HUMAN EVOLUTION Cartoon I PRIMATES HUMANS

HUMAN EVOLUTION Cartoon

I. PRIMATES • HUMANS BELONG TO THE GROUP OF MAMMALS CALLED-PRIMATES • THIS INCLUDES ALL MONKEYS & APES • What characteristics do primates have?

PRIMATE PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS • Strong Hands • OPPOSABLE THUMBS-GRASPING • SHOULDER JOINTS MOVE FREELYSWINGING IN TREES, HAND TO HAND • BINOCULAR VISION JUDGE DISTANCE • THESE ARE TRAITS FROM OUR TREEDWELLING ANCESTORS • LARGER, MORE COMPLEX BRAIN THAN MOST MAMMALS

PRIMATES SOCIAL CHARACTERISTICS • COMPLEX SOCIAL BEHAVIORS- live in large groups • TAKE CARE OF YOUNG FOR EXTENDED TIME AFTER BIRTH • USE TOOLS • Hunt for other animals

TRAITS HUMANS HAVE THAT other Primates DO NOT • UPRIGHT POSTURE – because SHAPE of PELVIS • • SHORTER PELVIS SHORTER ARMS HUMAN SPINE CURVED APE SPINE STRAIGHTER

Chimp Human Skeletons

II. PRIMATE EVOLUTION • OLDEST PRIMATE FOSSIL 65 MYO • 55 MYA PRIMATES SPLIT INTO 2 GROUPS: – • PROSIMIANS & ANTHROPOIDS • PROSIMIANS-PRE-MONKEY – SMALL, W/LARGE FORWARD FACING EYES. NOCTURNAL, INSECT EATERS, TREE DWELLERS. PREHENSILE TAIL

PROSIMIANS LEMUR LORIS

ANTHROPOIDS • Includes monkeys, APES & HUMANS

Hominids • HOMINIDS -ANTHROPOIDS that are human • HOMO SAPIENS – – ONLY HOMINIDS LIVING • Scientists have not found the first Hominid ancestor that separated from the apes • Fossil evidence of other hominids indicates that this may have occurred 5 -8 Million Years Ago

II. HOMINIDS • OLDEST HOMINID FOSSIL 6. 0 Million Years AUSTRALOPITHECUS (genus) 3. 5 -4. 4 mya – – “SOUTHERN APE” Discovered in S. Africa 1924 Raymond Dart FOUND CHILD’S SKULL- A. africanus (species) LIVED 2. 7 -2. 1 MYA

A. AUSTRALOPITHECUS DISCOVERIES • 1936 Hip bone fossil found. What does this bone help anthropologist determine? – Bi-pedalism, upright walking • 1974 Donald Johanson- found a small, female skeleton- LUCY. – A. afarensis lived 3 -4 mya • MARY LEAKY found hominid footprints of an adult & child

AUSTRALOPITHECUS CHARACTERISTICS • BIPEDAL • APE-LIKE FEATURES, – Longer arms than Homo sapiens, Brains not much larger than modern apes, short stature • No tools have so far been found with Australopithecus remains. • Why?

LUCY Videos Walking http: //www. pbs. org/wnet/secrets/previous_seasons/lessons/lp_firsthuman _videos. html# http: //www. becominghuman. org/node/building-bodies • SHE WAS APPROX. 3’ 6” • WEIGHED 62 LBS. • 25 YEARS OLD • SHE WAS THE MOST COMPLETE SKELETON FOUND

B. HOMO habilis • AKA “HANDY MAN” 2. 5 -1. 7 MYA – DIRECT ANCESTOR OF Modern Humans • 1964 discovered in AFRICA • Found TOOLS & WEAPONS – ½ size of modern humans • Why did they have bigger brains?

HOMO HABILIS

C. HOMO ERECTUS • 1. 7 -? MYA • “UPRIGHT MAN” • 1 Million Years Ago FIRST Hominid that Migrated out of Africa into Europe and Asia • May have been hunters and gatherers • Larger cranium than habilis • Found hand axes & charred animal bones with remains • Hypothesized they may have lived in shelters & wore animal hides -Lived during an Ice Age

D. HOMO SAPIENS “Wise Man” • Fossils date 500, 000 -300, 000 Years old • 2 GROUPS IN THE FOSSIL RECORD – NEANDERTHAL & CRO MAGNON

1. NEANDERTHAL • Lived throughout Europe 150, 000 -30, 000 YA • Brain about the same size as modern humans • May have spoken – Hyoid bone in throat found with some fossils – Heavy brow ridge – Small chin and large, broad nose • Tools at graves, and recent evidence of cave paintings

NEANDERTHAL

2. CRO-MAGNON • • • 1868 found in France by Louis Lartet LIVED 100, 000 YA Cave paintings, Tool use Narrower nasal opening Small, pointed chin

WHAT HAPPENED TO NEANDERTHALS? • Two theories • 1. Did they get out competed by Cro-Magnon? • 2. Did they Interbreed w/them? – Evidence most people of European ancestry have 14% Neanderthal DNA in their DNA sequence

Homo florensis Hobbits? http: //humanorigins. si. edu/research/asian-research/hobbits florensis skull Modern Human Lived 50, 000 Y. A