Chapter 12 Flashcards
Irhoud 10
Morrocan cranium found in Morocco
What important conclusion were anthropologists able to draw about humans after finding Irhoud 10
Our key evolutionary changes from the archaic Homo sapiens of the previous chapter to our species today
happened 100,000 years earlier than what we had thought. In addition, the new information suggests that our home
region covered more of the vast African continent instead of being concentrated in the east.
Mosaic
gradually and out of sync with
one another
How did modern traits in humans evolve?
it appeared gradually
Gracile
the modern skeleton structures are thinner and smoother.
How have human skeletons changed over time?
less robust
Globular
rounder
Supraorbital torus
the brow ridge
Mental eminence
The chin on the mandible of modern H. sapiens.
Why did the mental eminence (chin) develop in modern humans?
our mandibles have pulled back so far from the prognathism of earlier hominins that we gained
an extra structure at the most anterior point,
In a few words, describe the “trend” human skeletons have undergone.
The trend of shrinking face size across hominins reaches its extreme with our species as well.
How does the rest of the human modern skeleton compare to the skeletons of archaic people? Site some specific parts of the skeleton that are notably different.
Overall, a modern Homo sapiens
post-cranial skeleton has thinner cortical bone, smoother features, and more slender shapes when compared to archaic
Homo sapiens. For example, the modern pelvis has gracile features along its surface and is narrower in overall width. Our elbow and knee joint surfaces are also narrower. Even the individual fingers and toes are more slender
in modern humans. Comparing whole skeletons, modern humans have longer limb proportions relative to the length and width of the torso, giving us lankier outlines.
What might people have developed a more gracile skeleton?
A slender frame is adapted for
the efficient long-distance running ability that started with Homo erectus. Furthermore, slenderness is a genetic adaptation for cooling an active body in hotter climates,
which aligns with the ample evidence that Africa was the home continent of our species.
Generalist-specialist niche
Our species is an expert at living in a wide array of environments, with populations culturally specializing in their own particular surroundings
Why is it difficult to determine how archaic peoples perceived culture?
How do we determine how early peoples likely lived?
Archaeology tells us much about the behavioral complexity of past humans by interpreting the significance of material
culture. In terms of evolved advanced culture, items created with an artistic flair, or as a decorative piece, speak
of some abstract thought process
What is a good way to measure the complexity of earlier cultures?
one way to track the complexity of past behavior
through artifacts is by measuring the variety of tools found together.
What do archaic and modern brain cases say about how human ability to think has changed over the years?
modern human braincases mean that we can do more complex thinking regarding memory and
social ability than the Neanderthals could. In contrast, the Neanderthal brain prioritized
the visual regions where the occipital bun was located, with fewer neurons in the frontal
area for complex thinking.
Why are people able to live in many different types of environments?
Our species is an expert at living in a wide array of environments, with populations culturally specializing in their own particular surroundings
Middle Stone Age
Time period known for Mousterian lithics that connects African archaic to modern Homo sapiens.
Later Stone Age
Time period following the Middle Stone Age with a diversification in tool types, starting around 50,000 years ago.
Where is it likely modern humans originated?
Africa
Early Modern Homo sapiens
the presence of some modern traits means that they illustrate the origin of the modern type.
Terms used to refer to transitional fossils between archaic and modern Homo sapiens that have a mosaic of traits. Humans like ourselves, who mostly lack archaic traits, are referred to as Late Modern Homo sapiens and simply Anatomically Modern Humans.
What does it mean that early fossils show that some humans had both archaic and modern traits?
That early modern humans had a combination of old and new traits and new humans with completely new traits didn’t just appear