Chapter 1 Flashcards
30 November 1974, what happened?
A tape player played Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds…they had found Lucy
What were Lucy’s physical features?
She was about 25-30…she stood just over 1 meter and weighted about 25 kgs.
Where was Lucy’s fossil discovered
in Hadar, Ethiopia
What does analysis of Lucy’s bone show?
The earliest ancestors ofmodern human beings waled upright on two feet. Erect walking is crucial for them, because they did not have big brains
When did the earth come into existance?
About 4.5 million years ago
During the past century or so, archaeologists, evolutionary biologists and other cholars have
increased the understanding of human origins and the ives or distant ancesotrs led
What is the percet difference in DNA between chimps and humans
1.6
Human beings stand out as the most distinctive of the prmate species because of what
they have been able to have a lot of intelligance
Where does discovereis in East Africa have human species
Tanzania, Kenya, Ethiopia and other places have had many bones
Olduvai Gorge in Tanzania and Hadar in Ethiopia have yielded
rich remains of those ike Lucy
A serisesThe individuals represented several difference species belonging to the species
Austrolopithecus wich flourished in east Africa during the long period from 4-1 million years ago
What family did Austrolopithicus belong to
the family Hominidae whcih includes himan and humanlike species.
What is Homo
the genus which biologists place the modern human being
Compared to our species, austrolopithecius would seem
short, hairy and limited intelligence. They stood something over 1 meter and weighed 25-55
Compared with other ape and animla speicies, however austrolopithecines were sophisticated creatures..how?
They walked upright on thwo legs whihc enabled them to use their arms independently for
What was one of the most important features of the austrolopithicus?
They had opposale thumbs that allowed them to grasp tools and perform intriate operations. They almost certainly had some ability to communicate verbally although speech was not huge
The intelligence of austrolopithecines was sufficient to allowe them to
plan complex ventures. HTey could often travel deliberately over 15 km.
What does Chemical analyses show ?
That the stone for which the australopithecines made tools was discovered and avaliable in only other sdtes
What were the tools that Austrolopithecines used>
They used choppers, scrapers, and other implements for food
BY 1 million years ago, austropithecines had disappeared as a new species of
homindis appeared
What was teh new species of homonids
The Homo erectus..that had a larger brain..they had very sophisticated tools as well.
What tools did the homo erectus add to the early batch
htey added cleavers and hand axes which not only were useful in hunting and food prep but also provided protection against predators
What was one of the most important things that the Homo erectus also learned how to do?
Start and tend fires which furnished the speciies with a mean s of heat
Many sites associated with Homoerectus served as camps for communities of
hunters