Assessing Evidences for the Evolution of a Human

Assessing Evidences for the Evolution of a Human Cognitive Platform for “Soulish Behaviors” March 17, 2011 La Chapelle aux Saints, 1908

R. Stearley, redrafted from several sources

Sahelanthropus tchadensis From lake-margin sediments, dated at 6 to 7 million yrs. Discovered Central Chad, 2001, by Michel Brunet, Adoum Mahamat, Djinboumalbaye Ahounta and Gongdibe Fanone, and Alain Beauvilain

1970’s to Today: Prospecting in the Afar Triangle, Ethiopia Hadar Aramis 1972 & after: Donald Johansen & colleagues explore Hadar; discover “Lucy”: A. afarensis 1989 --today: Berhane Asfaw, Tim White, & colleagues discover A. ramidus. --Later, re-christened Ardipithecus ramidus

ARA-VP-6/500 Excavated 1994 -95 Ardipithecus ramidus Ardipithecus: “ground ape”, from Afar word for “ground”. (originally: Australopithecus ramidus) Afar word “ramid” = “root”.

A. ramidus Skull reconstruction Est. ECV: 300 to 350 cm 3

“Lucy” A. L. 288 -1 Discovered November 1974, by Donald Johansen Hadar, Ethiopia: Adult female, 3. 5 feet tall Christened: Australopithecus afarensis A. afarensis currently known from over 400 Specimens, from Tanzania, Kenya, Ethiopia. Trackway at Laetoli, Tanzania, believed to be that of A. afarensis.

Australopithecus afarensis Estimated body weight: 26 -29 kg. Trunk region pyramidal Thigh cannot rotate backward as fully as in Homo Toes small; foot lacks arch*; Big toe rotated slightly outward *Spring 2011: Don Johansen, Bill Kimbel, Carol Ward examine new-found bone: 4 th metatarsal; demonstrates arch.

R. Stearley, redrafted from several sources

South/East African Fossil Hominid Sites

Autumn, 1924: Taung child Discovered by quarry workers at Buxton Lime Works (? ) Originally hypothesized to have been killed by other hominids; punctures around orbits match predatory bird claw pattern.

Raymond Dart (1893 -1988) Prof. Anatomy, University of Witwatersrand Dart christens the fossil: Australopithecus africanus, “southern ape from Africa”

“Mrs. Ples”: Plesianthropus transvaalensis christened by Robert Broom, 1938 --Now included within Australopithecus Sts 5, Sterkfontein Member 4

Pelves: Sts 14 Modern human Chimp

Kromdraai & Swartkrans: Paranthropus robustus Described & christened by Robert Broom, late 1930’s, initially on specimens from Kromdraai

Paranthropus boisei Known from several E. African sites: Olduvia & Peninj, Tanzania; Koobi Fora & West Turkana, Kenya; Omo Shungura & Konso Gardula, Ethiopia Possibly from Malawi as well. Characterized by massive face, diamond-shaped in frontal view; dished on side view. Large cranial crests and zygomatic arches.

What do we know about Paranthropus? • Time span: 2. 5 to 1. 3 m. a. – Contemporaneous with E. African Homo sp. • Endocranial volumes between 400 and 550 cm 3 • Small incisors & canines; large-crowned, heavily enameled premolars and molars (mostdeveloped in P. boisei): “Megadonty”. • Postcranially: small; retain basic australopithecine body plan: ape-like upper body on a bipedal lower body.

R. Stearley, redrafted from several sources

Olduvai Gorge, N. Tanzania Louis Leakey began work: 1931, with Hans Reck…

Homo habilis: “Handy Man” KNM 1813, collected by Kamoya Kimeu, at Koobi Fora, Kenya, 1973 Cranial capacity of H. habilis: 590 -700+ cm 3

H. habilis: type specimen, 1960 Types: OH 7: 2 dozen bones and 14 teeth OH 8, foot Discovered by Jonathan Leakey, November 1960 Bones exhibit gnawing by carnivores --probably hyenas; distal ends of toes gnawed away! Type of foot, OH 8, demonstrates parallel alignment of metatarsals, unlike apes or australopithecines, with fully-developed double arch on lower surface. Ankle designed for weight-bearing. BUT: OH 62, discovered 1986 in Olduvai Gorge, demonstrates arm bone proportions which are like those of chimpanzees.

Status of H. habilis? Westfalisches Museum

Homo rudolfensis (? ) Skull KNM ER 1470, Discovered by Bernard Ngeneo, 1972 Age 1. 9 m. a. ECV: 700 cm 3 Reconstruction, 2007 by T. Bromage et al.

Oldowan tools (“Mode I”) “Chopper”, formed from quartzite pebble, Swaziland University of Missouri collections

Oldowan tools (“Mode I”) Oldowan tools span time frame 2. 6 m. a. to 1. 6 m. a. ; known from E. Africa and S. Africa only

R. Stearley, redrafted from several sources

Nariokotome Boy, KNM-WT 15000 Discovered by Kamoya Kimeu, August 1984 Third molars not erupted; milk canines present in upper jaw Degree of fusion in epiphyses in upper arm and pelvic bones, if similar to modern, yield age estimates in young teens. Stature: 1. 73 meters. Long bone element ratios are like those of modern humans (e. g. , relative arm length to leg length) Narrow hips; barrel-shaped chest

Musculo-skeletal comparisons a and b: modern human c and d: chimpanzee c: H. erectus d: Australopithecus From Bramble & Lieberman, 2004

Central Java Solo River Sites Sangiran

H. erectus Sangiran 17, from central Java, 18 km N. of Solo. Dated at 1. 66 m. a. Cranial capacity: 1029 cm 3. Photo courtesy U. S. National Museum

H. erectus: in SE Asia Zhoukodian skull, composite Age of deposit: 780, 000 to 400, 000 yrs. Photo courtesy U. S. National Museum

H. erectus/H. ergaster: cranial characters Brain size: ECV 600 to 1100 cm 3 in specimens > 1 million yrs. ECV 750 to 1200 cm 3 in specimens < 1 million yrs. Locomotor/balance: Ant. & post. semicircular canals enlarged Median nuchal line, indicating nuchal ligament (new feature) Facial reorganization: Photo courtesy U. S. National Museum Margins of nasal cavity everted Orbital region of face is wider than midface

“Mode II Tools”

Neanderthal (Feldhofer), 1856 Photo: Smithsonian Institution Illustration of Feldhofer specimen by Busk, in Huxley, 1863

Dordogne Canton, S. France: La Chapelle-aux-Saints (exc. 1905 -08)

Neanderthal Skull: La Ferrassie I, discovered Sept. , 1909 Teeth extremely abraded; wear resembles that of modern Eskimos. Neanderthal skeleton, American Museum of Natural History

Neanderthal (& early “modern” H. sapiens) culture: “Mousterian Industry” (after site of Le Moustier, Dordogne) Mousterian hand-axe Univ. Missouri collections

What about them Neanderthals?

Origin of anatomically-modern humans Herto, Ethiopia. BOU VP 16/1 Anatomically-modern form 160, 000 yrs. Skhul V, Israel. Robust archaic modern human, 80, 000 to 120, 000 yrs.

1797: John Frere (1740 -1807) locates stone implements in gravels, 12 feet below surface, Hoxne, Suffolk, England

Genetic connections—where to connect the dots ? ? ?

Cognitive levels? ---More to come, this month Discussion on Stearley, 2009 , Perspectives on Science & Christian Faith 61(3): 152 -174. Online at Am. Scientific Affiliation website

Psalm 8, vs. 3 -5 “When I consider your heavens, The work of your fingers, The moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, The son of man that you care for him? You made him a little lower that the heavenly beings, and crowned him with glory and honor.