Flashcards
How old are Homo sapiens as a species?
At least 300,000 years old
What are six of the characteristics of a Homo sapiens?
1.) Total bipedalism
2.) Large Brains
3.) Our Bodies
4.) Use of Tools
5.) Use of Fire/Shelters
6.) Use of Symbols
How long have humans (hominins) existed?
7 million years
According to the savanna hypothesis, why did our ancestors develop the trait of partial bipedalism?
In order to better avoid predators as they crossed the increased amount of grasslands that were now in their environment.
What three activities did the earliest hominins (7MYA - 4MYA) probably spend 86% of their day doing?
Eating/foraging, resting, and sleeping
What new traits did early hominins develop around 4MYA that turned them into Australopiths?
- Bigger Brains
- Taller Height
- Mostly Bipedal
- Use of Tools
According to the Weak Ape Theory, what caused the earliest hominins to evolve into Australopiths?
As the savanna increased - being taller, bigger brained, and more bipedal helped our ancestors better hide and avoid predators as they crossed savanna grasslands.
What characteristics of a reliable source did Raymond Dart’s Killer Ape Theory not have?
No bias
Backed by reliable sources
What did Australopiths do to get enough food once they were more bipedal and less capable of getting food in trees?
They scavenged meat off of the bones of animals killed by savanna predators.
Why did Australopiths evolve to make and use tools (like the stone flake)?
To carve the meat off of the bones of animals they scavenged
What four traits must a hominin have to be considered a member of the genus Homo?
- Big Brain
- Totally Bipedal
- Use of Tools
- Most/all of features of H. sapiens bodies
Why do historians struggle to create theories about how Australopiths evolved into the first members of the genus Homo?
We have almost no primary sources or bones from that time period.
How old is the genus Homo?
2.8 million years old
How did our planet change when the Ice Age began?
- The temperature of the planet dropped
- Large glaciers formed around our planet
- Water levels of the planet decreased
During Ice Ages, what happens about every 100,000 years?
10,000 year long “Interglacial” periods where the temperature increases, glaciers shrink, and water level increase
By 1.8 MYA, what did some Homo habilis in Eastern Africa do in response to the start of the Ice Age?
Migrated out of Africa to Western Asia.
How did migrating to Western Asia impact the Homo habilis that moved there?
Caused them to evolve into a new species - Homo ergaster
How was Homo ergaster different from Homo habilis?
Larger Brain
More advanced tools
More H. Sapiens-like Body (Taller, Longer Legs, Shorter Arms)
Why did Homo ergaster develop these traits?
Made them better able to avoid predators
What are the four theories on why Homo habilis migrated out of Africa?
1.) Ice Age decreased food supplies, so they moved to new environments to find food
2.) Land bridges between continents made it easier to travel outside of Africa
3.) Being totally bipedal made it better able to travel long distances.
4.) Larger brains could help them deal with unfamiliar environments
What three places did Homo ergaster migrate to by 1.6 million years ago?
1.) China
2.) Indonesia
3.) Eastern Africa
Upon arriving in Eastern Africa, Homo ergaster began to get its food through what technique?
Persistence Hunting
What evidence supports the theory that Homo ergaster was the first of our ancestors to hunt for food?
- Had arched feet
- Had darker skin tone (because it lost fur in order to run without overheating)
- Used fire (to keep itself warm without fur & cook meats to use less energy)
A random DNA mutation can give a child a helpful trait that makes them better fit for their environment.
What three things makes a species better for fit for their environment?
Better able to find food, avoid predators, and resist disease.
Why did women specialize in gathering and men specialize in hunting?
Hunting takes a lot of time to learn how to do, would have caused women to have less/no children to complete
What is the name for the era of human existence that began when humans began to use stone tools?
The Paleolithic Era / Old Stone Age
True or False - When our ancestors started live the hunter-gatherer lifestyle, they stopped foraging for food.
False - Our ancestors still foraged for about 70% of their calories
What often changes that kickstarts the evolution of a species?
Their environment changes
What is it that increased in quantity in Homo ergaster’s skin that shielded their skin cells from UV light and turned their skin tone darker?
Melanin
What was dangerous for our hominin ancestors about savanna grasslands?
Savanna grasslands are home to many predators.
