Final Flashcards
Sahelanthropus tchadensis
Dates
7.2-6.8 Ma
Sahelanthropus tchadensis
Location(s)
*tchad= from (t)Chad
-North and East Africa
Sahelanthropus tchadensis
Habitat(s)
Gallery forest along a river, surrounded by grasslands
Sahelanthropus tchadensis
Important traits
-“Toumai”
-Genus name meaning: ‘Man’ of the Sahel
-Species name meaning: From (t)Chad
-Small brain, super large brow-ridge
-Known mainly from skull remains
-Cranial capacity: 320-380 cc- small, smaller than average chimpanzee
-Anterior Foramen magnum
-Massive supra-orbital torus (brow-ridge)
-Less prognathic (from above can’t see eyes, can barely see nose hole, can mostly see teeth)
-Sagittal crest, post-orbital constriction, large nuchal crest
Orrorin tugenensis
Dates
5.9-5.7 Ma (used Argon-Argon dating)
Orrorin tugenensis
Location(s)
Eastern African Rift in Kenya- Tugen Hills
Orrorin tugenensis
Important traits
-“Original ‘man’ from Tugen (Hills)”
-Large bipedal femur
-Arms are arboreal (suspensory)
Ardipithecus
Location(s)
-Ethiopia- continental rifting
Ardipithecus
Dates
Ar. kadabba
5.8-5.2 Ma
Ardipithecus
Important traits
Ar. kadabba
-“Ground ape, oldest ancestor” (in Afar language)
-Largeish, more ape-like canines (relates to social behaviors/sexual dimorphism)
-Feet show it was capable of bipedalism
-Arms show it was arboreal
Ardipithecus
Dates
Ar. Ramidus
4.5-4.3 Ma
Ardipithecus
Habitat(s)
Ar. Ramidus
Forest to woodland environments in Eastern Africa, north part of the rift
Ardipithecus
Important traits
Ar. Ramidus
-“Ground ape, root” (in Afar language)
-small brain- 300-350cc
-Anterior Foramen magnum
-Arms and hands are ape-like
-Bipedal pelvis and femur
-Abducted hallux- handfoot, unique morphology they share with baboons- bone for the toe
-Dentition: relatively thin enamel for leaves, eating foods from more open areas
-Monomorphic canines (one size)- reduced sexual dimorphism
Australopithecus afarensis
Dates
3.8-2.9 Ma
Australopithecus afarensis
Location(s)
Eastern Africa
Australopithecus afarensis
Important traits
-“Lucy” “Salem” and “Kadanuumuu”
-Direct evidence of bipedality- Footprints found in Ash 3.5 Ma (Laetoli 1976)
-Evidence shows they walked with a striding gait
-380-550 cranial capacity
-Megadont (big teeth)
-Suspensory arms
-Short femur with large valgus angle
-Small, human-like foot
Australopithecus afarensis
Bipedal how? Bent-knee Bent-Hip? Striding?
-Evidence of a striding gait found in footprints
Earliest evidence of meat eating
Cut marks
-Earliest evidence of meat eating
-Dikika, Ethiopia
-3.4 Ma
Earliest evidence of meat eating
Stone tools
-Lomekwi, Kenya
-3.3 Ma
Australopithecus africanus
Dates
-3.3-2.1 Ma
Australopithecus africanus
Location(s)
South Africa cave sites
Australopithecus africanus
Important traits
-“Southern ape; of Africa”
-Similiar to Au. afarensis in primitive traits (arms), but exhibits more ‘advanced’ morphology- large brain, more human-like pelvis
Shared traits of The Hominini
-Bipedality
Bipedal walking in non-bipeds (facultative bipeds)- bent-knee and bent-hip
Bipedal walking in obligate bipeds- striding gait
-Encephalization
Foramen magnum is more anterior (the body is vertical, the head sits on top like a rod) is one of the first things to change
-Reduced nuchal (neck) musculature
-Very reduced canines (reduction in sexual dimorphism)
-Loss of honing molar
-Intermembral index shifts 90-70
-More sagittally-oriented and shortened iliac blades to stabilize balance (pelvis)
-Valgus knee (knock knee)
How did the australopithecine lineage leading to Homo adapt its diet to prevent extinction?
Developing a flexible and generalized diet
Australopithecus
-“Southern ape”
-2 well known species: Au. afarensis and Au. africanus
-Several other species
-First found in Taung in 1924 in a South African mining cave
-A juveline is Identified by Raymond Dart
-1930s: adult Au. africanus
-1930s: Paranthopus in South Africa
-1950s: Paranthopus in East Africa
-“Lucy” found in 1974 by Donald Johanson in Hadar, Ethiopia
Adaptive Radiation
-the earth is becoming cooler and dryer
-rapid diversification and spread of taxa
-often due to climate change (major climate change starting at ~2.8 Ma)
Modified Savannah Hypothesis
-the savanna hypothesis of human evolution suggests that the transition from a predominately arboreal lifestyle in forest to one in open habitats favoured an upright posture and selected for bipedalism along with a shift in diet that necessitated travel over greater distances across the landscape
-origin of HYPERmetadontia (Paranthropus)
-expansion of tool use (Homo)
Earliest specimen of Paranthropus
-Nyayanga, Kenya
-2.9 Ma
Paranthopus shared features
-“Near man”
-Three species
-Post-cranially very similiar to Au., but cranially very different
-Hypermegadont (huge teeth)
-Small incisors and small canines
-‘Dished’ face
-Sagittal crest
Paranthopus aethiopicus
Dates
2.7 – 2.3 Ma (earliest)
Paranthopus aethiopicus
Location(s)
Ethiopia & Kenya
Paranthopus aethiopicus
Important traits
-”Near ‘man’; of Ethiopia”
-HUGE posterior (back of the head) sagittal crest
-very prognathic
Paranthopus boisei
Dates
2.5 – 1.4 Ma
Paranthopus boisei
Location(s)
- Eastern Africa- Ethiopia to Malawi
Paranthopus boisei
Important traits
-”Near ‘man’; for Boise”
-Found by Mary Leakey
-largest teeth
-flexed cranium (like humans)
-anterior crest
-500-540 cc
Paranthopus robustus
Dates
1.8 – 1.0 Ma (found first)
Paranthopus robustus
Location(s)
South Africa
Paranthopus robustus
Important traits
-”Near ‘man’; Robust”(first named)
-very similar to P. boisei but less robust
Earliest species of Homo
-Ledi Geraru, Ethiopia
-2.8 Ma
The Habilines (general characteristics)
-610-750cc
-reduced dentition
-precision grip (similiar to humans) (tool use)
-small body size
-Au. budy proportions
-generally similiar to Au.
-obligate biped
-still some arboreal
-larger brained
-tool making
Homo habilis
Dates
2.3-1.65 Ma (in a climate change)
Homo habilis
Location(s)
All of Eastern Africa (especially Koobi Fara) to South Africa (Swartkrans) -generalist/widely dispersed
Homo habilis
Important derived traits
-“ ‘Man’ ; handy”
-Thumb=human-like
-Hands still strong (arboreal)
-(Some) wrist bones=human-like
-Phalanges=curved
-Long arms=higher intermembral index; arboreal
-Moderate encephalization
-Robust cranially, more muscle markings
-Precision grip (tools)
Homo rudolfensis
Dates
1.9 Ma
Homo rudolfensis
Location(s)
Eastern Africa (Kenya) and Malawi?
Homo rudolfensis
Important derived traits
-“ ‘Man’; of [Lake] Rudolf”
-Generally less robust (than H. habilis)
-Slightly bigger
-Larger teeth and palate
What are the main differences between early Homo and Paranthopus diets?
Homo were omnivores while Paranthropus were specialized for heavy mastication
How do we reconstruct diet?
Dental anatomy and morphology (teeth)
What are the methods and what do they tell us?
-If there are big canines in primates it is just for sexual dimorphism
•Molars -how high are the cusps and crests?
-how big is the chewing (occlusal) surface?
-how thick is the enamel? thin=vegetative matter; thick=resist wear
How do we reconstruct diet?
Mastication system (levers)
What are the methods and what do they tell us?
Trade-off with power and speed
Paranthropus has increased lever arm relative to load arm=more power
How do we reconstruct diet?
Wear patterns (enamel microwear)
What are the methods and what do they tell us?
-Enamel microwear
-Dirt particles
-Phytoliths (plant rock)
More scratches=folivore
More pits=frugivore
Lots of pits=brittle diet
How do we reconstruct diet?
Isotopes (C3 versus C4 vegetation)
What are the methods and what do they tell us?
-Photosynthesis pathways differ with environment
-C3 in more cool/humid environment, C4 in more hot/dry
-How do plants live in the environments?
-C4 plants (open habitats) have more 13C than C3 (forests)
-More positive ratio of 13C to 12C
-Ratio of stable isotopes 13C/12C
Hominid vs. Hominin
Hominid – the group consisting of all modern and extinct Great Apes (that is, modern humans, chimpanzees, gorillas and orangutans plus all their immediate ancestors).
Hominin – the group consisting of modern humans, extinct human species and all our immediate ancestors (including members of the genera Homo, Australopithecus, Paranthropus and Ardipithecus).
The Erectines
Dates and Locations
-2.0 Ma-(?)117Ka
-Oldest specimen in South Africa
-Distribution throughout Africa and Eurasia
Hypotheses for Homo erectus dispersal
Large body size
What is the evidence for/against
Intrinsic
-Homo erectus had a large body size later on but not at first
Proved wrong
Hypotheses for Homo erectus dispersal
Large brain
What is the evidence for/against
Intrinsic
-Shape of the brain is more important than the size; didn’t really influnce much
Proved wrong
Hypotheses for Homo erectus dispersal
Human-like intermembral index
What is the evidence for/against
Intrinsic
-Allows to walk more efficiently
Evidence supports this
Hypotheses for Homo erectus dispersal
Tool use
What is the evidence for/against
Intrinsic
-Tools found at the fist site were too basic
Not enough evidence to support; wrong
Hypotheses for Homo erectus dispersal
Increased meat consumption
What is the evidence for/against
Intrinsic
-Carnivores need more land
Evidence supports this
Hypotheses for Homo erectus dispersal
Escape from disease
What is the evidence for/against
Extrinsic
-They stay in the places that have disease, as well as go to places that have disease
Proved wrong
Hypotheses for Homo erectus dispersal
Normal mammilian dispersal
What is the evidence for/against
Extrinsic
No evidence to support it
Hypotheses for Homo erectus dispersal
Following predators
What is the evidence for/against
Extrinsic
-Doesn’t move at the same time as the predators
Proved wrong
Hypotheses for Homo erectus dispersal
Following prey
What is the evidence for/against
Extrensic
-Doesn’t move at the same time as thier prey
Proved wrong
Hypotheses for Homo erectus dispersal
Demographic pressure
What is the evidence for/against
Extrensic
-Increase in population size would require more land
Good theory, however, not enough evidence
Intrinsic
Relating to essential features of the organism itself
Extrinsic
Relating to factors external to the organism
Homo heidelbergensis
Dates
600 Ka – 200 Ka
Homo heidelbergensis
Location(s)
Eastern and Southern Africa and Europe
Dispersal hyotheses
Multiregional hypothesis
Regards the transition to modernity as having taken place regionally and without using replacement.
Dispersal hyotheses
Recent Africa Origins/Out of Africa
all modern non-African populations are substantially descended from populations of H. sapiens that left Africa after that time
Homo neaderthalensis
Dates
230 Ka – 30 Ka
Homo neaderthalensis
Location(s)
Europe and southwestern to Central Asia
Homo neaderthalensis
Important derived traits
-Massive face
-occipital bun
-HUGE nasal aperture (nose)
-swept-back zygomatics (cheek bones)
-no chin
-retromolar gap
-heavy wear on front teeth
-large body mass
-intermembral index similar to humans
-matured faster than humans
Homo neaderthalensis
Lithic technologies
The Mousterian stone tool industry of Neanderthals is characterized by sophisticated flake tools that were detached from a prepared stone core. This innovative technique allowed flakes of predetermined shape to be removed and fashioned into tools from a single suitable stone. This technology differs from earlier ‘core tool’ traditions, such as the Acheulean tradition of Homo erectus. Acheulean tools worked from a suitable stone that was chipped down to tool form by the removal of flakes off the surface
Homo neaderthalensis
Diet
Mostly meat but evidence also shows plants
Homo neaderthalensis
Hunting
There is evidence that Neanderthals were specialized seasonal hunters, eating animals were available at the time. Scientists have clear evidence of Neanderthal hunting from uncovering sharp wooden spears and large numbers of big game animal remains were hunted and butchered by Neanderthals.
Homo neaderthalensis
Art
The first species to make symbolic art
Homo neaderthalensis
Burial of dead
There is evidence that Neanderthals deliberately buried their dead and occasionally even marked their graves with offerings, such as flowers. No other primates, and no earlier human species, had ever practiced this sophisticated and symbolic behavior.
Homo neaderthalensis
Speech
evidence points to neaderthals having high pitched voices
The hobbit: Homo floresiensis
Dates
100-60 Ka
The hobbit: Homo floresiensis
Location(s)
Liang Bua, Flores Island
The hobbit: Homo floresiensis
Important derived traits
-Meat eating
-small brains
-slightly prognathic
-no chin
-scapula postioned more on the side
-long arms
-flaring iliac blade
-short femur
-long feet
-Post-crania somewhat similar to much earlier hominins, except with larger feet
-small body size, smaller than lucy
Which hypothesis regarding H. floresiensis is best supported and why?
- It is pathological
- It is an island dwarf form of Homo erectus
- It evolved from a species before Homo erectus
- It is an island dwarf form of Homo erectus
Evidence supports this becuase of fossils on the island that support the hypothesis that Homo erectus was likely on the island around 900 Ka
The human: Homo sapiens
Dates
315(195) Ka – present
The human: Homo sapiens
Important derived traits
-Cranial capacity: 1200-1500
-short skull (front to back)
-tall skull (top to bottom)
-rounded cranium
-orthognatic
-short face
-flexed cranium-right angle
-vertical forehead
-canine fossa-divet in human faces
-chin
-small teeth
