Flashcards
What three things must be true of a trait for it to make an individual better fit for their environment?
1.) Find Food
2.) Avoid Predators
3.) Resist Disease
By 1.5 MYA, the Homo ergaster that had migrated to East Asia became …
Homo erectus
By 1.2 MYA, the Homo ergaster that had migrated to Europe became …
Homo antecessor
Did the Homo ergaster that had migrated back into Africa around 1.5 MYA evolve to become anything else?
Yes - we just don’t know what that species is yet!
What two things changed about the Ice Age between 800,000 and 200,000 years ago?
- Glacial Periods became longer & colder
- Shifts into interglacial periods happened more abruptly
What three things did these Ice Age changes mean for the hominins alive at this time?
1.) Decline in resources (plants, animals, & water)
2.) Less areas to live in
3.) More competition between groups for resources
What happened to Homo antecessor as a result of these Ice Age changes?
Went extinct :-(
What happened to Homo erectus as a result of these Ice Age changes?
Evolved to have a bigger brain
As a result of these Ice Age changes, the mystery species of hominins (that African Homo ergaster had evolved into) evolved into Homo bodoensis. What are three new traits it developed?
- Bigger brains (1250 cc)
- Taller (6 ft.)
- Developed a basic language
As a result of these Ice Age changes, some of the mystery species of hominins (that African Homo ergaster had evolved into) migrated to Europe, became shorter (5.25 ft.), got a bigger brain (1500-1700cc), got more muscular, and became …
Homo neanderthalensis
As a result of these Ice Age changes, some of the mystery species of hominins (that African Homo ergaster had evolved into) migrated to Central Asia, got a bigger brain (1600-1800cc), and a number of new traits we don’t know yet and became …
Homo denisova
What species did Homo sapiens directly evolve from?
Homo bodoensis
What are three ways that Homo sapiens’ bodies are different from Homo denisova’s bodies?
- Shorter (5.5ft.)
- Smaller face/teeth
- Bigger brain (1350-1500ccc)
What did a larger brain size/more curved hyoid bone give some Homo bodoensis the ability to do that made them better hunters/gatherers and better able to avoid predators?
Have a complex (rather than a basic) language
What was an unintended benefit that having a complex language had on the Homo bodoensis that developed it?
Allowed individuals in their groups to more successfully plan/carry out assassinations of aggressive alpha males
What were two responsibilities of hominin Alpha Males?
- Lead their group in traveling, hunting, and foraging
- Protect their group from rival groups and predators
What were two privileges of hominin Alpha Males?
1.) Got the first-pick of hunted/foraged food
2.) Access to the most males (and got to have the most children)
Because alpha males have the most children, what happened to hominin groups as aggressive alpha males got assassinated/replaced by friendlier ones?
Over many generations, members of Homo bodoensis groups became friendlier towards those from within/outside their groups.
What happens to mammals when they evolve/are evolved to become friendlier?
They develop smaller faces, smaller teeth, and smaller bodies.
What are the seven characteristics of a Homo sapiens?
- Bipedal
- Big Brains
- Our Bodies
- Use of Tools
- Use of Fire/Shelter
- Use of Symbols
- Somewhat Friendly
True or False - The first Homo sapiens abandoned the hunter-gatherer lifestyle.
False! - In early Homo sapiens communities, men still hunted for meat and women still foraged wild plants.
How big were early Homo sapiens groups?
About 150 people
How many groups did a group of Homo sapiens typically have connections with?
5-6 Groups
How did early Homo sapiens probably communicate information about themselves to those from outside groups?
Wore jewelry
Why did early Homo sapiens’ groups eliminate or significantly limit the position of “alpha male” from their groups?
Even friendly Homo sapiens can turn into jerks when they are given power/leadership positions.
Some early Homo sapiens groups totally eliminated the position of alpha male and created democracies.
What is democracy?
Democracy: a way of making decisions where everyone - rather than just one person - has a say (often involves voting & majority rule)
What are five of the ways that early Homo sapiens groups who kept positions of leadership limited/checked those in leadership positions?
- Someone could only become a leader if they were selected/voted to be one by their group
- Group members mocked, ridiculed, and insulted people who were leaders.
- Leaders were only allowed to have power in certain seasons/settings and didn’t have to be obeyed in others.
- Groups regularly rotated who was leader.
- Any special privileges that people who were leaders were “doubled-edged” (had downsides)
Archeologists have found spear tips & arrowheads in the places the earliest Homo sapiens lived.
What do these show are two new activities our ancestors in Africa began to do when they became Homo sapiens?
Making more advanced tools (like bows, arrows, & spears)
Ambush hunting (rather than persistence hunting) their prey
Archeologists have found harpoon tips & fish bones in the places the earliest Homo sapiens lived.
What do these show is a new activity our ancestors in Africa began to do when they became Homo sapiens?
Fishing
Archeologists have found shells with holes drilled into them in the places the earliest Homo sapiens lived.
What do these show is a new activity our ancestors in Africa began to do when they became Homo sapiens?
Making jewelry
Why did early Homo sapiens most likely create paintings, carvings, and figurines of animals?
It was a ritual they did in order to please animal spirits and get them to bring good things to their lives.
If you believe that all animals have spirits that can bring good/bad things to the lives of humans, then you practice a religion called ______.
Animism
In some communities they had people who were believed to have a special connection to spiritual world called _____ run religious rituals on behalf on everyone in the group.
Shamans
Why did early Homo sapiens make musical instruments like flutes?
To make music during religious rituals.
Why did early Homo sapiens make temporary structures of out animal bones?
To perform religion rituals inside of.
True or False - In addition to performing rituals, early Homo sapiens most likely make offerings/sacrifices of special objects to please animal spirits?
True!
Where did all Homo sapiens lives 300,000 year ago?
Africa
How do we know that the first Homo sapiens to migrate out of Africa (between 300,000 to 70,000 YA) were not successful?
DNA from their bones does not match the DNA from people living outside of Africa today.
As Homo sapiens migrated to live in places outside of Africa since 70,000 YA, did they continue to practice the religion of animism?
Yes! We have found evidence of some of rituals that they practiced.
What species of humans did Homo sapiens encounter and mate with as they migrated around the world?
Homo neanderthalensis
Homo denisova
Did our migration have a positive or negative impact on the species of humans that already lived in the places we migrated to?
Negative impact! - We often outcompeted these hominins for resources and led to their extinction.
Where was the final place Homo sapiens migrated to (around 13,500 YA) in this second round of migration?
North/South America
