Chapter 11 Homo sapiens Chapter Outline l

Chapter 11 Homo sapiens

Chapter Outline l l The Origin and Dispersal of Homo sapiens (Anatomically Modern Human Beings) The Earliest Homo sapiens Discoveries Technology and Art in the Upper Paleolithic Summary of Upper Paleolithic Culture

Homo sapiens l l l Members of early Homo sapiens are our direct kin. They were much like us skeletally, genetically, and (most likely) behaviorally. They were the first hominids that we can confidently refer to as “fully human. ”

Questions About the Origin and Dispersal of H. sapiens l l When did H. sapiens first appear? Where did the transition take place? In one region or in several? What was the pace of evolutionary change? How fast did the transition occur? How did the dispersal of H. sapiens to other areas of the Old World take place?

Theories of Human Origins l l l Complete Replacement Model Regional Continuity Model Partial Replacement Model

Complete Replacement Model (Recent African Evolution) l l Developed by British paleoanthropologists Christopher Stringer and Peter Andrews. Proposes anatomically modern populations arose in Africa in the last 200, 000 years. They migrated from Africa, completely replacing populations in Europe and Asia. Does not account for the transition from archaic H. sapiens to modern H. sapiens anywhere except Africa.

Partial Replacement Model l l Proposed by Günter Bräuer of the University of Hamburg. Postulates the earliest dates for African modern Homo sapiens at over 100, 000 y. a.

Partial Replacement Model l Initial dispersal of H. sapiens from South Africa was influenced by environmental conditions. Moving into Eurasia, modern humans hybridized with resident groups, eventually replacing them. The disappearance of archaic humans was due to both hybridization and replacement.

Regional Continuity Model (Multiregional Evolution) l l Associated with paleoanthropologist Milford Wolpoff of the University of Michigan. Populations in Europe, Asia, and Africa continued evolutionary development from archaic H. sapiens to anatomically modern humans.

The Regional Continuity Model (Multiregional Evolution) l l Question: How did modern humans evolve in different continents and end up so physically and genetically similar? Explanation: – – Due to gene flow between archaic populations, modern humans are not a separate species. Earlier modern H. sapiens did not originate exclusively in Africa.

Early Homo sapiens Discoveries From Africa and the Near East Site Dates (y. a. ) Human Remains Comments Qafzeh (Israel) 110, 000 20 individuals (minimum) Large sample; variability in expression of modern traits Skhu-l (Israel) 115, 000 10 individuals (minimum) Earliest evidence of modern H. sapiens outside of Africa

Early Homo sapiens Discoveries From Africa and the Near East Site Dates (y. a. ) Human Remains Comments Omo-Kibish (Ethiopia) 120, 000– 80, 000? Cranium and postcranial remains Second individual shows fewer modern traits Klasies River Mouth (South Africa) 120, 000? Several individuals; fragmentary Perhaps earliest modern H. sapiens in Africa

Early Modern Homo sapiens Discoveries - Europe, Asia, Australia Site Abrigo do Lagar Dates (y. a. ) 24, 500 Human Remains 4 -year -old child’s skeleton Velho (Portugal) Cro-Magnon (France) Comments Shows mixture of traits Interpreted as evidence of hybridization 30, 000 8 individuals Famous site of early modern H. sapiens; some variability in expression of modern traits

Early Modern Homo sapiens Discoveries - Europe, Asia, Australia Site Ordos (Mongolia, China) Dates (y. a. ) 50, 000 Human Remains Comments 1 individual Perhaps earliest evidence of H. sapiens in Asia Kow Swamp 14, 000(Australia) 9, 000 More than 40 individuals (adults, juveniles, infants) Very robust individuals Lake Mungo ? 60, 000(Australia) 30, 000 3 individuals, one a cremation Date is controversial; recent extraction and analysis of DNA (also controversial)

Techniques for Dating Middle and Upper Pleistocene Sites Technique Physical Basis Examples of Use Uranium series Radioactive decay of short-lived uranium isotopes Date limestone formations; estimate age of Jinniushan site in China and Ngandong site in Java Thermolumines Accumulation of cence (TL) electrons in certain crystals released during heating Date ancient flint tools; provide key dates for the Qafzeh site Electron spin resonance (ESR) Date dental enamel; corroborate dating various sites in Israel, Java, South Africa, and Australia Measurement of trapped electrons

The New World l l Ancestors of Native Americans reached the New World through migration over the Bering Land Bridge over many millennia. Debates continue, but at present, the only direct evidence of hominids in the New World date to about 12, 000 y. a.

The Upper Paleolithic l l Cultural period began in western Europe approximately 40, 000 years ago. Five industries based on tool technologies: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Chatelperronian Aurignacian Gravettian Solutrean Magdalenian

Cultural Periods of the European Upper Paleolithic (beginnings) Cultural Periods 17, 000 21, 000 27, 000 40, 000 Magdalenian Solutrean Gravettian Aurignacian Chatelperronian Middle Paleolithic Mousterian

Cave Art l l Majority comes from southwestern France and northern Spain. Grotte Chauvet – Dating has placed the cave painting during the Aurignacian period more than 30, 000 y. a. – Images include stylized dots, human handprints and animal representations. – Among the archaeological traces are dozens of footprints on the cave floor produced by bears as well as humans.

Africa l l l Rock art is found in southern Africa dating to between 28, 000 and 19, 000 y. a. Personal adornment dates back to 38, 000 y. a. in the form of beads made from ostrich shells. Excavations in the Katanda area show remarkable bone craftsmanship. – Intricate bone tools resembling harpoons were made from the ribs of large mammals.