Hominid evolution

Question 1

What are the 3 types of evidence of Hominid evolution

Answer 1

FOSSILS
* Bones (posture)
* Skulls (big brain)
* Teeth (meat or veg)
* Stone tools (process
food, hunting)
* Footprints (bipedal)
BEHAVIOURAL ECOLOGY
* of closest living
relatives (cultures)
DNA (closest apes)

Question 2

Fossil teeth: If molars are very pitted:

Answer 2

foods eaten were harder (e.g. seeds, nuts, tubers
or bone)

Question 3

If fossil molar tooth has a very scratched shearing facet:

Answer 3

it was used to shear leaves or meat

Question 4

1978 in Tanzania: discovered
by Mary Leakey’s team

Answer 4

LAETOLI HOMINID TRAIL

Question 5

• Footprints probably made by
  Australopithecus afarensis (Lucy)
• Entire footprint trail ≈ 27m long
  & has impressions of ≈ 70 early
  human footprints
• 3.6 million years old
• Supports early bipedalism
• Show convergent toe & well-developed arche

Answer 5

LAETOLI HOMINID TRAIL

Question 6

who were LOUIS & MARY LEAKEY:

Answer 6

FAMOUS PALEOANTHROPOLOGISTS

Question 7

THREE DIFFERENT HYPOTHESES FOR THE ORIGIN OF BIPEDALISM:

Answer 7

1. Postural feeding hypothesis (most support): When apes feed in
   trees, they use arm-hanging & vertical climbing postures, which
   influence anatomy.
2. Behavioral hypothesis (less support): Using the upper limbs to
   carry food is a strong selection factor for bipedal walking.
3. Thermoregulatory hypothesis (least support): Bipedalism
   reduces evaporative cooling requirements, conserves body water
   & minimizes direct exposure to the sun

Question 8

what is Bipedalism

Answer 8

STANDING & MOVING BIPEDALLY (UPRIGHT) IS A DEFINING
CHARACTERISTIC OF HOMINIDS.

Question 9

INCREASED BRAIN SIZE HAS OCCURRED SEVERAL TIMES IN
HOMINID EVOLUTION:

Answer 9

• at times when big environmental or ecological change
• suggests major environmental change resulted in new
  adaptations & extreme survival pressure
• this has selected for greater brain size

Question 10

Size of hominid brain has increased from ______over last 2 - 3 million years

Answer 10

500 cc. to 1500 cc

Question 11

• 2.4 million years old
• Supports use of stone
  tools

Answer 11

Homo habilis (HANDYMAN/TOOLMAKER’)

Question 12

• 40% of skeleton intact
• 3 million years old
• showed bipedalism
  preceded evolution of bigger
  brain (i.e. bipedal first, then
  bigger brain)

Answer 12

Australopithecus afarensis (‘LUCY’)

Question 13

• 1.6 million years old
• important specimen
  (Nariokotome Boy) because -
  most complete early human
  skeleton ever found

Answer 13

Homo erectus (Nariokotome Boy)

Question 14

• 236,000 - 335,000 years old
  (may have lived at same time
  as our ancestors)
• Found in a cave system
  suggesting they may have
  ‘disposed’ of their dead
  underground

Answer 14

Homo naledi (nicknamed Neo)