Human Evolution Flashcards
(17 cards)
Where did primates evolve from
shrew like animals over 65 mya
Characteristics of primates
Well-developed clavicle that helps with flexibility and supports arms, 5 fingers and toes, nails, small snout so instead excellent vision, 1 pair mammary glands, devloped nervouse control, increase intelligence.
Orders and suborders of primates
General lemurs and smaller groups like bush babies and tarsiers, old and new world monkeys, humans and great apes
Pronconsul
May be the common ancestor of humans and great apes.
- but no way to prove bc fossils dont have DNA
Sahelantropus tchadensis
Known as “Toumaë,” which means hope of life
6-7 mya, complete skull and femur, northern Chad
thought to be hominid, so maybe our ancestor. Some folks consider it to be the common ancestor of us and the great apes
Unclear if bipedal. Femur indicates no.
Ardipithecus ramidus
4.4-5.8 mya
oldest hominid
probably bipedal, 4 ft tall, feet worked for walking and grabbings
forrest dweller
teeth and skull fragments found and reconstruction made with technology
Australopithecus anamensis
4.2-3.9 mya
Partial leg bones suggest bipedalism
Human-like humerus
Skull primitive, skeleton modern
Quite likely the immediate ancestor to the next species in the human lineage.
Australopithecus afarensis
2.8 to 3.8 mya.
Known as Lucy, found in Ethiopia, but other parts found in East Africa
bipedal, footprints found in Olduvai Gorge
Small brain, large canines, projecting jaw, good climber
Disproved the theory that large brains evolved before bipedalism.
may have used wood
Variety of habitats
Ate plants and small animals like termites
Australopithecus africanus
May have given rise to the other species of Australopithecus.
lighter graceful build
Cranial capacity: Between 420 and 500 cc.
specimen is 90% complete
may be ancestral to modern humans but most disagree
Australopithecus aethiopicus, robustus & boisei
genus Paranthropus or Zinjanthropus
not ancestral to humans, robust skull, vegetarian, Cranial capacities around 530 cc, except 410 for aethiopicus, which was the ancestor of the other 2
Homo erectus
300,000 - 1.5 mya.
survival until 50,000 years ago, possibly overlapping with modern humans.
First found outside africa
850cc - 1200cc cranical capacity (high)
Smaller brain/more massive jaw/eyebrow ridges/ sloping
forehead/sloping chin
most complete fossil in kenya of young boy
More advanced tools, fire, large animal bones associated with camps
Most likely directly ancestral to us.
Homo habilis
1.3 - 2 mya
Face projects even less. Teeth smaller, jaws smaller & less muscular.
Larger cranial capacity, 700 - 800 cc.
Still a good tree climber.
Used tools
Large animals not used as food
East africa
Homo heidelbergensis
more modern humans
800,000 and 500,000 years ago.
Transitional species between Homo erectus and Homo sapiens.
Cranial Capacity 1200 cc.
Robust skull but less than homo erectus
May be ancestral to modern humans and Neanderthals
Homo sapiens neanderthalensis
35,000-130,000 years ago.
buried dead, highly crafted tools
eyebrow ridges and bigger in size so bigger brains than humans
not directly ancesteral
cranical capacity 1450
properly dressed, would not stand out in crowd
Homo sapiens
100,000 years ago to present.
Cro magnons and modern humans
Cro magons- older humans
Cave paintings
Displaced Neanderthal by interbreeding
1350 cc
bio-history
Which are dead ends
Homo naledi (Australopithecus?) and Australopithecus sediba
Not ancesteral to humans
Australopithecus africanus
Australopithecus robustus & boisei
Neanderthals (Homo sapiens neanderthalensis)
