Human evolution 2, Lecture 5

Question 1

One thousand years ago

Answer 1

KA

Question 2

Two main hypothesises for the orgin of modern humans

Answer 2

1. out of Africa (recent)

2. Multiregional

Question 3

AMH

Answer 3

anatomically modern human

Question 4

EMH

Answer 4

early modern human

Question 5

Out of Africa (recent)

Answer 5

• AMH evolved within Africa first ( 200 - 100 KA)

- then left & coloninsed new continents

Question 6

What should be the case if the (recent) out of Africa hypothesis is correct?

Answer 6

global populations should be more closely related than if multiregional hypothesis is true

Question 7

Multiregional hypothesis

Answer 7

• homo erectus left Africa and colonised elsewhere

- then evolved to AMH in different regions

Question 8

What should be the case if the multiregional hypothesis is correct?

Answer 8

global populations should be more distantly related

Question 9

What explains the similarities of modern people in the multiregional hypothesis?

Answer 9

interbreeding in neighbouring populations

Question 10

Evidence for the multiregional approach

Answer 10

1. skeletal remains - hominina fossils found in Spain dated 1.1 - 1.2 MYA, earliest European hominid?

Question 11

Evidence for the out of Africa approach?

Answer 11

1. neaderthals - ‘replaced’ by AMH
2. assimilation model
3. leaky replacement model

Question 12

Evidence which doesn’t support either theory

Answer 12

1. y chromosome
2. molecular genetics
3. similarity is due to shared common ancestor of neanderthals and humans not due to interbreeding

Question 13

Leaky replacement model

Answer 13

when modern humans left Africa they interbred (limited) with neanderthals

Question 14

What does it mean to be a human?

3

Answer 14

1. bisexual social groups
2. large brain
3. capable of complex learning

Question 15

Human language

5

Answer 15

possible scenarios:

1. substitute for grooming (communicate)
2. hunting theory
3. as a way of thinking
4. motherese (baby talk)
5. tool-making

Question 16

Two theories of the human language

Answer 16

1. started with manual gestures, moved to language
2. (can’t communicate manually at night so) language began vocally, basic components of speech dervive from the way we use our mouths to eat, or changes in the brain allowed speech

Question 17

Similarities of humans with other primates

3

Answer 17

1. reproductive strategies
2. social behaviour
3. tool use

Question 18

Example of tool use in animals

Answer 18

orangutans use sticks to get insects from their nests

Question 19

Example of communication in animalsc

Answer 19

chimps can communicate, not capable of language

Question 20

Agricultural history

4 points

Answer 20

1. start of holocene - cultivation of cereal grains
2. move from hunter- gatherers
3. agricultural centres developed
4. livestock domesticated, c. 9 KA, and physical work

Question 21

Drivers of human evolution

Answer 21

fluctuating environments = changing food sources

changing environmental conditions

Question 22

Techniques to reduce vulnerablity of early hominins to predation
4

Answer 22

1. fire as protection
2. stone tools as weapons
3. communication
4. shelter building

Question 23

Lamarckism

Answer 23

‘heritability of acquired characteristics’

Question 24

Nature vs nurture

Answer 24

language and genetics,

some evidence for genetic basis

Question 25

Evolutionary future of mankind

Answer 25

1. highly complex and unpreditable
2. evidence that humans are still evolving
3. evidence of heritable nature of environmental influences via epigenetics
4. population structure, increase in size of human breeding populations, less smaller/isolated populations
5. global mobility and spread of disease eg: ebola, covid-19