Human Evolution Flashcards
Homonins
Taxonomic group that includes modern humans and ancestral humans (Homo spp, Australopithecus spp, Ardiphethecus spp)
Primates are distinguished by (5 things)
- Comparatively LARGE BRAIN relative to body size
- Well-developed BINOCULAR VIDSION with forward facing, enclosed eye sockets in the skull
- COLOUR VISIOIN
- Grasping hands that have MOBILE FINGERS AND TOES with flat nails (not claws), and sensitive finger pads
- A REDUCED SENSE OF SMELL and a small snout
Foramen magnum
The hole on the underside of the skull through shich the spinal cord passes.
In all bipedal species, the foramen magnum is centrallly located so that skull balances on top of spine.
Nuchal crest
Where muscles are attached to the skull
Small in bipedals and large in quadrupeds because we don’t have large neck muscles since we don’t need to hold our skull up
On the Chimp skull, there are 8 things to be labelled that are similar/different to human skull. On the human skull, there are 6 things to label. DO it.
Why human spine S shaped and apes is C shaped?
S in humans to act as a shock absorber and keep body wieght above hip joints for upright stance and movement
C in apes because the slight curvature counterbalances the downward force of organs and chest in the more horizontal stance
Valgus angle
The angle between the shaft of femur and the vertical when femur is in normal standing orientation
Just fyi, what does opposable mean?
(of the thumb of a primate) capable of facing and touching the other digits on the same hand.
Just fyi, what is brachiating?
(of certain apes) move by using the arms to swing from branch to branch.
Diastema
The gap in the between the upper canine and premolar found in great apes (no one had them - Australopithecines, Homos or modern humans. Chimps do though).
Homo erectus
The first human to use fire and spread out from Africa
Used Acheulian tools
Oldowan tools
Oldowan tools were made by H. habilis (2 mya).
The simple partly shaped (~6 blows) stones and flakes would have allowed them to access food that other species could not, such as scavenging bone marrow. (This may also have provided the protein required for further brain development.)
Valgus angle
The angle between the shaft of femur and the vertical when femur is in normal standing orientation
Angles knees closer to centre of gravity so we dont swagger when we walk and this conserves energy
Hominin
The group consisting of modern humans, extinct human species and all our immediate ancestors (including members of the genera Homo, Australopithecus, Paranthropus and Ardipithecus). All bipedal.
Acheulian tools
Acheulean tools were fully shaped (~50 blows) and more refined.
H. ergaster / H. erectus (~1 mya) would use the hand axes to dig roots, hack tree branches, and (for flakes) scrape and cut animal hides. This would have benefitted their users by providing more food and perhaps defence from predators.
Homo habilis
The first Hominin to use tools.
Successful hunters, first to have speech (grunts), simple shelters, more sophisticated brain than Australopithecus afarensis.
Hominoidea
The word to describe the great apes, humans and their ancestors
Wernicke’s area
The brain centre responsible for interpreting speech
Cultural evolution
The type of evolution where things are taught/ learned and not passed on in the DNA
Homo heidelbergensis
The group of hominin that were initially called archaic Homo sapiens and was the first with firm evidence for systematic hunting. Used Acheulian tools.
Occipital condyle
The part of the brain that articulates with the first vertebra
