Lecture 13 - Savanna Hypothesis Flashcards
savanna hypothesis
early human ancestors transitioned from tree-dwelling to open savannas which led to bipedalism as more efficient way to move across grasslands
people
Jean Baptiste Lamarck
French naturalist
theory of inheritance of acquired characteristics –> giraffes extended their necks during their lifetime
people
Alfred Russell Wallace
natural selection & version of savanna hypothesis
biological parsimony
biological parsimony
modern humans are not adapted to life in the trees, therefore human evolution must have taken place out in the open
“Man Leaves Trees”
Lamarck & Darwin - both wrote thought experiments about how coming down from trees would have changed human anatomy and behavior
advantages of bipedal adaptation - immediate benefit
- carrying/freeing the hand
- thermoregulation
- predatory vigilance
- threat display
- reaching food/foraging benefits
advantages of bipedalism adaptation - requires time/adaptation
- efficient striding (endurance)
how would development of extensive savanna environments impact hominins?
- dental - processing and accessing of starchy food
- diet - cooking with fire = more efficient food processing
- tool use - fire making, food, stone carving
- brain size
- behavior
