final chap 11 Flashcards
Middle Pleistocene was marked by periods of fluctuation, not just cold periods.
True
Middle Pleistocene animal species that were overly specialized to one particular type of environment were less likely to survive when compared to their more generalized counterparts.
True
Archaic Homo sapiens share our species name but are distinguished by the term “archaic”
as a way of recognizing both the long period of time between their appearance and ours, as well as the way in which human traits have continued to evolve over time—making archaic Homo sapiens look slightly different from us today, despite technically being considered the same species.
All archaic Homo sapiens share the defining trait of an increased brain size—specifically a brain of at least 1,100 cc and averaging 1,200 cc—but are also characterized by significant regional and temporal (time) variations.
True
Homo sapiens trended toward less angular and higher skulls than Homo erectus but had skulls notably not as short and globular in shape and with a less developed forehead than anatomically modern Homo sapiens.
True
archaic Homo sapiens had smaller brow ridges and a less-projecting face than Homo erectus and slightly smaller teeth, although incisors and canines were often about as large as that of Homo erectus.
True
Archaic Homo sapiens also had a wider nasal aperture, or opening for the nose, as well as a forward-projecting midfacial region, known as midfacial prognathism
True
One partial crania from Dali, China:
Is representative of archaic Homo sapiens in Asia, including large and robust features with heavy brow ridges, akin to what is seen in Homo erectus, and a large cranial capacity intermediate between Homo erectus and anatomically modern Homo sapiens.
Generally, it is agreed upon that archaic Homo sapiens lived between
600,000 and 200,000 years ago.
The earliest-known archaic Homo sapiens fossils tentatively date to about 600,000 years ago in Africa, whereas archaic Homo sapiens fossils in Asia appear around 300,000 years ago and in Europe around 350,000 years ago (and potentially as early as 600,000 years ago).
True
One particularly well-known population of archaic Homo sapiens are the Neanderthals:
- named after the site where they were first discovered in the Neander Valley, or “thal” in German, located near Dusseldorf, Germany
- scientists agree that Neanderthal behavior was increasingly complex and nuanced, far beyond what was exhibited by even other archaic Homo sapiens discussed throughout this chapter.
*clear geographic boundary of where Neanderthals lived: western Europe, the Middle East, and western Asia.
- No Neanderthal fossils have ever been discovered outside of this area, including Africa
- Time period for when Neanderthals lived is widely accepted as between 150,000 and 35,000 years ago.
- they were very well adapted to extreme cold weather and their geographic distribution includes what would have been some of the coldest habitable locations at the time of their existence.
- The average Neanderthal brain size is around 1,500 cc, and the range for Neanderthal brains can extend to upwards of 1,700 cc.
- majority of the increase in the brain occurs in the occipital region, or the back part of the brain, resulting in a skull that has a large cranial capacity with a distinctly long and low shape that is slightly wider than previous forms at far back of the skull
- back of the Neanderthal skull is less angular (as compared to Homo erectus) and is more rounded, a feature similar to that of modern Homo sapiens.
- Neanderthal noses are large and have a wide nasal aperture, which is the opening for the nose
Neanderthal nose is often characterized by the term
midfacial prognathism—a jutting out of the middle portion of the face, or nose.
prognathism
jutting out, of their jaws
Neanderthals jaw is oversized for their teeth, leaving a gap between their final molar and the end of their jaw. This gap is called
Retromolar gap :A space behind the last molar and the end of the jaw. This is a feature present only on Neanderthals. It also occurs through cultural modification in modern humans who have had their third molars, or wisdom teeth, removed.
Among Neanderthals, this projection of bone is easily identified by its bun shape on the back of the skull and is known as an
Occipital bun- A prominent bulge or projection on the back of the skull, specifically the occipital bone. This is a feature present only on Neanderthal skulls.
Neanderthal infraorbital foramina
Small holes on the maxilla bone of the face that allows nerves and blood to reach the skin.
(the holes in the maxillae or cheek bones through which blood vessels pass, are notably enlarged compared to other hominins.)
Neanderthal brow ridges are
prominent but somewhat smaller in size than those of Homo erectus and earlier archaic Homo sapiens. In Neanderthals, the brow ridges are also often slightly less arched than those of other archaic Homo sapiens.
Neanderthals match the predictions of Bergmann’s and Allen’s Rules perfectly.
For example, Bergmann’s and Allen’s Rules dictate that an increased body mass and short, stocky limbs are common in animals that live in cold conditions.
Mousterian tools
The stone tool industry of Neanderthals and their contemporaries in Africa and Western Asia. Mousterian tools are known for a diverse set of flake tools, which is different than the large bifacial tools of the Acheulean industry.
Though red meat was a critical component of the Neanderthal diet, evidence shows that at times they also ate
impets, mussels, and pine nuts.
Neanderthal burials are often in a flexed position:
Fetal position, in which the legs are drawn up to the middle of the body and the arms are drawn toward the body center. Intentional burials are often found in the flexed body position.
The Neanderthals’ more complicated behavior likely stems, in part, from their larger brains. Evidence shows that raw materials used by Neanderthals came from distances as far away as 100 km. This could indicate a variety of things regarding Neanderthal behavior, including a limited trade network with other Neanderthal groups, or simply a large area scoured by Neanderthals when collecting raw materials. Additionally, we know that Neanderthals lived in groups and may have relied on their group members for survival.
True
The shape of the Neanderthal hyoid is nearly identical to that of modern humans, pointing to the likelihood that they had the same vocal capabilities as modern humans.
True
Neanderthals disappear from the fossil record by
around 35,000 years ago.
