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Mammalian Diversity > Homnids > Flashcards

Homnids Flashcards

(59 cards)

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1
Q

Define Hominins.

A

Humans and extinct close relatives

species after separation of chimps and humans

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2
Q

Describe the fossil record of chimps ?

A

It is very poor.

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3
Q

How old is the Toumai (hope of life) skull ?

A

6 to 7 million years old

Found in Chad

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4
Q

Describe the key features of the Toumai.

A

Cranial capacity of 320-380
Foramen magnum oriented vertically- Bipedalism
Smaller canines, thicker tooth enamel than apes.

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5
Q

When did the separation of homnids and chimps occur ?

A

Molecular- 4-6 mya

Fossil- 6-7 mya

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6
Q

How old is Orroin tugenensis ?

A

6 million years old

Found in Kenya

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7
Q

What bipedal feature does Orroin tugenensis show ?

A

The femur is adapted to support an upright torso

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8
Q

What are the key features of the Ardipithecus ramidus fossils ?

A

Leg muscle attachments to the pelvis which are similar to humans
Short stiff toes for efficient walking!
Still opposable big toe

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9
Q

Give the name of the oldest fossil hominin

A

Ardipithecus ramidus

Found 4.4 mya, in Ethiopia

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10
Q

Describe the lifestyle of Ardipithecus ramidus

A

Due to retention of opposable big toe

Did spend some time walking but still tree climbers

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11
Q

What are the Australopithecines ?

A

A group of several species

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12
Q

Give the oldest specimen of the Australopithecines.

A

Australopithecus anamensis

4.1 mya, Kenya

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13
Q

Describe the key features of the Australopithecines.

A 
1.2 m tall 
25-50 Kg
400 cc 
Double curved spine!
Straighter legs! 
Stout heels! 
Arched soles!
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14
Q

What is the cranial capacity of modern humans ?

A

1350 cc

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15
Q

What discovery in Tanzania confirmed bipedalism ?

A

Fossilised footprints of 2 Australopithecus afarensis
(no opposable thumb)
3.6 million years ago.

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16
Q

How do we know that the Australopithecine africanus (2.5 mya) had a varied diet ?

A

Based on analysis of carbon isotopes in their teeth.

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17
Q

Why did bipedalism evolve ?

A

Reduction in temperatures
Less rainfall- Tropical forest becomes fragmented.

Grassland evolved

Seasons of rain & drought meant unreliable food sources
had to forage.

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18
Q

African apes remained in the….. Hominins evolved to exploit…..

A

…Forests

….Savannah habitats

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19
Q

Wheeler, 1991, believed that the evolutionary advantage of bipedalism was…

A

An ability to stay cool in the sun (less forest, less shade)

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20
Q

Hunt, 1994, believed that the evolutionary advantage of bipedalism was….

A

An ability to collect food from trees more efficiently.

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21
Q

Harcourt-smith, 2011, believed that the evolutionary advantage of bipedalism was….

A

Tree-tree movement was less possible.

Upright was more efficient.

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22
Q

Carvahlo, 2012, believed that the evolutionary advantage of bipedalism was

A

Enabled more efficient carrying of valuable items

Carry more, ^ food, ^ sex

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23
Q

Describe the dental adaptions of the hominins.

A

Smaller incisors and canines than chimpanzees (less tearing)

Bigger and flatter molars (more grinding)

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24
Q

Describe the diet of the early hominins.

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A

Ate seeds, nuts, roots, tubers

25
Give the adaptions of Paranthropus bosiei for powerful chewing.
Robust jaws | Pronounce sagittal crest.
26
What were the Australopithecines replaced with 2 million year ago ?
Homo
27
What are the oldest specimens of Homo ?
Homo habilis, 1.9 million years ago. | Found in Olduvai Gorge
28
What is the difference between the early Homo and the Australopithecines ?
Homo have a cranial capacity of 700.
29
Give the date of the oldest stone tools.
3.3 million years old
30
What tools did the Homo Habilis (Handy) use ?
Oldowan Tools | Used to cut meat from animal carcases
31
What was the benefit to the Homo of using tools ?
Enabled quicker and more efficient access to calories and proteins. (bone marrow)
32
How do we know that the early Homo may have possessed rudimentary language ?
Large Broca's (output of lang.) | Large Wernicke's (Processing)
33
What do fossils of Homo Habilis from Kenya suggest ?
That Homo Habilis survived alongside homo erectus for 500,000 years. (till 1.4 mya)
34
What is Turkana boy ?
The near complete skeleton of a 12 year Homo habilis
35
How long have Homo erectus been around ?
1.5 million years
36
Describe the relationship between erectus and ergaster.
Erectus is considered a distinct Asian species, descended from ergaster.
37
Give the key features of Homo Erectus
``` 1.7 m tall 730-1220 cc Group living Fire Use Extensive tool use (Acheulian) ```
38
How many years ago did the first homo species leave Africa ?
2 million year ago
39
Where were the Homo floresiensis found ?
On the Indonesian island of Flores
40
Describe the key features of Homo floresiensis.
1 m high adults Island dwarfism due to restricted foraging. 18,000 years old.
41
How did the Homo floresiensis evolve ?
From normal sized Homo erectus who reached Flores 840,000 years ago Over lap in time periods. (HE)
42
When did the H. heidelbergensis diverge from the H. erectus ?
800,000 years ago
43
Describe the key features of the H. heidelbergensis.
1200 cc Spread out of Africa to Europe and Asia. 2-3 m long wooden spears. Co-operative hunters.
44
Give the time range of the Homo neanderthalensis.
400,000 to 40,000 years ago
45
Give the key features of the neanderthalensis.
Brains bigger than humans Jewellery Buried dead- souls Evolved in colder regions of Europe
46
What does analysis of mtDNA reveal about modern humans ?
Evolved from a group living in Africa about 200,000 years ago.
47
Neanderthals were a distinct species, why did they decline ?
Outcompeted by homo sapiens. | Sapiens spread over the continent largely replacing them but continuing their genes.
48
Some modern humans are a result of hybridisations between Neanderthals and H. sapiens True or False ?
True. | Occurred in the middle east, 50-60 thousand years ago.
49
Which groups of humans are not a hybridised H.sapien and Neanderthals ?
Yoruba and San
50
Give examples of groups of humans which are hybridised Neanderthals and H. sapiens
French, Han-Chinese, Papuan.
51
Which was the last continent to be colonised by H. sapiens ?
The Americas, 6-8 TYA
52
Neanderthals and H. Sapiens usually inhabited the same areas. True or False
False, had largely distinct ranges till the middle east
53
Why are we still here ?
1350 cc brain Aptitude at social tasks Figurative art, sculptures. Language.
54
What Is important physiologically for the development of language ?
Broca's and Wernicke's areas | FOXP2 (transcription factor)
55
Why is FOXP2 important ?
Has a key role in sensorimotor control and orofacial communication.
56
FOXP2 gene is highly conserved in vertebrates. | What does this mean ?
Common sequence in vertebrates
57
How did the FOXP2 gene become so important after the split of chimpanzees and Hominids ?
It underwent accelerated positive selection in the coding region
58
In which groups is the FOXP2 identical ?
Modern Humans Neanderthals Denisovans
59
What is POU3F2 ?
Another language transcription factor, only in humans (not Neanderthals). Selected for in humans after the split with other hominins.

Mammalian Diversity (19 decks)

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