Human Evolution Flashcards
List and define the characteristics that all primates share.
All primates have opposable thumbs, nails on fingers and toes, stereoscopic vision, and a clavicle.
Explain the importance of each of the following hominids: A. afarensis, H. habilis, H. erectus.
A. Afarensis was the first hominid. H. Habilis was the first to use complex tools.
H. Erectus was the first to walk upright out of Africa.
Outline the environmental changes that led to bipedalism.
When India collided with Asia, the Himalayas formed, which caused different weather patterns. These new weather patterns made many forests become grasslands. Because of the loss of trees, many organisms had to live on the ground. The ones that counld stand up straight could avoid predators better, so natural selection was in their favor.
List and explain the advantages of bipedalism.
Advantages of bipedalism include being able to carry things, seeing over the grass, better locomotion, and thermoregulation.
List and explain the evidences for bipedalism.
Evidences for bipedalism include the location of where the spine enters the skull, the alignment of the spine, the relationship between arm and leg length, shape of femur, shape of pelvis, and the shape of the foot.
Identify and explain each of the three trends seen in Human evolution.
Dentition, Bipedalism, and Brain size are three trends seen in human evolution. Dentition shows how we evolved to talk. Bipedalism shows how we evolved to walk. Brain size shows how our capacity for knowledge has grown.
