Chapter 10: The beginnings of Human Evolution

Question 0

Foramen magnum

Answer 0

the hole in the base of the skull through which the spinal cord passes.

Question 1

Cranial capacity

Answer 1

The cubic content of the skull obtained by determining the cubage of small shot, seeds, or beads required to fill the skull.

Question 2

Australopithecus

Answer 2

a fossil bipedal primate with both apelike and human characteristics, found in Pliocene and lower Pleistocene deposits (4 million to 1 million years old) in Africa.

Question 3

Zygomatic arch

Answer 3

the bony arch at the outer border of the eye socket, formed by the union of the cheekbone and the zygomatic process of the temporal bone.

Question 4

Saggital crest

Answer 4

a bony ridge on the top of the skull to which the jaw muscles are attached.

Question 5

What does the name Australopithecus translate to?

Answer 5

“Southern Ape”

Question 6

What are the first basic characteristics of early hominins and how have those characteristics changed over time?

Answer 6

Bipedal, small brains, ape like face, and large teeth. Over time, early hominins began to lose their ape like characteristics.