How does the change in teeth and skull show a change in diet? (4)

Question 1

Another trend evident in human evolution is the change in diet from ___ food to ____ food.

Answer 1

raw
cooked

Question 2

The first and most important trend was bipedalism followed by _____-_____.

Answer 2

tool-making

Question 3

The following suggests that the ape-like beings ate raw food, plant matter and meat, which required a great deal of processing, i.e. tearing, biting and chewing: (3)

Answer 3

• The teeth, especially the canines, were larger.
• Jaws were large and protruding.
• Cranial and brow ridges served as attachments for large chewing muscles.

Question 4

Why did large teeth become unnecessary?

Answer 4

Early Homo species used tools to cut and grind food before eating. Therefore, large teeth became unnecessary. In addition the later hominin species (H. ergaster, erectus, heidelbergensis and sapiens) began to cook their food, which meant that it did not need the same amount of processing. were needed to only bite and crush food.

Question 5

Which three characteristics indicate a change in diet from raw to cooked food? (3)

Answer 5

• smaller teeth, including the canines.
• smaller jaws and a less prognathous skull.
• the absence of cranial and brow ridges, which were not needed for muscle attachment, as the muscles for chewing were much smaller.