Human Evolution

Question 1

what 3 things distinguish humans from other apes

Answer 1

Bipedalism, a larger brain that is capable of language, symbolic thought, artistic expression and the use of complex tools and reduced jaw bones

Question 2

how long ago did the earliest homonin arise

Answer 2

6.5 million years ago

Question 3

why is the evolution of humans not like a ladder

Answer 3

each species of homonin evolved seperatley from one another and they co-existed

Question 4

What are the key facts about australopithecus

Answer 4

Closest genus to Homo
Rounded jaw that allows some speech and facial expression
Brain size 35% the size of AMH

Question 5

What are the key facts about the cro-magnon man (homo sapien sapien)?

Answer 5

evolved 200,000 years ago

was almost exactly like us

Question 6

What are the key facts about Neanderthals?

Answer 6

Larger brain than AMH
Cared for injured
Made tools
Lived in Europe from 350,000 years ago

Question 7

What are the key facts about Homo sapiens

Answer 7

Originated in Africa
oldest specimen is 195,000 years old
Rapid human development is associated with high cognition

Question 8

What is the name of, and how old is the earliest Homo?

Answer 8

Homo habilis

2.4-1.6 million years old

Question 9

What is the Out of Africa model?

Answer 9

AMH evolved within africa and then migrated to the rest of the world
evolved 200-100 thousand years ago
if correct, the human population is more closely related

Question 10

What is the multiregional hypothesis?

Answer 10

Homo. erectus migrated out of Africa and diversified separately 1-2 million years ago
interbreeding means that they are fairly similar
if this is correct global populations are more distantly related

Question 11

What is the assimilation model?

Answer 11

EMHs evolved in Africa, some stayed in Africa and evolved to AMH and others left and interbred with neanderthals to get AMH
30-50 thousand years ago

Question 12

What is the leaky replacement model?

Answer 12

Neanderthals and Homo sapien denisura splot 200,000 years ago
EMHs left Africa and bred with neanderthals to get Europeans and Asians and bred with denisuras to get Melanesians

Question 13

What are the two theories for why human language developed?

Answer 13

1. Gestures turned vocal because we could not make gestures and use tools at the same time
2. Manual gestures can’t be used at night, the components that help us to speak derive from eating, changes in the brain that allowed us to walk bipedally also allow us to talk