ch. 17: human evolution Flashcards
Hominis
**humans!
members of the “human” branch of the homind clade including the genus Homo and its close relatives such as Australopithecus but NOT:
1. chimpanzees
2. gorillas
3. orangutans
Hominids
members of the clade containing humans (homo), gorillas, and orangutans
*commonly referred to as great apes
Early hominis show
signs of upright walking
How many hominin taxa have scientists discovered?
about 30
Ardipithecus
adapted for both bipedal walking and arboreal life
What lead hominins to this change in movement?
changing climate
-went from tropical to cool and drying savannas
Diet of early hominins
changes in diet and reduction in male to male competition which likely lead to reduction int he size of the teeth of modern humans
Diet changes puts _____ on morphological changes.
selective pressure
When were stone tools discovered in Ethiopia?
3.3 mya
Early members of Homo lacked ____ adaptations
tree-climbing
-had long legs for efficient walking and running
Who did the early Homo evolve from?
australopithecine ancestors
How tall were Homo floresiensis?
1 meter tall (Lived on island until 60,000 years ago)
Tool Making:
- Oldowan: (1.7-2.6 mya) first complete tool kit associated with early hominins
*elephants, octopus, birds and other species use tools like this - Acheulean: more sophisticated such as hand-axe with geometric engraving
*suggested abstract thought - Levallois: developed by stone knapping (specific chipping to create a certain design)
*used to cut food and plant material and attached to spears - Neanderthal: manipulation of objects for jewelry and abstract thinking
Neanderthal
broad shoulders and hips with muscular build with more brain capacity and complexity
Early Homo Sapiens were
culturally diverse
