PRAC/EXAM Flashcards
What group are Australopithecines in?
They are hominins and they occur before homo
Examples of early hominins?
- Ardipithecus, Australopithecus, and Paranthropus
What signal do we pick up from the fossil record that indicate the emergence of hominins?
Bipedalism
Lumbar Lordosis
Adaption of spine for bipedalism, helps swing body over center of gravity, used to prevent forward flexion, doesn’t develop until children learn to walk.
large lumbar vertebrae
Adaptation of spine for bipedalism, gets wider as you go down spine to support weight above it.
Dorsal Wedging
Adaption of spine for bipedalism, allows for curvature of spine to maintain balance.
Adaptions of hip to bipedalism
Bipeds have shorter, broader hips, iliac blades move forward to curve, gluteus medius allows legs to move out left and right.
Valgus Knee
Adaption of femur to bipedalism, results from a high bicondylar angle. brings the knees closer together, which allows to place feet directly below its center of gravity.
Adaptions of foot to bipedalism
big and wide feet, big toe bears weight, adducted hallux, arched.
2 Groups of early Australopiths
Gracile and Robust
Gracile Australopiths?
Anamensis, Afarensis, Africanus, Garhi. Bahrelghazali
Robust Austalopiths?
Paranthropus: Robustus, Boisei, Aethiopicus
Australopithicus dentition
Large molars, reduced canines, parabolic jaw.
What happened to robust australopiths?
Went extinct, did not contribute to homo lineage.
Chronological Order of Homo
Habilis, Erectus, Heidelbergensis, Neanderthalensis, Sapiens.
Difference B/w Homo erectus and ergaster
Erectus - Asia, Ergaster - Africa
Bergmann’s Rule
Higher surface area, faster heat dissipates. Tall skinny naked cool faster, short and fat conserve heat.
Allen’s Rule
Longer limbs means cool faster.
Cranial evolution over time
Rounded skull, bigger brains, smaller faces, smaller molars, chin.
Mental Eminence
Chin
Raymond Dart
Discovered Taung Child, Aus. Africanus.
Taung Child
Aus. Africanus, First Aus. ever found, foramen magnum forward, 1925.
Foramen Magnum
Hole in base of skull for spinal cord
Piltdown Man
Hoax, England, Eoanthropus Dawsoni