ANTH 110 Final Exam
Paleocene, Eocene, Oligocene, Miocene, Pliocene, Pleistocene, and Holocene are epochs belonging to what era?
Cenozoic
900,000-450,000 ya. Well preserved cranium, best evidence of full H. erectus morphology from any site in Europe
Ceprano Italy
Excavations in Zhoukoudian, Beijing revealed fossils from 780,000 ya. Skull discovered in 1929, juvenile, thick small, and low skull features, obviously belonging to an early hominin. Largest collection of H. erectus material found anywhere. Large brow ridge, nuchal torus, thick skull bones, sagittal keel, and protruding face near the bottom. "Dragon bones"
Chinese homo erectus
Follows order in which events occurred
Chronologically
The movement of continents from plates sliding on Earth's surface. As a result, position of large landmasses shifted drastically
Continental drift
Sagittal crest, facial prognathism, post orbital constriction, canine size, supraorbital torus, and diastema
Cranial comparison characteristics
Relates to ideas, customs, and social behaviors of different societies
Culturally
Associated with the Mousterian industry, developed specialized tools for skinning, preparing meat, hunting, and woodworking. Advanced tool making, exploiting food resources, and fashioning personal adornments. Successful hunter gatherers
Culture of homo neandertalensis
Epoch: 23-5 mya Characterized by being the epoch monkeys and apes emerged during, the "Golden Age of Apes", and fossils widespread geographically
Miocene
The divergence of time of two species = the number of molecular differences between the species DNA sequence and proteins
Molecular clock
Foramen magnum, hips, lower limbs, spine, and changes in the shoulder are all...
Morphological differences in bipedalism
Orders in terms of geography or social behavior
Geographically
First migration consisting of the small brained, short statured Dmanisi hominins. Second immediate migration that founded the well-recognized H. erectus populations of Java and China
2 migrations out of Africa
"Black Skull" species
A. aethiopicus
"Lucy" (AL 288-1) species
A. afarensis
"Mrs. Ples" species
A. africanus
"Taung Child" species
A. africanus
Process of determining age as precisely as possible and based on radioactive decay. Also known as chronometric dating
Absolute dating
The proposed ancestor of all OWM and hominoids. Small eyes, probably diurnal, sexual dimorphism, likely arboreal/terrestrial quadruped, and the largest of Fayum anthropoids (13-18 lbs)
Aegyptopithecus
Premodern humans of middle pleistocene by region
Africa, Europe, Asia
Also known as primitive traits
Ancestral traits
Traits the current generation retained from the ancestor, characteristics inherited by a group of organisms from a remote ancestor
Ancestral traits
Around 4.4 mya in east Africa. No large canines, opposable toes, giant hands, long fingers. Complete biped, mostly in trees. "Ardi"
Ardipithecus ramidus
Earliest find from 1.2 mya (oldest hominin yet found in western Europe). Two cases here have yielded hominin fossils contemporaneous with homo erectus. Found with tools and animal bones and flake tools similar to Oldowan. Fossils from here significantly extends the antiquity of hominins in western Europe
Atapuerca Spain
Tools from 28,000 ya, earliest modern humans of France used this, and belongs to the upper paleolithic industry
Aurignacian tool assemblage
Around 2.5 mya in northern Kenya. "Black Skull" nearly complete and smallest of hominin brains. Many derived traits that link it to other species
Australopithecus aethiopicus
Around 3.9-2.9 mya found in Ethiopia and Tanzania. Shares more ancestral features with late Miocene apes and with great apes than do later hominins (who display more derived traits). "Lucy"
Australopithecus afarensis
Around 3.3-2.1 mya in southern Africa. Small brained, big toothed, well adapted bipeds. "Mrs. Ples" and "Taung Child"
Australopithecus africanus
Around 4.2-3 mya in east Africa. Believed to be the ancestor for early homo. Small brained, big teeth, bipedal locomotion
Australopithecus anamensis
Around 2.4-1.4 mya in eastern Africa. Large teeth and jaw. Various bones show good amount of sexual dimorphism
Australopithecus bosei
Around 2.0-1.2 mya in southern Africa. Had a heavy chewing muscle complex which called for a large jaw and jaw muscle, creating a sagittal crest. Post canine teeth adapted to serve in dry environments they lived in
Australopithecus robustus
Around 2-1.8 mya in south Africa. Discovered in the last 10 years. Bipedal, teeth like homo sapiens, ate nuts berries, and grass, precision grip, human like
Australopithecus sediba
Ancient burials show permit of preservation. Deliberate "disposal of dead" in not-below ground burials. Grave goods - La Chapelle. Handling their dead 400,000 ya. Less complex than modern H. sapiens burials. Body usually in flexed position
Burials of homo neandertalensis
Compared to the size of posterior dentition
Canine size
This testing involves extracting mitochondrial DNA for sequencing. Evidence suggest Neandertal fossils are 3x different from contemporary H. sapiens and that they represent a different branch of recent human evolution
DNA evidence of homo neandertalensis
Traits that are modified from the ancestral condition and thus diagnostic of particular lineages
Derived traits
Space between teeth, a kind of room for large canines
Diastema
How did the Pleistocene environment affect hominins?
Dispersal and movement
1.75 mya. Oldest well dated hominins outside of Africa. Not like full H. erectus morphology but small bodied and small brained
Dmanisi Georgia
Middle Miocene (16-11 mya). Europe forms, diet of tough foods maybe leaves, no sagittal crest, arboreal brachiates, long arms, hands, and fingers. Genus of apes. Large brain and a delayed development
Dryopithecus
Earliest homo sapiens living here exited around 200,000-100,000 ya. The earliest was found in Omo Kibish from southern Ethiopia (dated around 195,000 ya - earliest found anywhere). Omo 1 = essentially modern Omo 2 = more robust, less modern. Herto from Ethiopia (cranium from 160,000-154,000, best preserved early modern H. sapiens cranium found yet)
Earliest homo sapiens from Africa
Fossils from here include Zhoukoudian, China (27,000 ya, 3 skulls found). Tianyuan (fragmentary skull, few teeth, several post cranial bones, dating 40,000 ya - oldest modern human find from this area, skull has mostly modern features). Niah Cave (partial skull, 35,000 ya - as old as 45,000-40,000 ya - older than Tianyuan, modern morphology, oldest modern human find from this area)
Earliest homo sapiens from Asia
Earliest homo sapiens living here existed around 50,000 ya as early as 55,000 ya. Earliest find from Lake Mungo (approx. 30,000-25,000 ya). Kow Swamp site (displays archaic cranial traits, receding forehead, heavy brow ridge, thick bones)
Earliest homo sapiens from Australia
Fossils from here include Qafzeh, Isreal (110,000 ya, large sample (20 individuals), for sure modern but some robust). Skhul, Isreal (150,000 ya, earliest modern humans known outside of Africa, 10 individuals, modern morphology)
Earliest homo sapiens from the near East
Fossils from here include Cro-Magnon (rock-shelter site in southern France, 8 individuals discovered in 1868, associated with Aurignacian tool assemblage, heavily developed technologies, and art seen through grave goods, bone/ivory/antler carvings, decoration
Earliest homo sapiens from western Europe
Epoch: 56-33 mya Characterized by having the first true primates, prosimians (primates including lemurs, lorises, and tarsiers), and having fossils that are widely distributed
Eocene
Measurement of maxillary region
Facial prognathism
These were extremely simple and involved small, sharp flakes removed from a rock nodule
First stone tools
Characterized by having pronounced facial prognathism, low lying brain case, mod. zygomatic arch, fruit based diet, frucavores, generalized diet, lacked heavy vegetation, less sexual dimorphism, small teeth, no sagittal crest, and adapting quickly
Gracile australopithecines
Includes A. anamensis (4.0 mya), A. afarensis (3.5 mya), A. africanus (3.0 mya), A. garhi (2.5 mya), A. sediba (2.3 mya)
Gracile species
KNM-ER 1813 species
H. habilis
Homo erectus consists of what species?
H. habilis and A. sediba
KNM-ER 1470 species
H. rudolfensis
Hominins, unlike any other primate, move bipedal as their standard and most efficient mode of locomotion. This proved bipedalism to be evolving through the Laetoli footprint found and shows morphological differences in bipedalism
Habitual bipedalism
Measures the radioactivity of a substance, measuring how long it takes it to become a stable element. Rate is constant, allowing you to tell how old something carbon-based is
Half life
Epoch: 11,700 ya - present Characterized by being the epoch that hominoids spread rapidly throughout the globe
Holocene
Around 1.9 mya - 35,000 ya. Originated from Africa and migrated throughout Eurasia. Brain size similar to modern humans, flat face, prominent brow ridges, angular occipital, sagittal keel, large teeth and mandible, and the first human species to have a wise, fleshy nose. "Upright Man"
Homo erectus
Turkana Boy/ Nariokatome Boy species
Homo erectus
Around 1.9-1.5 mya. Also known as "African homo erectus". Tall and slender with long legs, skull had human-like shape, domed cranium, moderate post orbital constriction, outward projecting face, distinct brow ridge, human-like nose, and small canine size/premolar/molar size
Homo ergaster
First homo species to leave Africa
Homo ergaster
Around 1.8 mya. Fossils found in Olduvai and Turkana basin. First genus of homo to be associated with tools, found with Oldowan tools, Larger teeth then ours and increase in cranial size. "Handy Man"
Homo habilis
Around 600,000-200,000 ya in Africa, Europe, and western Asia. Discovered in 1907 in Germany (found fossil jaw). Kabwe Skull found. Skull features similar to H. erectus and anatomically modern H. sapiens. Fossils are early but more primitive members of H. sapiens (archaic H. sapiens). This is a transitional species between H. erectus and H. sapiens
Homo heidelbergensis
Around 75,000-10,000 ya in Europe and western Asia for about 100,000 years (as late as 130,000 ya). Less robust, shorter limbs, larger brain size than modern H. sapiens, and projecting face
Homo neandertalensis
Around 1.9 mya. Found in the 1970s and by Louis Leakey's granddaughter. Thought to be a male habilis skull until 1986 when it was assigned it own species. Flatter face, lesser brow ridge, and slightly larger cranial capacity
Homo rudolfensis
Fossils from 1.6-1 mya. Found in Ngandong site and are the most recent group of H. erectus fossils from Java or anywhere else. Evidence suggest late survival of H. erectus in Java (70,000-40,000 ya), these individuals would be contemporary with H. erectus. Eugene Dubois
Indonesian homo erectus
How did Platyrrhines get to the New World?
Island hopping and rafting
Fossil ape discovered by Louis Leakey in 1961 Fort Ternan site in Kenya. Teeth dated to 14 mya. May be common ancestor to all great apes. One of species that started radiation of apes out of Africa
Kenyapithecus
1908 discovery in southwestern France of a nearly complete skeleton buried in a shallow grave. Body of an unusual robust male. Grave goods and grave ritualistic items (in flexed position, flake tools, broken animal bones, bison leg. Body did not walk completely upright
La Chapelle aux Saints
States that a lower stratum (layer) is older than a higher stratum (layer)
Law of superposition
Invented by premodern humans in Africa and Europe. This requires several complex and coordinated steps suggesting increased cognitive abilities in later premodern populations
Levallois technique
A pattern in evolution in which the rate of evolution in one functional system varied from that in another system. This shows evolution and how people are related (brain and locomotion)
Mosaic evolution
Characterized by a larger proportion of flake tools, pertaining to the stone tool industry associated with Neandertals and modern H. sapiens. Flint tools/flake tools
Mousterian tool industry
Came into existence 2.6-1.4 mya, this was slightly more complex than modern chimp tools. Including cobbles, flakes (used to remove meat), and choppers (used to break open bone marrow). The first genus of homo to be associated with these tools was homo habilis
Oldowan tool industry
Epoch: 33-23 mya Characterized by being cooler and drier than previous epoch, the epoch anthropoids emerged during, the America's shift farther away from Europe and Africa, Apidium (found in Fayum, most closely related to ancestor of all monkeys), Aegypthopithecus (ancestor of both OWM and Hominoids/apes)
Oligocene
Around 6 mya in east Africa. Remains indicate some bipedal locomotion, lots of time spent in trees, small teeth. First hominy with post cranial remains. "Millennium Man"
Orrorin tugenensis
Epoch: 65-56 mya Characterized by "primate-like" mammals - proto primates, being the LCA of all living primates, fossils found in North America (Montana/Wyoming), and plesiadapiforms
Paleocene
Concludes that some interbreeding took place between Neandertals and modern humans, arguing against complete replacement and supporting some form of partial replacement
Partial replacement models
A chart that shows evolutionary relationships as determined by evolutionary systematics. It contains a time component and implies ancestor/descendant relationships
Phylogenetic tree
Relates to real world activities
Physically
Epoch: 2.6 mya - 11,700 ya Characterized by the development of early homo and the evolution of homo sapiens
Pleistocene
Proto primates, this is either closely related to primates or a precursor to them. Very small and squirrel-like, ate leaves and fruit. Fossils found in Montana and Wyoming, evidence shows it lived in North America and likely colonized in Europe and Asia
Plesiadapiforms
Epoch: 5.3-2.6 mya Characterized by the evolution of australopithecines
Pliocene
Pinching behind the brow ridges
Post orbital constriction
Including S. Tchadensis, Orrorin Tugenensis, A. Kadabba, and A. Ramidus. 6.0 +/- 4.4 mya. Earlier, predates the genus Australopithecus
Pre australopiths
POMA stands for
Primates of modern aspect
Existed 25 - 23 mya, extinct primate. Y-5 dental pattern, adaptation to quadrupedal locomotion, no tail, post cranially like a monkey, ate fruits. Fossils found in eastern Africa. Shares a common ancestral lineage with gibbons, great apes, and humans.
Proconsul
Suggests that local populations in Europe, Asia, and Africa continued their indigenous evolutionary development from premodern middle Pleistocene forms to anatomically modern humans
Regional continuity - multi regional
Process the results in the ages of: not older than ___ but younger than ___. Based on stratigraphy
Relative dating
Emphasizes that modern humans first evolved in Africa and only later dispersed to other parts of the world, where they replaced those hominids already living in these other regions
Replacement models - out of Africa
Characterized by having post-orbital restriction, mod. prognathism, sagittal crest, low lying brain case, very large projecting brow ridge, projecting face, flared cheeks (zygomatic arch), large jaw, big molars, herbivores (heavy vegetation), heavy facial muscles, cant adapt quickly, and specialized diet
Robust australopithecines
Includes A. robustus (2.5 mya), A. bosei (2.5-1.4 mya), A. aethiopicus (2.5 mya)
Robust species
Chewing muscles attach to this. Forms a ridge bone on center of the skull
Sagittal crest
Around 7-6 mya in west Africa. Possible hominid. Small brain, small canines. "Toumai"
Sahelanthropus tchadensis
Largest and most varied group of Miocene fossil hominoids. Highly derived, facial features similar to modern orangutans, and fossils found in Turkey and Pakistan. Fossils dated to 12.2 mya
Sivapithecus
Capable of articulate speech and possibly capable of producing the same range of sounds as modern humans
Speech of homo neandertalensis
Represented by: regional continuity - multi regional evolution, replacement models - out of Africa, partial replacement models
Spread of modern humans across the globe
This was the first technique used by scholars for determining age. Based on the law of superposition and involves the study of sequential layering of geological deposits
Stratigraphy
Brow ridge
Supraorbital torus
1 or 5 skulls discovered in Dmanisi, Georgia
The Dmanisi skull
Middle Miocene hominoid. 2:1:2:3 OWM dental formula and sexual dimorphism. Oldest OWM skull fossil. Discovered in Lake Victoria, Kenya.
Victoriapithecus