human evolution - 8.7 Flashcards
4 important human characteristics
large brain (relative to body size)
bipedal locomotion
fine motor skills (opposable thumbs)
social networking and communication via languages
primates
a group of mammals characterized by large brains, forward directed eyes, flexible hands and feet, nails instead of claws, collar bones, and arms that fully rotate
humans are a member of the ___ clade in the family ___
hominid clade in the family Hominidae
Sahelanthropus tchadensis
6-7 million years ago
one of the earliest members of the human family
would occasionally walk upright
small teeth
Australopithecus afarensis
2.95-3.85 million years ago
survived almost 900k years
walked upright
Australopithecus africanus
3.3 - 2.1 million years ago
small teeth
evidence of living in groups
long arms for climbing
walked upright
Paranthropus boisei
1.2-2.3 million years ago
heavy jaws to crush and grind tough plant foods
relatively small brains
Homo erectus
143k years ago - 1.89 million years ago
longest lived member of hominidae
modern human proportions
Homo heidelbergensis
200k-700k years ago
homo sapiens likely descended from these guys
first to inhabit Europe
hunted large animals and built simple shelters
Homo neanderthalensis
28k-200k years ago
lived AT THE SAME TIME as modern humans
may have been the first species to speak and communicate with symbols
Homo floresiensis
17k - 95k years ago
discovered in Indonesia
very short
made fire
tools
hunted animals
the hominid fossil record
homonid fossils and bones show trends in brain size, locomotion, tool use, and culture
hominid migration routes
early hominids lived and evolved in africa
US! (homo sapiens)
100k years ago - present
evidence of homo sapiens sapiens breeding with neanderthals
