Topic 2 - Evolution of Humans Flashcards
how has the earth changed over the past 15 million years?
over the past 15 million years, the earths climate has been cooling with a particularly cold phase c.2.6 Ma called a glacial interspersed with warmer inter-glacial - we are currently in an inter-glacial (holocene)
what forms earths crust?
Earths crust is a patchwork of individual plates that form continents and ocean floors constantly moving relative to one another. they influenced migration and dispersal of plants and animals
what did mountain building effect?
they caused mountain building which has affected atmospheric circulation patterns and majorly effected ocean currents and climate
how are climactic and other environmental changes impact on evolution?
climactic and other environmental changes of the last 70Ma are important driving force in evolution as environmental variability leads to expansion, contraction and fragmentation of habitats
what does habitat change test?
the process of habitat change tests ability of populations to adapt, sometimes resulting in extinction, migration or the emergence of a new species.
what are humans?
Humans are apes belonging to the superfamily Hominoidea along with chimps, gorillas etc. Humans are a special subgroup called Hominins, morphologically and genetically our closest relatives are chimps.
what are the differences between chimps and humans?
the differences between humans and chimps are of degree rather than kind, pelvis, backbone, foot, dentition and brain size and complexity are some of those differences
what characteristics are different in humans and chimps?
they also differ in characteristics, for example hunting is a distinctly human trait.
how do humans and chimps differ genetically?
Apes and humans also differ in their genetic characteristics. we share 98.7% similarity in DNA but differences have arisen through ‘point mutations’ over time and have accumulated at a known rate. this can be used as a ‘molecular clock’ to give a measure of the time that has elapsed since the ape-hominin split.
where do genetic and fossil evidence place human origins?
genetic and fossil evidence places human origins in Africa as most fossils are recovered from the East African Rift Valley or South African cave sites.
what has the EARV emerged as?
the EARV has emerged as the result of massive geological faulting coupled with intense volcanic activity resulting in rapid accumulation of sediments bearing extinct animals including hominins that can be dated by radiometric techniques.
what mix do bipedal apes have?
Bipedal apes have a mix of primitive and advanced features. their apelike features include a small brain with large incisors and canines where their homo-like features include being bipedal and the morphology of their pelvis, leg and foramen magnum
when did Australopithecus live?
Australopithecus lived several million years after the evolutionary split predicted by the molecular clock theory. earlier fossils however, are few in number, very fragmentary and provide no conclusive evidence of bipedalism
what emerged after 3Ma?
after 3Ma, 2 forms of Australopith emerged, gracile and robust that had massive jaws and teeth, sagittal crest and zygomatic arches
what were australopithecines adapted for? why were they not classed as the same genome as humans tho?
Australopithecines were adapted for bipedal walking but not sufficiently similar to modern humans to be classed in the same genus due to their ape-sized brains, more ‘primitive’ dentition’s and different morphology of the pelvis and thigh bone
when do the earliest members of the genus Homo appear?
earliest member of genus Homo appear 2.4 million years ago, attributed to genus homo due to their association with stone tools
what was discovered about H. Habilis?
H. Habilis once thought to be the only large brained hominin living in Africa c. 2Ma although reassessment of fossil material discovered that several different forms of early homo co-existed c.2.4-1.4Ma
what has early human behavior been reconstructed from?
early human behavior has been reconstructed from evidence found in 100m thick sequence of lake, river and volcanic deposits at Olduvai
what was found at Olduvai?
here, stone artefacts were found in distinct concentrations, some associating with animal bones leading to 3 broad functional categories, butchering, living and quarry sites.
what were the Olduvai sites originally thought to be?
Olduvai sites originally thought to be evidence of early hunting although now consensus dictates that they were gatherers or scavengers
what was found in sites of China and Indonesia? how do we know?
fossils of H.erectus discovered at sites in China and Indonesia characterised by big brains and modern body proportions
how was expansion into temperate regions facilitated?
expansion into temperate regions was facilitated by advances in technology which appeared in Africa c. 1.5Ma such as bifacial handaxes and cleavers used primarily as butchery tools
where are there finds of Olduvai-style tools?
there are finds of Olduvai style stone tools in Europe - especially Mediterranean Europe although no fossils of H.erectus or H.ergaster have been found making it a hotly debated topic
when do the earliest hominin fossils date to? where were they found?
earliest hominin fossils in Europe found in caves in Spain dated 1.2-1.1Ma by palaeomagnetism, radiometric dating and biostratigraphy
what kind of sites are rare in Europe?
within Europe, sites older than 0.5Ma are rare. one explanation states that sites have not been preserved and early hominin population was very small
what else may have inhibited colonisation in Europe
there was also oscillations of climate that may have resulted in several unsuccessful attempts to colonise Europe
what did the hominins need to colonise Eurasia? what evidence do we have?
Hominins may have needed fire and cooking to colonise Eurasia, burnt materials (ash and bone) was found on sites in Africa back to 1.5Ma although this could be wild fire as there were no recognisable hearths
was early technology confined to stone?
early technology was not confined to stone as wood was used extensively, there are wooden spears belonging to Acheulian time range on several sites in places such as Essex, Slovenia and Germany
when was Europe colonised?
hominins colonised Europe before 1Ma but it was perhaps only extensively settled after 0.5Ma and archaeological remains of the period before 0.3Ma belong to the lower paleolithic
what was lower paleolithic succeeded by?
Lower paleolithic was succeeded by middle paleolithic and H.heidelbergensis by neanderthals, the transition taking place c0.3Ma
how do Neanderthals compare to h=modern humans?
compared to modern humans, neanderthals were shorter and stockier, with relatively short limbs. Body proportion are thought to be an adaptation to life in a colder climate.
what is neanderthal culter called? what is a feature of this?
Neanderthal material culture is known as middle paleolithic or mousterian. mousterian tool kits tend to be dominated by flake tools and these first humans were known to bury their dead
what did neanderthals represent?
Neanderthals represented a successful adaptation to climactic conditions of last glaciation but they became extinct in Europe c.40ka coinciding with the arrival of anatomically modern humans
when was the first securely dated H.sapian found and dated?
earliest securely dated H.sapians found in Morocco c.315ka and appear to have spread out of Africa on various occasions only successfully colonising Europe after 50ka bringing new technology known as upper paleolithic
what was a feature of the upper paleolithic tool kit?
upper paleolithic toolkits feature tools made on blades and increased use of abrupt retouched
how did the pace of cultural development increase?
the pace of cultural development appears to have increased dramatically with the development of sophisticated hunting technology such as flint points shaped as spearheads and solutrean shouldered or leaf points being the most technically advanced
what so spearheads made of bone show?
Spear points made of bone show a development from split-based to beveled ends appearing in the Aurignacian and are manufactured through to the end of the paleolithic
what are the earliest examples of bone harpoons?
the earliest examples of bone harpoons date to the Magdalenian, perforated batons of reindeer antler was used and wear and breakage patterns suggest use in combination with ropes or straps
where are spear-throwers first known from?
spear-throwers are first known from the Soultrean enabling greater power and distance, often used by groups unfamiliar with the bow and arrow
what did the bow and arrow replace?
bow and arrow was a very significant innovation probably in use by the late magdalenian, coinciding with the disappearance of the spear thrower.
when is the first evidence for mass fishing found?
first evidence for fishing on a significant scale is seen in the upper paleolithic via fishing gorges and representation in upper paleolithic art.
where are the best preserved finds known?
the best preserved finds are known in eastern Europe and tell us they constructed large tent like dwellings with wooden framed, skin-covered, structures weighted with mammoth bones and internal hearths pointing to improved fire technology
what were animal skins used for? what does this suggest?
there was extensive use of animal skins for clothing and common finds in Europe suggest widespread use of fitted skin garments sewed together with a needle made of bone or ivory
are garments preserved? is not how do we know that was what was used?
Garments are not preserved but can be inferred from representations in art that they were similar to Inuit garments
did paleolithic ways of life continue into the post glacial periods?
in Europe and some other parts of the world, the Paleolithic way of life continued into the post-glacial period. people adapted their way of life to different environmental conditions and new food resources, this adaptation is known as mesolithic.
what changed with the return of inter-glacial conditions?
with the return of inter-glacial conditions c.11.5ka, hunter gatherers in some parts of the world developed agriculture starting in the Near East and China expanding to Europe, the British isles and Scandinavia bringing an end to the Mesolithic and transitioning into the Neolithic.
what can mortuary ritual signify?
mortuary ritual can signify social structure, individual identity and belief systems.
what does the introduction of elaborate burial signify?
in Europe, elaborate burial is commonplace from c.30000 years ago corresponding with anatomically modern humans perhaps reflecting the cognitive differences between AMH and Neanderthals
is there evidence for intentional burial before the upper Paleolithic?
evidence for intentional burial prior to the the upper paleolithic in Europe is the topic of some debate as there is apparent evidence of funerary caching although there is very little evidence for ritual
what is one example of this?
one example of this is Shanidar cave where the remains of 10 Neanderthals was found with 4 of them in rock falls and one being an apparent funerary cache
how is intentional and elaborate burial evident?
intentional and elaborate burial is evident as they were furnished with grave goods perhaps with symbolic meaning
why was there relatively few child burials?
there was relatively few child burials suggesting that children are treated differently in death reflective of the different roles or attitudes towards children in life, although, the child burials we do know are very elaborate
who only gained burials for a long period of time?
there was a very small number of burials for a long period of time, less than 5 per millennium making burial an exceptional event limited to those who had a special position in their community
is burial and mortuary practice the same thing?
burial is not only the mortuary practice but defleshing, cannibalism and the use of remains to make artefacts or ornaments
when is elaborate burial commonplace?
elaborate burial is commonplace after the neanderthal distinction although burial is practiced from the Middle Paleolithic
where are some of the earliest forms of figurative art found?
some of earliest forms of figurative art are known from the upper paleolithic of Europe with 2 main categories, parietal and portable art
what are represented in statuettes?
there are several hundred examples of mobility art that take the form of palm-sized statuettes. large game animals and carnivores are commonly represented
what do the earliest human images look like?
earliest human images date from the upper paleolithic and are conventionalised and styled depictions of the female body.
what is represented in parietal art?
there is a wide range of subjects in parietal art. large game animals especially are common where small animals are rare
are humans represented in cave art
in cave at, representations of humans are relatively rare. complete bodies are very rare with parts of bodies being more common place
what was cave art created by?
the neuropsychological model suggests that cave art was created by shamans to record their visions after taking hallucinogenic drugs or otherwise inducing a trance
what does conventional view on cave art dictate?
conventional view dictates that cave art first appeared in Europe in the upper paleolithic although cave paintings dating at least 65ka have been found questioning if neanderthals made cave paintings.
