Origin of Modern Humans

Question 1

What is the name of the dividing line between the 2 regions of the world wehre tools were found and not found?

Answer 1

Movius line

Question 2

What were Homo heidelbergensis?

Answer 2

Hominins evolved from Homo ergaster/erectus in Africa / Europe
Gave rise to Homo neanderthalensis and Homo sapiens

Question 3

What did Homo neanderthalensis evolve from?

Answer 3

Homo heidelbergensis in Europe / Western Africa

Question 4

What were Homo neanderthalensis like?

Answer 4

Adapted to the cold
Hunter gatherers in small nomadic groups
Robustly built. Short squat body to keep warm
Long nasal passages to warm air when breathing
Limited speech
Produced stone tools and worked wood
Used fire for warmth, caves for shelter

Question 5

What rituals did Homo neanderthalensis have?

Answer 5

Practiced ritual burials, buried in foetal position with flowers / beads

Question 6

What size brain did Homo neanderthalensis have?

Answer 6

1450cc
Large brain, larger than humans but similar EQ

Question 7

What were the heights and weight for male and female Homo neanderthalensis?

Answer 7

Male: 1.67m 64kg
Female: 1m 50kg

Question 8

When did Homo neanderthalensis die off?

Answer 8

In East West progression, 40,000-27,000 years ago

Question 9

What was the Denisovan man?

Answer 9

DNA different from Homo neanderthalensis and Homo sapien.
Evidence of Denisovan interbreeding with Homo neanderthalensis and Homo sapiens.

Question 10

What is the multiregional model for the evolution of Homo sapiens?

Answer 10

African and Eurasian Homo ergaster/erectus evolved into various Homo species in different parts of the world.
Regional differences of Homo sapiens are a consequence of independent evolution.

Question 11

What is the Out of Africa II model for the evolution of Homo sapiens?

Answer 11

Homo ergaster/erectus evolved into Homo heidelbergensis in Africa and Europe.
Homo heidelbergensis evolved into Homo neanderthalensis in Europe and into Homo sapiens in Africa.
Homo sapiens outcompete other archaic hominins (erectus, heidelbergensis, neanderthalensis)

Question 12

What were the ‘Hobbit People’ of Indonesia?

Answer 12

Homo floresiensis
Dwarfed hominins
1m tall
30kg
Used primitive tools and fire
Evolved from Homo erectus by insular dwarfing
Primitive foot similar to Homo erectus

Question 13

What is the evidence for Out of Africa II?

Answer 13

• Fossils
• Africa is basal in every population
• ‘Mitochondrial Eve’ hypothesis: mDNA variation is the greatest in Africans, all mDNA an be traced back to a single female ancestor from Africa.

Question 14

How many tool types were there in middle palaeolithic and upper palaeolithic?

Answer 14

Middle palaeolithic: 40 tool types
Upper palaeolithic: 80 tool types and new materials