Exam Flashcards

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1
Q

What are the five forces of evolution?

A
Natural selection
Random genetic drift
Mutation 
Population mating structure
Culture
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2
Q

Natural selection details

A
  • Since the environment can’t support unlimited population growth, not all individuals get to reproduce to their full potential
  • some traits make it more likely that a species will survive
  • but we interfere with that with things like IVF and modern medicine which means it’s not the same anymore hence the massive ⬆️ in population size
  • environment adaptation = competition over food, water, mates and living space
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3
Q

Genetic drift details

A

Changes in allele frequencies by chance

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4
Q

Population mating structure details

A
  • e.g. chimpanzees = patrilineal- when the females hit sexual maturity they leave the group and find another one this creates gene emmergration b/c they bring new genes to the new group
  • mate preference = no consensus on how important it is e.g. giving food/grooming
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5
Q

Mutation details

A

Error in copying the DNA

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6
Q

Culture details

A
  • The development of an ability from simple to complex

- e.g. nut cracking in chimpanzees - when the females move groups they adopt the new way the new group crack nuts

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7
Q

What modern world advances will effect future evolution

A
  • Social and religious attitudes towards population growth, birth control, abortion
  • social attitudes about who to marry/not marry
  • military culture
  • domestication
  • travel and transport improvements
  • internet (e.g. online dating)
  • genetic engineering
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8
Q

We are currently in the Tertiary Period which is made up of 5 epochs, which are called?

A
Palaeocene epoch 65-54 ma
Eocene 54-38 ma 
Oligocene 38-24 ma 
Miocene 24-5 ma
Pliocene 5-1.8 ma 
(Anthropocene)
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9
Q

Details of the Quaternary period

A

Beginning of the ice age - 1.8 ma

Includes the Holocene 11,000 ya -present

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10
Q
What do these stand for?
KNM
WT
ER
OH
D
A
KNM = Kenya National Museums 
WT = West (lake) Turkana
ER = East Rudolf (former name for Lake Turkana)
OH = Olduvai Gorge specimens
D = Dmanisi specimens
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11
Q

Details of the Olduvai Gorge (OH)

A
  • in Northern Tanzania
  • a steep sided ravine in the Great Rift Valley
  • one of the most important palaeoanthropological sites in the world - excavated by the Leakeys
  • homo habilis (1.9 ma)
  • Paranthropus boisei (1.8 ma)
  • homo erectus (1.2 ma)
  • homo sapiens (17,000 ya)
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12
Q

The Cradle of Human Kind details

A
  • South Africa
  • an area with many limestone caves
  • Malapa cave - Australopithecus Sediba
  • Paranthropus, homo habilis
  • Rising Star cave - homo naledi
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13
Q

Dmanisi cave details

A
  • location Georgia
  • 5 homo erectus skulls (1.8 ma) found but large morphology of skulls varies - not classified as different species because they are the same age and found in the same place
  • oldest one outside of Africa
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14
Q

4 characteristics of hominins

A

1) Increased brain size
2) Decrease tooth size
3) Bipedal
4) Increased tool use

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15
Q

3 Ardipithecus groupings

A

1) Sahelanthropus
2) Orrorin
3) Ardipithecus kaddaba and ramidus

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16
Q

What makes Ardipithecus group different from later hominins

A

They are the earliest Hominins who lack the features of later Hominins

17
Q

Sahelanthropus tchadensis details

A
  • Ardipithecus group
  • location = Chad
  • found (small) Cranium , (large) jaw fragments, (large) teeth
  • 7.6-6 ma
  • small brain size
  • oldest known hominin
  • more downwardly orientated foramen magnum = suggested upright posture and locomotion
18
Q

Orrorin tugenensis details

A
  • found in Kenya
  • found arm + leg bones + teeth
  • lived 6.1-5.8 ma
  • unknown brain size
  • Size and shape of femur suggests bipedalism
19
Q

Ardipithecus Kaddaba details

A
  • found in Ethiopia
  • jaw fragments found
  • lived 5.8-5.2 ma
  • Brain size unknown
  • leg bone and foramen magnum suggest bipedalism
20
Q

Ardipithecus Ramidus details

A
  • found in Ethiopia
  • lived 4.4. ma (because it was found in two volcanic strata)
  • has reduced canine size + presence of adaptations which could be bipedal (not habitually bipedal)
  • very complete skeleton found
21
Q

Australopithecus group 5 species

A
  • Australopithecus anamensis
  • Australopithecus afarensis
  • Australopithecus garhi
  • Australopithecus africanus
  • Australopithecus sediba
22
Q

What are the features of the australopithecus

A

1) bipedal
2) similarity structure to humans
3) Brain size similar to modern apes

23
Q

Australopithecus anamensis details

A
  • found in Kenya
  • 4.1-3.9 ma
  • arm bone(chief specimen), ear canal piece, jaw joint found
  • Brain size unknown
  • lower leg bone (knee joint surface) indicates bipedalism
24
Q

Australopithecus afarensis “Lucy”

A
  • Discovered Ethiopian Afar region
  • most complete and well preserved A. Afarensis fossil
  • 3.8-3.0 ma
  • completeness = scientists could understand bipedalism in early humans
  • Brain size ape like
  • no evidence of toolmaking
  • Habitat = woodland + open areas - known through isotope analysis
  • diet soft fruit + leaves - but teeth adapted to eat hard foods as well
25
Q

Australopithecus garhi details

A
  • Central Ethiopian
  • 2.5 ma
  • Brain size 450 cm3 - no average because only one skull found
  • Limb proportions = more human-like
26
Q

Australopithecus africanus “Taung child”

A
  • South Africa
  • 3.0-2.0 ma
  • Brain size ape like
  • bipedal (Likely to be arboreally proficient)
  • thicker teeth than A. Afarensis -suggests eating harder foods still
27
Q

Australopithecus sediba details

A
  • found in Malapa Cave, South Africa
  • 2 ma
  • Over 220 fragments from species found
  • Wide range of features and post-cranially
  • teeth, arm + leg length + narrow up a chest resemble Australopithecus
  • Tooth traits + broad lower chest resemble Homo
28
Q

Paranthropus group

A
  • P. aethiopicus
    -P. Boisei
    -P. Robustus
    (Also calls Australia)
29
Q

Skull structure of Paranthropus in general

A
  • Heavy chewing
  • Large muscle attachments
  • Large molars
  • large jaws
30
Q

Paranthropus aethiopicus details

A
  • discovered Ethiopia + Kenya
  • toothless lower jaw found (“black skull” because they of high levels of manganese)
  • 2.5-2.3 ma
  • Brian size 410 cm3
  • skull + teeth adapted for eating tough foods
31
Q

Paranthropus robustus details

A
  • discovered Sough Africa
  • found damaged skull + half jawbone
  • 2-1 ma
  • brain size 530 cm3 (slightly bigger than previous Paranthropus)
  • considered a dead-end branch of the human family
  • very robust jaw (masticatory features) which set it apart from Australopithecus & homo lineages
32
Q

Paranthropus Boisei (“nutcracker man”)

A
  • discovered Olduvai Gorge + Tanzania
  • found many compleat skulls
  • 2.3-1.3 ma
  • brain size 400-550 cm3
  • large chewing muscles
  • “nutcracker man” b/c large posterior teeth + jaws made it look like vintage nutcracker
33
Q

Homo group

A
  • genus hominids includes modern Homo sapien + closely related species
  • genus between 2.3-2.4 ma
  • difference between early Australopiths + homo = increased cranial capacity in homo
  • H. Habilis
  • rudolfensis
  • erectus
  • heidelbergensis
  • floresiensis
  • naledi
  • sapiens
34
Q

Homo habilis (“handy man”

A
  • Discovered Tanzania (most primitive homo)
  • 2.4-1.4 ma
  • brain size 510-687 cm3
  • Large brain
  • Smaller face and teeth
  • “Handy man” = home-made tools found along with fossils
35
Q

Homo erectus (“upright man”)

A

-Discovered in Java, Indonesia, Kenya
-“Java man“, “speaking man“ and “Turkana boy“
-1.8 ma - 50,000 ya
-Brain size = 600 -1200 cm³
-oldest known early human to have human-like posture (elongated legs, shorter arms compared to torso
-Ability to walk/run long distances (efficient bipedalism)
-generally considered the first species to leave Africa
-

36
Q

Homo heidelbergensis

A
  • discovered Germany
  • found lower jaw (others found in Africa + Europe)
  • 500,000-200-000ya
  • Brain size 1274 cm³
  • Big brained
  • Big bodied
  • sophisticated hunter
  • Probably ancestor to Neanderthals and modern humans
37
Q

Homo floresiensis (“the hobbit”)

A
  • Discovered island of Florence, Indonesia
  • “Hobbit“ Scholl, jaw and limb bones found
  • 95,000 - 12,000 ya
  • Brain size 400 cm³
  • 3.5 feet tall
  • Small body and brain
  • Unknown if they are a species distinct from modern humans
  • hypothesis e.g. Down’s syndrome, insular dwarfism or microcephaly
38
Q

Homo sapiens

A

-