Origin of Hominidae Flashcards
What was the Taung boy and when was it discovered?
Discovered 1925
Australopithecus africanus. 3.5-3.2 MYA
Small brain, small human like canine teeth, bipedal, natural brain cast.
Where are the major Australopithecine sites?
Sink holes, limestone
East and South Africa
Who were the Leakey family?
Collectors
Louis, Mary, Richard and Maeve.
Give a timeline of what the Leakey family discovered.
1959: Australopithecine boisei
1960-63: Homo habilis (evidence that Australopithecines and homos coexisted, human evolution is not linear)
1969: Lucy (A. afarensis)
1978: A. afarensis footprints preserved in volcanic ash
1980: A. aethiopicus
What is Lake Turkana?
Valley in Kenya, filled with sediments from the surrounding mountains. Lots of layers of different sediment.
Have the discoveries of new Australopithecine species come from similar places?
Come from similar places, except Chad.
Chad is outside the Rift Valley, hominins evolved in Rift Valley and moves away.
What habitats did Australopithecines inhabit?
A mixture of environments; mixed plains, woodland, forests, lake sides.
What was the body form of Australopithecines?
Essentially bipedal apes with modified dentition.
Head up - ape like
Neck down - human like
Had long curved phalanges (probably spent a lot of time in trees)
How did Australopithecines walk?
In a bent knee bent hip motion
Did Australopithecines demonstrate sexual dimorphism?
Yes, males were heavier and taller.
What is the difference between gracile and robust Australopithecines?
Difference in dental and facial adaptions for chewing:
Robust had more robust jaws, more bulky chewing muscles
There was little difference in brain size.
How can you get evidence for Australopithecine diet?
- Jaw muscles and tooth ware
- Sr isotopes suggest some meat was eaten
Did Australopithecines use tools?
They may have used tools, very old tools found with marks on them.
