Modern Homo and the Human Dispora Flashcards
Assimilation Model
- compromise between multiregional and out of africa model
- suggets modern homo sapiens evovled in africa but interbred w archaic homo sapiens as they spread
- africa has oldest fossils of modern humans
- early modern homo spaiens show regional variation
- traces of archaic dna found in modern human genomes
Aurignacian Tool Industry
- upper paleolithic archaeolgical industry
- associated with early modern humans in europe
- known for flint, scrapers, bruins, awls
- standardized from cores for more specialzied cutting tools
Axon
part of neurons; white matter
Bering Land Bridge
- land connection between asia and north america
- allowed humans & animals to migrate from siberia to north america, first human settlement in americas
- played key role in the peopling of the new world
Biocultural
- behavior and culture shape biology (diet influeces physical traits)
- biology influence culture (physical abilities impacting cultural practice)
Broca’s area
part of brain related to language
cave art
- prehistoric painting
- homo sapiens and some neanderthals
- symbols, rituals, cultural practice, human expression
Clovis culture
- earliest distinctive culture of north america
- clovis point - specific projectile point used for hunting
- evidence of early human settlement & hunting strats
- suggests widespread of culture
Costal Route
current oldest evidence of settlement in the americas between 23 & 28kya
Coxcatlan Cave
- earliest evidence for domesticated maize
- origins of agriculture
dendrite
- branching, bushy extensions of a neuron
- recieve messages from other neurons, communication
Encephalization quotients
- Ratio of actual brain size to body size
Evolution of Behavior
four main approaches
1. Paleontological reconstructions of behavior
2. Biocultural approaches
3. Human evolutionary ecology
4. Evolutionary psychology
Paleontological reconstructions of behavior
- reconstruction of behavior of hominins based on fossil evidence, archeological, and paleontological, and contemporary data
Biocultural approaches
- seeing how behavior and culture shape each other
Human evolutionary ecology
ecological factors that influence success in living hunter-gatherers
Evolutionary psychology
- emphasize natural selection through specific behavioral patterns
- evolved behavior may reflect hypothetical environment of evolutionary adaptedness (EEA)
fission fusion strategies
social structure where group splits (fission) then rejoins (fusion)
Irhoud 10 Fossil
- found in morocco
- earliest evidence of derived facial features of modern humans
- cranial vault shape more ancesstral
- maybe homo species spread thorughout african earlier than though
- found tools and evidence of fire
- might push back the timeline of when homo sapiens left africa
glacial and interglacial periods
interglacial haswarmer years glacial has colder
Language lateralization
- 95% of ppl have language centers on left hemisphere
- Likely that right-handedness and language ability evolved together
Megafauna
- Ice age
- large animals
- wooly mammoth, sabertoothed tiger, wooly rhino, giant ground sloths, giant camel, giant armadillo, dire wolf, american lion
Microliths
- Small, shaped flakes probably attached to wood or bone
- first appear in china 30kya
- popular in the arid steppe tundra
- high mobility, portable tool kits
Monte Verde
- site in chile near where archaeologists found artifacts dating to 12500 years ago
🌟 predates clovis culture
Multiregional Model
- orgins cant be pinned to single population/area
- gene flow between all regions maintained similarities through development
- repeated migration and interbreeding across regions
myelin
- layer of fatty tissue that encases the fibers of neurons in segments
- for efficient brain function in taks w/ rapid communication
- contributes to formation of white matter
neurons
- basic functional unit of the break
80-90 billion - dendrites branch like extentensions of neurons that receive signals from other neurons
olfactory bulbs
basic trend in bulb reduction in all living anthropoids
- responsible for processing smell
- accompanied by an increase in other sensory domains (vision and hearing) & enhanced cognitive skills
replacement model
🌟out of africa model
- modern homo sapiens originated in africa and migrated to other parts of the world
- replaced local archanic hominin populations (neanderthals & homo erectus) without interbreeding
- suggests homo sapiens evovled exclusively in africa before dispersing into other regions
subistence
methods and strats used by hominins to obtain food
hunter gathering farming fishing tool use
shows social, tool, and cognitive evolution
symbolism
creation of art, rituals, language, tools more than just functional
- shows advanced cognition, cave art, burial rituals, culture, identity, social cohesion
Wernicke’s area
speech comprehension part of the brain
white sands footprint
- footprints found in white sands national park
- left by humasn and now-extinct animals during last ice age
- pushed back the timeline of human presence in the americas
- support pre-clovis settlement in americas
Why is the Encephalization Quotient (EQ) so important when exploring cranial capacity and intelligence?
- EQ = ratio of animal brain size to body size
- helps adjust for gender and size differences
- measures brain efficiency and intelligence potential
- higher eq = larger proporton of brain mass dedicated to cognitive function
What are the defining features of Anatomically Modern Humans?
- gracile skull, post cranial anatomy
- less pronounced brow ridges
- rounded globular cranium
- bony mastoid behind the ear
- retracted face w canina fossa (depression above upper jaw)
- small teeth and jaws
- protruding chin
What are the four characteristics of language in humans, and how does this differ from communications between non-human mammals?
- An adaptation (anatomical specialization)
- humans have specialzied anatomy (vocal cords & brain structures) for language use - Semantic (symbolic meaning):
- words & phrases have meanings not tied to physical forms - convey emotions and concepts - Phonemic (combined phonemes):
- humans have distinct sounds (phonemes) to form words and sentences - Grammatical (syntax):
- humans use rules (syntax) to structure words and phrases
🐕difference from non-mammals?
- they have limited signals sounds and gestures, context specific, not conceptual like humans
What recent finding suggests that cave art took a lot more effort than previously thought (think pigment)?
- had to travel 150 miles for manganese pigment
- also, scaffolding and lamps to reach cave walls
What mode of subsistence has been the most prominent throughout human existence?
foraging (hunting & gathering)
What is some of the best evidence of the first presence of humans in the Americas? What is some of the less reliable but still
possible evidence?
✅best evidence:
- clovis points
- white sands footprints
🤷less reliable but possible?
- pre clovis sites (Coxcatlan Cave and Monte Verde)
- costal route hypothesis
