Ch 12- Premodern Humans

Question 1

The Ice Age

• Minor and Major events- how many?
• What did they cause

Answer 1

• Advances and retreats of massive continental glaciations
  • 15 major and 50 minor glacial- interglacial events in Europe
• Changes in climate, rainfall, land bridges

Question 2

Pre-Modern Humans

Primitive Characteristics

Answer 2

• Large face
• Large brow ridges
• Low forehead
• Thick cranial vault

Question 3

Pre-Modern Humans

Derived Characteristics

Answer 3

• Increased brain size
• More rounded braincase
• More vertical nose
• Less angled back of skull

Question 4

Homo Heidelbergensis

- Where did they go (Africa, Europe, Asia)

Answer 4

Africa
- H. heidelbergensis evolved into H. sapiens
Europe
- H. heidelbergensis evolved into Neanderthals and Denisovans
Asia
?All went extinct?
- Much more research needed

Question 5

Culture

- Stone tool industries

Answer 5

• No evidence for use of bone as a tool
• In later African and European premodern human populations get the Levallois technique
  • Control flake size and shape
  • Complexity required increased cognitive ability

Question 6

Culture

- Camps, diet, fire

Answer 6

Camps
-	More use of Caves
-	Evidence of built structures
Fire
-	Probable use of fire
Diet
-	Wide range
-	Evidence of marine food

Question 7

Culture

-Hunting

Answer 7

• Hunting capabilities still debated, but…
  • The ~300 kya, Schoningen, Germany, spears and horses
  • 8 well-preserved wooden spears with the remains of ~50 butchered horses

Question 8

Neanderthals

Western Europe vs Eastern Europe, Western and Central Asia

Answer 8

Western Europe
- Classic Neanderthal features
Eastern Europe, Western Asia & Central Asia
- less robust maybe because it was less cold

Question 9

Neanderthals

Cranial Capacity

Answer 9

• 1,520 cc
• Modern H. sapiens average is 1,300-1,400 cc
• Might be related to large body size = large brain size in cold adapted populations

Question 10

Neanderthals

Cranial Shape

Answer 10

• Large, long, low, bulging sides
• Occipital bun
• Browridges arch over orbits (not straight)
• Projecting face

Question 11

Neanderthals

Postcrania

Answer 11

• Robust, powerful muscles
• Barrel-chested
• Shorter limbs than modern H. sapiens
  • Also in keeping with cold adaptation

Question 12

Date of last interglacial and glacial periods ?

Answer 12

Last interglacial period: 125-75 kya

Last glacial period: 75 – 10 kya

Question 13

Châtelperronian tool industry

Answer 13

• Blade tools

- Some of the ideas/technology borrowed from modern H. sapiens who entered Europe around 50 kya?

Question 14

Krapina, Croatia**

Answer 14

• 130-110 kya
• Oldest Neanderthal remains
• 1,000 fragments = ~70 individuals
• 1,000 stone tools
• Intentional burial site

Question 15

Speech and Symbolic Behaviour

- Could they think like us?

Answer 15

• Brain size similar to ours
• Used pigments and wore jewelry
• Advanced tool technology
• Many (but not all) sites feature intentional burial of dead
  … So, Yes?

Question 16

Speech and Symbolic Behaviour

Could they speak like us?

Answer 16

• Hyoid bone like ours
• Genetic evidence: FOXP2 gene - required for proper development of speech and language
• A little different but largely similar to ours
  … So, Yes?