Week 7: Evolutionary origins of hominids and ethical and legal implications of human-great ape genome projects Flashcards
_________ provide anatomical evidence and provide clues for behaviours.
Fossils
Some of the oldest fossils were found in _______ _______(Rift Valley), which is sometimes called the cradle of human life.
Northern Kenya
Hominids fossils date back ____ million years ago.
4.2
Primates evolved in tropical and subtropical climates as plant/meat eaters.
plant
Primates differentiated into several species of apes around _____ million years ago.
15
Fossils provide little/lot of evidence of behaviours?
little
____________ ecology involves studying an animal in its natural
environment, and investigating all behaviours that occur in various contexts:
* distribution of food resources and water
* predators and prey
* group size and composition
Behavioural
A lot of the behaviour observed in primates is a result of learning rather than genetic and is passed from
generation to generation. True/False
True
Under the microscope, _______ molars indicate harder food consumption (seeds, nuts, bones).
pitted
A molar tooth with very scratched shearing facet, it was used to shear ______ or ______.
leaves or meat
Early tools have been dated to ______ million years ago.
2.5
Evidence of early Homo moving to parts of Asia dates back to _____ million years ago.
2
Molars with pitted and scratched shearing facet indicate _______ diet.
mixed
Homo _________ (‘handy human’) fossils showing first signs of tools and language are dated at 2.4 - 1.5 million years ag.
habilis
The size of the hominid brain has increased from about _____ cc. to _______cc. during the last 2 to 3
million years.
500 - 1500
Increased brain size has occurred at once or several times in hominid evolution?
Several times
(big
environmental or ecological changes resulted in new
adaptations and extreme survival pressure)
Homo _______ (‘upright human’) fossils are dated at 1.8 million - 300,000 years ago:
erectus
(more sophisticated tools and larger brains)
Were the early scavengers or hunters?
scavengers
Defining characteristic of hominids, standing or walking on two legs is called _________.
Bipedalism
Fist evidence of bipedalism (early footprints) was found at __________ and date to
3.56 million years ago
Laetoli
Name three bipedal hypothesis:
- postural feeding
- behavioural
- thermoregulatory
The most supported bipedal hypothesis is _____ ________.
postural feeding
Hypothesis proposed by Hunt suggests the use of specialised posture during feeding and led to habitual bipedalism.
postural feeding
Proposed by Lovejoy, ____________ hypothesis evolved as a result of differentially successful survival from carrying food to share with group members.
behavioural
According by Wheeler, __________ hypothesis, bipedalism evolved from standing up which helped dissipate heat and reduces heat gain.
thermoregulatory
The least supported bipedal hypothesis is _________.
thermoregulatory
Behaviour can evolve and change, and influence survival. True/False
True
Lorenz (1965) suggests that adaptive change
in behaviour can occur through the action of two processes, _______ and ________.
ontogeny and phylogeny
Change that is governed by principles of evolution by natural selection (Charles Darwin) and
takes place across generations within a species?
Phylogeny
Change in behaviour within the lifetime due to maturation and learning?
Ontogeny
THE CHIMPANZEE GENOME PROJECT
SAARTJIE (SARAH) BAARTMAN: AN AFRICAN WOMAN WHO WAS CAGED, PART OF A
TRAVELLING CIRCUS & SCIENTIFIC ‘CURIOSITY’
OTA BENGA: AN AFRICAN MAN HOUSED AT BRONX ZOO IN THE ‘MONKEY HOUSE’
ETHICAL OBLICATIONS TO CHIMPANZEES & OTHER GREAT APES
____________ are our closest living relatives.
Chimpanzees
Evidence of human phylogeny comes from three main areas:
- fossils (evidence of humans with chimp like head)
- behavioural studies (chimps and humans share many common behaviours)
- DNA (chimps DNA is less than 2% different from human)
