Primates And Hominins Flashcards
Key characterstics and trends
Digits:
Mobility-increasing and ability to move digits independently of one another
Opposability-first digit opposable and increasing in length
Claws into nails
Dentition: decreasing in size, decreasing in amount
Eyes:
Forward facing-vision of each eye overlaps
Colour vision
Eye socket enclosed
Nose: reduced snout, doesnt obstruct vision
Brain: increasing in size, increasing proportion of cerebrum devoted to vision, convoutions
Gestation: increase in length between fertilization and birth
Reproduction: not restricted to breeding season, one offspring at a time
Development: long period of parental care increases survivability
Body/limbs:
Unspecialised-not designed for one particular environment
Sexual maturity-increasingly later development
Adaptations for erect posture and bipedalism
Foramen magnum: located centrally at base of skull
Jaw: less prognathic
Vertebral column: s shaped curve
Pelvis: shallow and broad, tilts forward, wide hip bones creates carrying angle
Femurs/legs: converge inwards towards midline, long legs lowers COG
Foot: longitudinal and transverse arch stabilise foot, larger calcaneus, big toe short and robust
Austrolopithecine africanus
Lived 2.5 mya in africa
Had home bases
Used oldowan tools (pebble tools)
Homo habilis
Lived 2 mya in africa Had home bases Slept in trees Tool maker (oldowan tools) No language-brain yes, larynx no
Homo erectus
Lived 1.5 to 1 mya in africa asia europe Shelter bulding Discovered fire Made tools to plan Language-for complex hunting Used acheulian tools
Homo Neanderthalensis
Lived 150,000 ya in africa asia europe Shelter in caves Fire Language Hafting Rituals, buried dead Used mousterian tools
Homo sapien
Lived 40,000 ya in europe Permanent shelters Art Complex clothing Agriculture Used upper paleolithic tools-aurignacian 40,000 ya, solutrican 22,000 ya, magdalenian 18,000 ya
