Evolution of Modern Humans Flashcards
What is the proposed hypothesis for expansion into Australia?
Migrated during ice age - happened around 60k years ago
Island hopped to Australia - possibly used boats in long streches of water and followed the coast
Originally thought there were 2 invasions but now think there was only one:
- one they got to australia one group went left and another went right and they eventually met in the middle
What is the proposed hypothesis for the expansion into the Americas?
Siberia was attached to Alaska during ice age - known as Beringia
Invaded Americas 20-30K years ago
Think humans tracked mammoths into the Americas across Beringia
Invaded North and South America quickly - so possibly used boats
What are some major evidence for the expansion into Australia and the Americas?
Archaeology
Anatomy
Molecular biology
Language - only for Americas
Megafauna - disappears as humans appear as they get rid of competition
What is brain expansion related to?
Mothers metabolic rate
Gestation time
Litter size - we have reduced offspring in exchange for bigger brains
What are the problems with a larger brain?
Requires a stable, high energy food supply
Birthing problems
Length of pregnany and extended childhood:
- babies born premature and so skull isnt fully formed when giving birth
What is some evidence for speech/language?
Hyoid bone
Larynx/pharynx structure - larynx has to get lower
Endocasts
Tongue nerve hole allows more tongue movement
Spinal canal
Tools, art etc
FOX2P gene
When does art start being created?
~100,000 years ago
Give some examples of early human art
Cave paintings:
- dont show humans in early cave paintings, instead they are mainly of animals (a way to conceptualise hunting?)
- many handprints (lots have a finger missing and origianlly thought it was because of losing them to frostbite but now think it was intentional, artistic style/type of signature perhaps?
- humans eventually appear and then cave art stops as move out of caves
Figurines appear 35,000 years ago - many are possibly fertility symbols
Found fossil of skeleton covered in beads from 28-30,000 years ago:
- these beads were very hard and time-consuming to make so appears he had free time on his hands
- also suggests maybe started to get social hierarchys i.e. some people more important than others
Give some examples of human innovations
100,000 years ago - Jewellery
40,000 years ago - flutes/music discovered
30,000 years ago - wild flax maybe used to manufacture clothing (so now starting to weave)
30,000 years ago - dogs are domesticated
20,000 years ago - pottery starts
When did agriculture start?
Discovered in different parts of the world
Fertile Crescent 10,000 years ago
Meso-America 9000 years ago
China 7000 years ago
