Archaeology - Human Evolution

Question 1

What features identify hominins?

Answer 1

Skull Morphology
Forehead slant
Muscle sizes in face

Question 2

How might hominins be identifeid by skull shape?

Answer 2

Occipital Condyle articulation and Foramen magnum positional shift to under braincase

Question 3

Occipital Condyle

Answer 3

Kidney shaped bones forming the base of the occipital bone, being the base of the skull with articulation to the spine.

Question 4

Foramen Magnum

Answer 4

Large hole in the occipital where the brain stem passes into the vertebral canal

Question 5

The Early Hominins…

Answer 5

Australopiths
Orrorin tugenensis(Kenya 6MYA)
Sahelantrhopus tchadensis(Chad, 6.5MYA)
Ardipithecus(5.8-4.4MYA)

Question 6

fWhere was Australopith found?

Answer 6

East and South Africa in pliocene and early pleistocene

Question 7

What is orrorin tugenensis based on?

Answer 7

Femur o intermediate size between miocene apes and hominins, and apelike canines and finger bones indicating climbing abilities.

Question 8

Fossil evidence of sahelanthropus…

Answer 8

A skull of which the foramen magnum sits beneath the braincase, with humanlike canines/molars however a larger broridge

Question 9

Features of ardipithecus…

Answer 9

Less sexual dimporhism and human canines, with a ventral foramen magnum, less sloped forehead and intermediary encephalization quotient

Question 10

Bipedalism indication of ardipithecus…

Answer 10

Wrist and finger joints suggests bipedalism with support of balance in trees, indicating bipedalism evolved in trees

Question 11

Theory of homo development from African savanna…

Answer 11

Formation of the isthmus of panama(2.5MY), altering of ocean currents between Atlantic/Pacific regulating the climate with formation of Rift Valley(3.2MYA) misalligned with bipedalism(4.4-7MYA

Question 12

First homo species?

Answer 12

Homo habilis in East Africa about 2.8-1.44MYA

Question 13

How is habilis distinct from australopithecus?

Answer 13

Larger cranial volume (500-750cm2)

Question 14

Features of Habilis?

Answer 14

Smaller face, jaw, retain cheek teeth and larger front teeth, with stone artificats and fossil bones with cut marks

Question 15

Erectus

Answer 15

The first intercontinental homo, appearing in Asia about 1.7MYA

Question 16

Homo erectus as a chronospecies?

Answer 16

African form called Homo ergaster whilst Asian form Erectus

Question 17

The substantial hominin changes in Ergaster?

Answer 17

Substantially larger, same as moder day(reduced sexual dimorphism)
Proportions relative to modern humans(short arms, long legs, narrow pelvis)
Braincase closer to modern, with the Acheulian industry(1.75MYA)

Question 18

Acheulian Industry

Answer 18

Knocking off of large flakes

Question 19

What indicates cooked food in Ergaster/Erectus?

Answer 19

Small teeth relative to body size being easier to chew

Question 20

Earliest evidence of fire usage?

Answer 20

Microscopic trace of wood ash by erectus 1MYA

Question 21

Features of Homo floriensis?

Answer 21

Metre tall, tool use from 700,000ka to 50,000ka

Question 22

Homo Naledi

Answer 22

236-335KA from rising star cave system, found deep without animal remains

Question 23

What are the modern homo species?

Answer 23

Homo heidelbergensis
Homo antecessor
Homo neanderthalensis

Question 24

Homo heidelbergensis

Answer 24

600KA from Ethiopia with a 1300m2 brain size and similar to Erectus

Question 25

Homo antecessor

Answer 25

Found in spain 900ka with a mixture of modern human/neanderthal features

Question 26

Homo neanderthalensis

Answer 26

130ka, found in Eurasia.

Question 27

When did humans/neanderthals speciate?

Answer 27

588KA from Heidelbergensis

Question 28

Anatomical differences of Neander to Sapiens?

Answer 28

Brain size similar, with higher occipital area over temporal region
Heavy wear in front teeth( fibre or hide chewing)

Question 29

Occipital Area

Answer 29

This is the visual processing centre of the brain, containing the visual cortex

Question 30

Temporal region

Answer 30

This processes auditory information and encoding of memory, emotions and language

Question 31

Culture of neander…

Answer 31

Bury their dead, Mousterian tools, structures. 50 year lifepsan

Question 32

Why might neander gone extinct over sapiens?

Answer 32

Failure of diet maintenace and lack of long-range weapons

Question 33

Where are origins of humans derived to?

Answer 33

Mitochondiral EVE and African Adam

Question 34

Mitochondrial Eve…

Answer 34

170ka with unbroken series of daughters since

Question 35

African Adam

Answer 35

59KA, being the dated Y chromosome

Question 36

Process of out-of-africa migration…

Answer 36

Into middle east 220ka
Spread across Eurasia/Australasia 75KA
Arrival in Siberia 48-44KA, central 40KA and east 39-36KA
Europe about 45KA

Question 37

Two main hypothesis of human migration…

Answer 37

Out of Africa
Multiregional hypothesis

Question 38

Out of Africa

Answer 38

Humans left Africa, continuing to evolve, modern humans evolving in AFrica then leaving, about 200-100ka replacement reigonal decendents of Erectus outside of Africa

Question 39

Multiregional hypothesis

Answer 39

Erectus left Africa first, then evolved into AMH

Question 40

What is the MR hypothesis based on?

Answer 40

Most recent hominind ancestor from fossil recod the last CA still in Africa 1.5MYA