Lecture 9: Genus Homo Flashcards
timeline (mya)
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Lower Paleolithic (erectus)
•Acheulian tools
Middle Paleolithic(
•Mousterian tools
Upper Paleolithic (neanderthals)
•Blade tools
Homo erectus
- leave Africa first
* followed by homo sapiens
Homo Habilis
- coexisted w A. boisei for a million years (2.4 - 1.7 mya)
- relatively large brain
- long arges, small body (similar to a chimp)
- used Oldowan tools
homo erectus
• 100,000 years after habilis
• lived 1.9mya to 400,000 BP
•modern body and limbs
•bigger brain 900-1250cc
• brow ridge from working with front teeth
example of punctuated equilibrium
• larger brains and better tools (Acheulian)
• inclusive fitness and group selection
• shift from Darwinian to (spiritual) Lamarckian selection
• culture
punctuated equilibrium
• rapid change after period of relative
evolutionary trends (erectus)
- growing brains were accompanied by related anatomical changes
- growing brains>birth canals>bipedalism
immature birth
- skulls of newborns are not fully formed
- elastic
- continue to grow outside the womb
extended infant dependency
Terra Amata
•FIRE
h. neandertalensis
- adapted to cold enviornments
- large torso with shorter limbs
- face pulled forward and broad long nose for added insulation for the brain
- more cranial capacity than modern humans
- used Mousterian tools
- wore fur hides
- diet was all meat
h. floresiensis
- 95,000 - 12,000 BP
- found on an island near Indonesia
- hobbit-like, human features
- very small brain
Hunting and Diet and Fire
- Ability to make and control fire enabled humans to cook veggies, meat, feed young and old members soft foods, eliminated parasites
- Increased reliance on hunting created a less robust cranial morphology and dentition
Anatomically Modern Humans
Homo erectus split into two groups: ancestral Neanderthals and Anatomically Modern Humans (AMH) early ones are known as Cro-Magnon
Behavioral Modernity
- symbolic thought, elaboration cultural creativity
- explosion of creativity
- more developed/mentally and with the natural habitat
- EX: Lascaux cave paintings. Cauva de Las Manos, Argentina cave paintings of hands using red ochre (9,000-12,000 yrs ago)
hominin tool traditions
- Oldowan associated w Australopithecines
- Acheulian associated w Homo erectus
- Mousterian associated w Homo neaderthals
- Upper Paleolithic (blade-like tools) associated w Homo sapien sapiens
Bipedalism and Brain Size
Too big of birth canals impede with bipedalism
Narrow birth canals = smaller heads but brains continue to grow outside of the womb
Darwinian to Lamarckian Selection
group selection becomes major factors in species success and inclusiveness
Neandertal DNA
when compared to modern human DNA, is different at 27 locations. The same section of modern human DNA, gathered from populations around the world, has only 5-8 differences. This suggests that the neanderthal ancestors split from Homo sapiens about 300,000 years ago (last common ancestor)
cave of forgotten dreams
in Chauvet Cave, France. Up to 32,000 yrs old. Shows complexity and modern thought.
