Genus Homo Flashcards
The Genus Homo
- Appear 2.5 million years ago
- Concurrent existence with other hominins
- Hubitual tool user
Hypothesis
-Descendent of australopitheeines or parallel lineage
Issues
- Incomplete fossil record
- Many potential species
Hominin Evolution (Brain Expansion)
In the past 2 million yrs brain size doubled then tripled
Why is it hard to trace evolution?
- Names of speices changes
- Traits evolving/progressing forward human evolution
- Some traits seem primative & other seem advanced
Homo Habilis (“Handy Man”)
- 2.8 -1.8 mya
- Found in east & south asia
- First tool maker
- Larger brain
- Sexually dimorphic
- Height is 4”3 ft
Oldowan
- Oldest stone tools
- Made by homo habilis
- Percussion flaking (Beat rock against another rock or hard surface to make sharp edges)
Homo Species (“Upright Man”)
- 1.8 million -140,000 yrs ago
- 1st species to leave africa
- 1st fire user
- More sophisticated stone tool
Homo erectus skeletal traits
- Larger brain size than homo habilis & australopithecines
- Smaller dentition
- Shorter arms
- Modern hips & legs
- Sexually dimporphic
Because _________ adapted to new environment quickly & without apparent physical changes this suggest cultural rather thqan biological/evolutionary adaptions
Homo erectus
Acheulian Stone tool
Used by homo erectus
- Bifacial
- Standardized design
- Acheulian hand axe
Dmansi, Georgia
- Early migration site
- Showed migration out of africa wasn’t quick or far
_______________ site in zhoukoudian china contains 200 homo erectus fossils
Peking man
Homo Heidelhergensis
- Lived 700-200,000 yrs ago
- Lived in Africa, Europe, &Asia
- Possible ancestor of Homo neanderthalensis & homo sapeins
Atapuera Spain
- Oldest secure evidence for humans in europ
- Sima de cos auesps (pit of bones) in limestone cavern
- 300-200,000 yrs ago
- 2,500 bones male/female (between ages 4-35yrs old)
Atapuerca Gran Dolina
- Juenile human remains mixed with other animals, cut, & broken
- Early evidence of cultural cannaibalism (820,00 yrs ago)
Homo Naledi
- Found in rising Star Cradle in south africa
- 300,000 yrs old
- 1,530 fossil fragments of 15 individuals
- Well documented species in africa
- 500 cubic centimeter cranial cavity
- 5ft
- Body similar australopithcines
- Modern wrist, feet, & teeth
Homo floresiensis
- 100 - 60,000 yrs ago
- Indoesia island of flores
- Similar size & height as australopithecus
Middle palcolithilic culture (aka middle stone age)
- 300-40,000 yrs
- Mousterian stone tool user
Mousterian Stone Tool
- Named after Le Moustier rock shelter, France
- Not core tools (Retouched flakes)
- Levalloisian method (turtle shell pattern)
- Evidence of hafting
Modern Humans Homo sapiens
Earliest known site: Ethiopia (Omo 1), 195,000 yrs ago
Homo neandertalensis
- 400-40,000 yrs ago
- Europe and West Asian
- Larger brains
- Similar height, but stockier
- Very strenuous use of body
- Many healed fractures
Homo neandertalensis was wrongly assumed to be __________ & __________
Ape-like and primative
Shanidar Cave
- 9 Neanderthal burials found
- Major fractures
- Amputation
- Pathology, arthritis, etc.
- Survived a long time
Denisovans
- Mysterious hominin
- Used similar tools as modern humans
- Rare and contemporary of neanderthals and modern human
What Happened to the Neanderthals?
- Neanderthals and H. sapiens co-existed 20,000-60,000 years
- Some evidence of inbreeding
- No evidence of genocide so nobody murder them
- Seem that they just couldn’t adapt well and died out
____________ arrive in Europe by 35,000 yrs ago
Modern Humans
