better suited for more varied diet including softer foods along with some meat
Robust: specialized for processing tougher, more abrasive plant materials

Question 19

Sahelanthropus tchadensis

Answer 19

-Protohominin
–7-6 mya, gracile
-Chad, Southern Sahara
-Small brain (350cc), hominin teeth

Question 20

Orrorin tuganensis (Millenium Man )

Answer 20

-Protohominin
-6 mya, gracile
-Tugan Hills, Kenya
-biped legbones (long femoral neck), Human like teeth

Question 21

Ardipithecus kadabba

Answer 21

-Afar Valley, Ethiopia
-5.8-5.2 mya, Gracile
-Tim White
-Bipedal unique toe, reduced canines (evolving teeth), hand bones indicate tree climbing

Question 22

Ardipithecus ramidus

Answer 22

-Afar Valley, Ethiopia
-4.4 mya
-Tim White
-Evidence for woodland habitat, robust arms for climbing, bipedal, long narrow pelvis, skull resembles Sahlanthropus

Question 23

Australopithecus anamensis

Answer 23

-Kenya and Ethiopia
-4.2-3.9 mya, Robust
-Meave Leakey
-U-shaped tooth row, thick molar enamel (fruit and foilage), tibia displays bipedal adaptations
-Holotype for Australopithecus

Question 24

Kenyanthropus platyops

Answer 24

-Kenya, Lake Turkana, Meave Leakey
-3.5 mya, Gracile
-Flat-faced man of Kenya

Question 25

Australopithecus afarensis

Answer 25

-Afar Valley, Ethiopia
-3.85-2.95 mya, Gracile
-Donald Johanson
-Lucy, The Laetoli footprints, A.L. 333 The “First Family”
-Valgus knee, non-opposable big toe

Question 26

Australopithecus boisei

Answer 26

-Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania
-2.3-1.3 mya
-cheek teeth 4x larger than humans
-larger brain because of larger body (510cc)

Question 27

Australopithecus aethiopicus (Black Skull)

Answer 27

-Western Lake, Turkana (Kenya)
-2.7-2.3 mya
-Alan Walker & Richard Leakey
-Black Skull
-410cc brain, huge cheek teeth for specialized diet
-Earliest robust hominin

Question 28

Australopithecus garhi

Answer 28

-Hadar, Ethiopia
-Tim White
-450cc brain, large teeth
-long legs, striding gait, long forearms
-Probable link between Australopithecus and Homo

Question 29

Australopithecus africanus

Answer 29

-Taung Cave
-2.5-2 mya, Gracile
-Raymond Dart, Robert Broom
-Taung child, Mrs. Ples
-Brain size 405cc (est. 450cc in adult), High forehead, foramen magnum anterior, moved bipedally but retained climbing adaptations
-Possibly descendant of Australopithecus Afarensis

Question 30

Australopithecus robustus

Answer 30

-Swartkrans cave
-2-1 mya, Robust
-Robert Broom
-Huge molars, flat face, Sagittal crest
-South African variant of A. boisei, last example of robust hominin

Question 31

Australopithecus sediba

Answer 31

-Malapa, South Africa
-1.95-1.78 mya, Gracile
-Dr. Lee Berger 2008
-Descended of africanus, evolutionary dead end