Final Flashcards
What makes us human?
Biggest distinctions are deliberate burials and use of fire, but there is no real answer
Traits of humans (5):
Habitual bipedalism; omnivores; primate heritage; large complex brains; spoken language
Hominins vs. Hominids:
Hominins are extant/extinct humans; hominids are extinct/extant great apes (think hominidae vs homininae)
Fundamental difference between humans and chimps:
Locomotion
Paleoanthropology:
Attempt to understand ____
4 patterns studied:
Human evolution; relationships, behaviors, dates, morphology
Oldest to most recent hominins (just state them in order, no elaboration):
Sahelanthropus tchadensis, Orroroin tugenensis; Ardipithecus ramidus/kadabba; Australopithecines; Homo habilis; Homo erectus; Archaic Homo sapiens; Modern Homo sapiens
Trends as humans evolved (4):
Bipedalism; encephalization (larger brain size); Balance of cranium (less robust); Loss of hair
The Rift Valley consisted of what area?
East Africa: Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania
During what epoch is there hominin differentiation?
Late Miocene epoch
Ilium pelvis bone for bipeds, quadrupeds
Bipeds: shorter, broader, laterally placed
Quadrupeds: Elongated, parallel to spine
Femoral articulations for bipeds, quadrupeds
Bipeds: Larger angle, inward, knock-kneed
Quadrupeds: Small angle, legs parallel hips to feet
Foramen magnum for bipeds, quadrupeds
Bipeds: Under skull
Quadrupeds: Back of skull
Elaborate on changes to big toe, tibia and fibula, and the knee joint as bipedalism evolved
Big toe larger, tibia and fibula more perpendicular to foot, knee joint rearranged (valgus angle)
Center of gravity for bipeds, quadrupeds
Bipeds: Weight centered above pelvis
Quadrupeds: Weight centered in front of body
Advantages/Disadvantages to bipedalism:
Advantages: Free hands, better vision
Disadvantages: More visible to predators, slower movement, increased risk of injury, restriction of habitat, restriction of birth canal
Around when did bipedalism arise and for what reason?
Around 7 mya, no single reason, just combination of factors
Sahelanthropus tchadensis: Brain size? What primitive/derived traits? Post-cranial? Around what time? Canine size? Thickness of enamel? Bipedalism?
Small brain size
Large supraorbital torus (ape), more vertical face (humans)
No post-cranial
6-7 mya
Small canines, thick enamel
Unsure if bipedal; definitely not obligate, probably not habitual
Orrorin tugensensis:
What time and where?
Cranial capacity?
Primitive/derived traits?
6 mya East Africa
Cranial Capacity unknown
Teeth ape like (primitive), femur bipedal (derived)
Ardipithecus kadabba:
What time and were?
5.8-5.2 mya Ethiopia
Ardipithecus ramidus:
What time and where?
What does name mean?
Cranial Capacity?
4.5-4.3 mya East Africa
Ground floor ape root
300-350cc
Australopithecus Anamenis:
What time and where?
3.9-4.2 mya East Africa
Australopithecus afarensis: What time and where? Cranial capacity? Ape like qualities: Human like qualities:
3-4 mya Ethiopia
380-500cc, average of 440cc; increased quite a bit
Curved phalanges, big toe more ape-like, prognathic (snout), canine diastema
Taller, heel bone, larger cc
Elaborate on “Lucy”:
Where on timeline?
First ____
Arms in comparison to modern humans
Australopithecus afarensis (3-4 mya) Definitive human Arms longer than modern humans'
Australopithecus bahrelghazali:
What time and where?
3-3.5 mya Central Africa
Kenayanthropus playtops: What time and where? Ape traits: Hominin traits: Evidence of \_\_\_\_
3.5-3.2 mya East Africa (Kenya)
Prognathic (snout), small brain 400-500cc
Molars hominin like
Adaptive radiation
Australopithecus africanus
What time and where?
Gracile or robust (what is this distinction?)?
Height/weight of males, height/weight of females
Average cranial capacity
3-2 mya, South Africa
Gracile (not chunky bone-wise)
Male: 4’5’’, 90-130 pounds; Females: 4’, 55-65 pounds
450cc
Australopithecus garhi
What time and where?
Cranial capacity? Considered small or large?
Similar to ____
Animal bones show ____
What has also been found with this species?
2.5 mya East Africa 450cc (small) A. afransis Butchery marks Tools: Cores, flakes, nonlocal rocks
Three robust australopithecine species:
Australopithecus aethipicus, Australopithecus boisei, Australopithecus robustus
Distinctions of robust australopithecines:
Hominin-like traits:
Body size large or small?
Cranial capacity?
Canines non-projecting, no diastema
Smaller body size
410-545cc
Australopithecus aethiopicus: What time and where? \_\_-existed Intermediate between \_\_\_\_ and \_\_\_\_ Cranial capacity?
2.7-2.5 mya East Africa
Co
A.afarensis, robust forms
~410cc
Australopithecus boisei:
What time and where?
Molar size?
Cranial capacity?
2.3 - 1.2 mya East Africa
Large molars
510-530cc
Australopithecus robustus:
What time and where?
Cranial Capacity?
Height of males, females?
2.0-1.5 mya South Africa
500-550cc, average of 530cc
Males 4’6’’, Females 3’7’’
How did the robust australopithecines go extinct?
Temperature went down, they had no fire, and they could not adjust their diets
Homo genus defined by:
Cranial capacity; increase from 510cc - 1880cc in span of 2 million years
Small face, teeth, no prognathism
Taller in general
First known hominin species: What time and where? Cranial capacity? Less post orbital \_\_\_\_\_ Small or large in general?
Homo habilis 2.0-1.6 mya East and South Africa Average of 610cc, range of 510-675cc Constriction Small in general
Oldowan Stone tools: Who made the tools? What type of rocks? \_\_\_\_ Technique (entails what?)
A. robustus, unclear who used them first in general though, used by Homo habilis
Basaltic (volcanic)
Direct Percussion Technique; bang them together until sections removed, allowing for specific tools
Homo rudolfensis: What time and where? Larger or smaller body size? Prognathic? Cranial capacity?
2.4-1.6 mya East Africa
Larger
Flat face; not prognathic
780cc, range of 750-810cc
Homo erectus: Name means \_\_\_\_ First one to \_\_\_\_ Originally thought of as \_\_\_\_ What epoch? Primitive traits: Derived traits: Cranial Capacity
Upright walking human
Leave Africa
Missing link between apes and humans (invalid)
Pleistocene Epoch (Ice Age)
(P) Large Brow ridges, post orbital constriction, receding forehead, no chin
(D) Smaller face to head proportion, less prognathic, smaller jaw, smaller teeth, thick enamel, projecting nose
970cc, range of 750-1250cc
Homo ergaster:
Ergaster is found in ____, Erectus is found in ____
Real species?
Ergaster in Africa, Erectus in Asia
Some splitters believe there should be this distinction between ergaster and erectus
Homo antecessor:
What time and where?
Distinction in comparison to erectus:
1.2 mya Spain
Canine fossa, 1000cc, double brow
Ancestor to Neandertals:
Homo heidelbergensis
Acheulean Tool Technology Used by who around what time? \_\_facial Complex? \_\_\_\_\_ technique (entails what?) Uses:
Homo erectus, 1.4 mya - 125-115 kya
Bifacial
Not very complex
Soft percussion technique –> using material and striking rock with such force that flakes flake off
Butchering, cutting, digging, piercing, chopping
Everyone up to Homo erectus scavenging/hunting? What was Homo erectus?
Scavenging; Hunting AND scavenging (persistence hunting)
Scavenging:
They’re after ____ because ____
What tools used?
Bone marrow; stay fresh up until 10 days, full of protein, water, fat
Oldowan
consuming too much organ meat on a daily basis could lead to death by ____
Vitamin A. Poisoning
Fire:
Why so important?
Locations where there is evidence:
Warmth, cooking, protection, tool-making, socialization, extend the day
Asia, Africa, Europe
Homo sapiens distinctive traits:
Globular braincase Vertical forehead (all before sloping forehead) Reduced brow ridges Chin Face under skull Reduced body mass Thinner bones Narrow trunk Pelvic shape Reduced tooth size
2 forms of modern humans:
Early archaic Homo sapiens, Late archaic Homo sapiens
Early archaic homo sapiens: Time period: Mix of \_\_\_\_ Skeletal traits: Cranial capacity:
400-130kya
Homo erectus & modern Homo sapiens
Longer, lower skull; larger brow ridge; bigger projecting face; larger front teeth, smaller molars, no chin; thick postcranial & cranial bones; sagittal keeling (not crest)
1100-1300c
Late archaic Homo sapiens: Consist of the \_\_\_\_ Time period: Trends: Found where?
Neandertals (classical and generalized)
130-35/30 kya
Increased brain size, reduced tooth size, decreased skeletal robusticity
Middle East & Europe
Neandertals: Skeletal traits: Time period: Cranial capacity: 2 forms:
Wide nasal apertures, projecting face, occipital bun, long low skull, large front teeth, wide and short stocky body, shorts limbs
170,000-30,000 ya
1520cc
Generalized, Classical
Generalized Neandertals: Found where? Gracile or robust? Brow ridges smaller or larger? No \_\_\_\_ Chin?
Middle East, Asia, East and Central Europe
Less robust, more gracile
Smaller
Occipital bun
They have a chin due to absorption of bone
Classical Neandertals:
Found where?
Location allowed for what adaptations?
Biggest distinction from generalized:
Western Europe
Colder location allowed for short robust bodies, large long low craniums, large brow ridges, large nose, jaws, face
They have an occipital bun, generalized neandertals do not
Mousterian tools:
Associated with ____
Around what time period?
____ technique (entailed what?)
Neandertals
300-30kya
Levallois technique (soft hammer percussion technique)
Neandertals had intentional ____
Burials, with neandertals placed in a flexed position, head going the other direction, and tools and animals buried with them
2 theories about what happened to the Neandertals:
Out competed, bred out
Out competed Neandertal extinction theory:
Homo sapiens are better ____, more ____
Evidence:
Tool makers, intelligent
Speed of extinction
Bred out Neandertal extinction theory:
Very confusing. Know the Scientist and his claims:
Kring, who claimed that homo sapiens and Neandertals did not interbreed
Out of Africa hypothesis:
Modern homo sapiens first evolved in ____
____ evolved parallel to ____
Humans replace Neandertals when?
Africa
Archaic Homo sapiens, modern homo sapiens
40-30 kya
Multiregional Continuity Hypothesis: \_\_\_\_ evolved into \_\_\_\_ Neandertals evolved \_\_\_\_ Continuous \_\_\_\_ Neandertals not a separate \_\_\_\_
Homo erectus, modern homo sapiens
Locally
Gene flow
Species
Hybridization Hypothesis:
Homo erectus evolved into ____
Modern African Homo sapiens went to ____
Neandertal extinction?
Neandertals & modern African homo sapiens
Europe
No Neandertal extinction; “Bred out”
