H. sapiens Flashcards

Question

Grotta di Fumane

Answer 1

Northern Italy, 41kya Deciduous incisor Modern human mtDNA Benazzi et al 2014

Answer 2

Devon, Britain, 42-44kya Shares more dental traits with modern humans than with Neanderthals Badly worn - many dental traits cannot be assessed Higham et al 2011

Answer 3

SW France, 28kya Cro Magnon 1 - old man (died in middle age) Skull surface eroded Evidence of pathology - fungal infection Cro Magnon 2 - younger female Not representative of Upper Palaeolithic H. sapiens - More gracile and 'modern' - more like extant humans

Answer 4

1. Overland and through an ice-free corridor - Siberia inhabited by 39kya - Ice-free corridor closed between 20 and 13ya - Either 40-20kya or after 13kya 2. Bering island/coastal route 3. Across the Pacific Ocean 4. Across the frozen North Atlantic via Greenland

Answer 5

Pennsylvania, USA, 17ya Only lithic remains Age suggests that humans got to North America before the closure of the ice free corridor from 20-13kya

Answer 6

Kennewick man - Washington state, USA, 9.4kya - Rasmussen et al. showed DNA relationship closer to east Siberia than Europe/south Pacific Spirit Cave - Nevada, USA 10.6kya

Answer 7

Chile, 14.8kya Hut structures, evidence of complex subsistence strategy 1800 years before Bering Strait would have been passable - supports coastal route of pre-20kya migration

Answer 8

Replacement theory/recent African origin model (no hybridisation) - Modern humans evolved in Africa and replaced existing populations as they dispersed - Classic model based on analysis of mtDNA/mitochondrial Eve - Nuclear DNA disproves stirct interpretation Hybridisation model - African origin, hybridisation and replacement - Similar to RAO - More interbreeding between migrating early H. sapiens and indigenous hominins outside of Africa - Migration of African populations a key factor in emergence of modern Eurasians Assimilation (with replacement) model - African origin of modern H. sapiens - Significant interbreeding with other indigenous hominins - Limited impact on morphology - Differences with hybridisation model are subtle Multiregional evolution theory (most hybridisation) - Modern humans evolved concurrently from existing archaic populations all over the Old World - Neanderthals in Europe - H. erectus and H. heidelbergensis in Asia - H. rhodesiensis in Africa - Maintained species integrity because of constant gene flow - Large/visible impact on morphology Current model: OOA with assimilation/hybridisation

Answer 9

Hybridisation did not have a limited impact - played a crucial role in driving behavioural and morphological modenity Morphology: creates novelty and increases variation Rapid morphological adaption to new environments Behavioural: drives innovation Mixing of different hominin cultures led to behavioural modernity Used to be a taboo topic but hot topic today - fossil recrd, experimental models, aDNA analysis, GWAS studies

Answer 10

Single species that evolved in Africa and spread across the globe BUT different extant human groups carry small amounts of genetic material from multiple extinct hominin groups due to past interbreeding. Limited mtDNA variation compared to apes - suggests modern humans organised recently Modern humans are genetically very similar - suggests significant gene flow Genetically homogenous but phenotypically very diverse

Answer 11

No Neanderthal or Denisovan DNA in African populations African populations genetically more diverse than non-Africans African populations are closer to the modern human origin 'Serial founder effect'

Answer 12

Explains the two defining features of human genetic variation 1. Genomes in Africa have many unique variants 2. Reduced genetic diversity outside of Africa

Answer 13

Sophisticated stone, bone and wood tools Hunting and gathering of a diverse set of animals (both marine and terrestrial) and plants Symbolic behaviour including personal ornamentation, figurative art, and music Living shelters, burials Models of the evolution of behavioural modernity 1. Gradual African origin (beginning 200kya) 2. Punctuated late African origin (beginning 50kya) 3. Gradual origins across multiple continents and multiple hominin species (beginning 200kya)

Answer 14

Mode 4, H. sapiens 36-28kya Succeeded by Gravettian (28-21kya), Solutrean (21-16.5kya) and Magdalenian (16.5-11kya) Blade-based technology Complex tools Regional variation in fairly sophisticated bifacial tools (cultural differences)

Answer 15

Advantages of projectiles (later stone age) - More success - Less risk - Survivorship increases - Competitive advantage

Answer 16

After 40kya, in Europe and Africa Intensification and consistent presence of artistic behaviours - Cave art (high concentration of sites in France and Spain e.g. El Castillo 40kya and Altamira 15kya, Spain + Chauvet 32kya and Lascaux 17kya, France) - Portable art, including figurines - Music Cave art made using natural substances - red and yellow ochre, manganese, charcoal - create a variety of colours Different instruments - horsehair, sticks, and fingers used to apply paint Significance is unclear Magic purpose - improve hunting success Other ritualistic or symbolic purpose - naturalistic scenes, including animals that were not hunted ``` Venus figurines e.g. Brassempouy, France Dolní Věstonice, Czech Republic Venus of Willendorf, Austria Venus of Lespugue, France ``` Music: expression of social and emotional information Flutes made from animal bones Debate about Neanderthals having music traditions or not Clear that modern humans had them Personal ornamentation Shell beads Üçağızlı, Turkey, 40kya South Africa, 70kya

Answer 17

Lake Mungo, Australia, 30-50kya Sungir, Russia, 28kya Ochre Increased use of grave goods - beads etc. Concept of live after death?

Answer 18

Mezhirich, Ukraine, 16kya Bones from at least 149 mammoths Evidence of increased mobility and portable protection from the environment

Answer 19

EXPANDED SUBSISTENCE BASE More varied diet, which also included use of aquatic resources SETTLEMENT PATTERNS Sites occupied for longer periods and extensively modified Evidence of more permanent shelters e.g. mammoth bone shelters