Evolution Flashcards
3 groups of living mammals distinguished by their reproductive biology
- monotremes
- marsupials
- eutherians
who are the closest living relatives of humans?
chimpanzees and bonobos
who are the hominids?
evolutionary lineage leading to modern humans
what is the only homonin thats not extinct?
homo sapiens
a key trait that evolved in the common ancestor of hominins is:
bipedal locomotion
advantages to bipedal locomotion
- forelimbs free to manipulate and carry objects
- eyes elevated, look for prey/ watch for predators more effectively
- move over long distances more energetically efficiently than close relatives with quadrupedal locomotion
early hominins: Australopithecus
- “lucy” most complete australopith skeleton, found in Ethiopia
- had relatively small brains, elongate faces, and a bipedal gait
- 2 lines of evidence
- pelvis and foot morphology
- laetoli footprints
homo
- homo clade diverged from an australopithecine ancestor
- genus homo have larger brains, less elongated faces than earlier hominin ancestors and a bipedal gait
earliest known species of homo clade
homo habilis
-first evidence of tool manufacture
habilis
handy man
homo erectus
- large skull, relatively long legs and short and straight fingers
- traits suggest they were bipedal and primarily terrestrial (not in trees)
- made more complex tools than homo habilis
- able to control fire
who was the first hominid to leave africa?
homo erectus
-fossils found in europe, india, china, and indonesia
homo neanderthalensis
-common ancestor had increased brain size, decreased jaw muscles
-indicating a shift in diet from herbivory to omnivory
-increased brain size may reflect increasingly complex social interactions and cultural traditions
-stocky with a large skull/brain
-advanced tool technology
hunters of large animals, cave dwelling
who was the hominin not found in Africa?
- homo neandethalensis
- widespread in asia and Europe
how do we know that neanderthalensis practiced symbolically?
-flower burial at Shanidar cave, Iraq