Homo Sapiens and Friends Flashcards
Who are Homo Sapiens?
Anatomically Modern Homo Sapiens (AMHS)
What is another name for Homo Sapiens?
Cro-Magnons
Where were the Cro-Magnon found, and how long ago were they dated to?
France, up to 30,000 years ago… but first emerged from Africa and spread out.
What is the brain size of the Homo Sapiens?
1300 cc.
When thinking of a Homo Sapien’s physical features, who should we look to for similarities?
Modern Humans, aka us.
What changes occur in the forehead of the Homo Sapiens?
Higher, bulging forehead.
Name 3 features of a Homo Sapiens face.
Smaller face: lighter facial bone structure
Emergence of a chin
Slight brow ridges
The Homo Sapiens had no Post Orbital Constriction.
True
Where/when were the Homo Neanderthals first found?
First found in Neander Valley, Germany in 1856.
What was significant about the first fossil discovery of the Homo Neanderthal? (2)
First fossil found that is considered to be an early humanoid.
Fossil found 3 years before Darwin’s “Origin of Species” came out
How big was the brain of the Homo Neanderthal?
1450 cc.
Why was the brain of the Homo Neanderthal so large?
It matched the large, brawny size of the Homo Neanderthals’ bodies.
What tools did the Homo Neanderthals use?
?
What were the Homo Neanderthals’ brow ridges like?
Pronounced brow ridges
What oxipital feature was found on the rear of Homo Neanderthals’ skull?
A broad oxipital “bun”
The Homo Neanderthal had a large nose.
True
Did the Homo Neanderthal have a noticeable chin?
Nope. No chin
What was the forehead/skull of the Homo Neanderthal like?
No forehead due to a long/low sloping skull
What did the Homo Neanderthals eat?
Plants and meat, but a lot more meat during the winter months due to a lack of vegetation.
Who was Marcellin Boule and what did he think about Neandertals?
He was a French paleontologist that thought that the Neanderthals were brutish, slow, primitive “Cavemen”
What led Marcellin Boule to his misconception-creating belief?
He studied the La Chapelle-aux-Saints, the “Old Man”- an old, partial Neanderthal skeleton in poor physical condition
How long ago did the Neanderthals date back to?
30,000-130,000 years ago
Specifically, where were the Neanderthals most commonly found? Where were they not found?
Found in Europe and Middle East, but not found in Africa
Did the Neanderthals and Homo Sapiens overlap? If so, where?
Yes, it is known that the two species overlapped in the Middle East
Where was there evidence of double occupation between the Neanderthals and the Homo Sapiens?
Mt. Carmel in Israel
Approximately how many years did the two species share the Middle East?
About 30,000 years
How long did the two species co-exist?
As many as 60,000 years
What are possible ideas for why the Neanderthals ceased to exist? Name 3.
Interbreeding until the species dissipated (least likely)
Genocide by the Homo Sapiens (also not too likely)
Competition by the Homo Sapiens (more likely)
What Homo species left evidence of funerals/burial rituals?
Homo Neanderthals
Name 3 significant funeral/burial sites left behind by the Neanderthals.
Le Moustier (15-16 year old boy buried with a hand axe) La Ferrassie (5 kids and 2 adults, all buried in the same grave) Shanidar Cave, Iraq (9 burials, flowers placed in graves)
What is the overall impact of climate on the evolution of primates and human species?
As climates change, food sources change.
Changes in diet force overspecialized species to die out, while others evolve and survive
(Seed/nuts to meat transition)
