Cenozoic Era - Primate and Human Evolution Flashcards
(20 cards)
First primate appearance
Early Paleocene
Lower Primates
the Prosimii
Higher Primates
Anthropoidea
are generally small, ranging from species the size of a mouse
up to those as large as a house cat
Prosimians
they are the oldest primate lineage,
with a fossil record extending back to the Paleocene.
Prosimians
evolved from a prosimian lineage sometime during
the Late Eocene, and by the Oligocene.
-they were a well-established group.
Anthropoids
Anthropoids are divided into three superfamilies
Cercopithecoidea
-Ceboidea
-Hominoidea
Hominoids (superfamily Hominoidea)
- the great apes
- the lesser apes
- the hominids
An apelike, fruit-eating animal that led a quadrupedal arboreal
existence with limited activity on the ground.
Proconsul
They had powerful jaws and
thick-enameled teeth with flat chewing surfaces, suggesting a diet of harder
and coarser foods, including nuts.
Sivapithecids
the primate family that includes present-day
humans and their extinct ancestors, have a fossil record extending back almost million years.
Hominids
the oldest known
hominid yet unearthed and at or very near to the time
when humans diverged from our closest-living relative,
the chimpanze
Sahelanthropus tchadensis
is a collective term for all members of the
genus Australopithecus
Australopithecine
specimen is an
early australopithecine and is
dated to about 3.2 million years ago
Lucy
What type of homo that had a larger brain (700 cc average) than its
australopithecine ancestors, but smaller teeth
Homo Habilis
What type of Homo that was thickwalled, its face was massive, it had prominent brow ridges, and its teeth were slightly larger than
those of present-day human
Homo erectus
were skilled nomadic hunters, following the herds
in their seasonal migrations. They used a variety of specialized
tools in their hunts, including perhaps the bow and arrow
Cro-magnons
Homo Erectus that were found in China
Peking Man
Homo Erectus that were found in India
Java Man
