Hominoidea Flashcards
Pathway to hominina (most recent)
Hominoidea (gibbons)–>Hominidae (great apes/orangutans)–>Homininae (gorillas)–>hominini (bonobos and chimpanzees)
Characteristics of Hominoidea
Ex. Gibbons
Large body size
Scapula (shoulder blade) on back rather than side
Arms are longer than legs
Extreme arm swinging locomotion
Characteristics of Hominidae (great apes)
Ex. Orangutan
Semi-upright stance
Blunt canines
Characteristics of Homininae
Ex. Gorilla
~97% of genome shared with humans
Ground dwelling and knuckle walking
Some tool use–>Wood
Characteristics of Hominini
Ex. Bonobos and Chimpanzees
More than 98% of genome is shared with humans
More tool use–>Wood and Stone
Problem solving, Insight, foresight
Characteristics of Hominina
Most recent
Upright stance
Extensive tool use
Male and Female canines reduced and similar in size
Unique human traits found in hominin skull
1) Small canine teeth
2) Spinal cord opening underneath skull (foramen magnum)–>indicative of bipedalism
Characteristics of fossil 2
1) Pelvis position indicative of upright walking
2) Fully opposable large toe
Characteristics indicative of tree climbing
Long arm bones and crest
What are the 2 types of DNA for testing
1) Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA)
2) Ancient DNA (aDNA)
What is mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA)
DNA that we inherit only from out maternal lineage
Used to directly tract ancestry
What is ancient DNA (aDNA)
DNA isolated from ancient specimens
Can be as old as 2 million years old
Who is mitochondrial Eve
The matrilineal most recent common ancestor of all Homo sapiens
Not the most recent common ancestor, not the only woman, not a fixed individual
Provides strongest evidence for “out of Africa” origin theory
What is a sign of interbreeding amongst species
How our teeth are shaped, specifically molars
