Hominin Evolution Flashcards
What are some ways of distinguishing mammals
mammary glands, hair, three middle ear bonees, teeth
What are some features of a primate
Large brain for body size
five fingers with opposable thumb
flat nails
forward facing eyes
What are the living primate groups
Posimians
New world monkeys
old world monkeys
apes
Hominoids
Include all apes, both the great apes and the lesser apes
Hominids
Include all great apes
Hominins
Coollective term for all human species
Which is the most advanced and least advanced group of today?
Least-Prosimians
Most-hominins humans
What is the kinggdoms for humans
animalia
Class for humans
Mammalia
Order for humans
Primates
Genus for humans
Homo
Species for humans
H.sapiens
Unique features that humans have
- Communciate complex behavioural patterns
- S-shaped spine for movement and balance
- Spine is attached at the base of the skull
- Arched feet for striding
- Less pronounced neck muscles
- Ability to walk in a straight line
How have skulls evolved
- Larger more rounder shape
- more veritcal forehead
- less protruding jaw
- chin
- reduced size in teeth
Why are primate fossils so rare
They usually live in climates in which are not ideal for fossilaisation as they live in tropical climates
-Which decay of dead organisms is common
What are the only living members of the primate group
Humans
Features of hominin evolution
bipedal consequences
- fully bipedal
- reduced forehead
- reduced cainines
- less body hair
three geological periods of time
archean
proterozoic
phanerozoic
what is the phanerozoic eon divded into
palaeozoic
mesozioc
cenozoic
Why are humans in the phylum group?
because they have a backbone
What characteristics do mammals have?
mammary glands
teeth : incisors, canines, molars
hair or fur on surface
three bones in the ear
what is the order humans belong to
primates
what are the characteristics of primates
five digits and opposable thumb nails instead of claws eyes facing forward large head long time pregnant
how is known that we are derived from chimps
examining amino acid sequences for particular proteins
6million years ago