ANTH QUIZ 3

Neanderthal Social complexity

-El-sidrón Cave in Spain provides fascinating evidence for patrilocal mating behavior (where married couples live with the husband's family). -Ancient DNA analyses of 12 individuals are traced to 3 maternal lineages - hence 3 unrelated mothers. The 3 adult males are all closely related - implying they are brothers. It is therefore assumed that Neanderthal women joined existing family groups that are led by men.

Multi-regional hypothesis:

-Homo erectus evolved in East Africa and migrated into Europe and Asia (Out of Africa 1). -Evolution continued in each area and through gene flow between different populations in each region everyone evolved into modern humans. The genetic and archaeological evidence refutes this model.

Out of Africa 2:

-Homo sapiens evolved in Africa and expanded into Europe and Asia, replacing other archaic humans (e.g., Neanderthals). -Evolved sometime between ca. 300-100 kya and left Africa ca. ~70 kya. Absolute majority of the evidence supports this model.

Island of Flores, Indonesia

-In 2003, a new species Homo floresiensis (95-12 kya) was announced (otherwise known as the 'Hobbit') -Has exceptionally short stature (~1 meter, or about 3 feet); its estimated body mass is half of modern humans. The cranial capacity (Brain volume) of H. floresiensis is small relative to body mass (<400Cm3). -Some suggest that the dwarfish size of H. floresiensis reflects island dwarfism/gigantism that can result from isolated population with limited food sources.

Trinil

-Java, Indonesia: 1891 -The first discovery of H. erectus, by the Dutch Surgeon Eugene Dubois who name the species: Pithecanthropus erectus (upright standing ape man). -Hotly contested as missing link. Absence of stone tools.

Gesher Benot Ya'aqov (GBY):

-Jordan Valley, Israel, 780 kya -spatially concentrated burnt flint flake clusters were found in multiple occupation levels (living floors) in the site. While natural brush fires are possible, the localization of the burnt artifacts indicate the presence of ancient hearths. -While H. erectus remains were found across Eurasia (Europe + Asia), hand axes are absent in South East Asia. One plausible explanation to this absence is the use of perishable bamboo as raw material for tool production, including sharp knifes - that left no archaeological record.

Erectus tools?

-used Acheulean tool industry which includes the versatile Hand Axe. -Ability to make hand axe requires skill, knowledge of raw materials, forethought, and mapping of a mental template. -Enables wider food base to be exploited. -Routinely used for 1 million years.

Compare erectus with Australopithecus

Compared with Australopithecus, longer legs, thinner arms, larger brains. Post cranial (below head) morphology is very similar to modern humans.

Neanderthal plant use

Microbotanical remains from dental calculus (dental plaque/tartar) indicates consumption of cooked foods and plants including cereals, legumes, and date palm.

Two Models of the evolution and expansion of Homo sapiens:

Multi-regional hypothesis and Out of Africa

Homo erectus basic features

long cranium, low sloping forehead, prominent brow ridge, protruding face, external nose (1.8mya)

William King

-1863, determined that Feldhofer Grotto skull represents a separate species of Homo: Homo neanderthalensis (named after the Neandertal Valley in Germany)

Marcellin Boule

-1911-1913, Annales de Paleontologie. Studied a complete skeletal burial of an elderly Neanderthal, Chapelle-aux Saints, France (1908). The individual suffered skeletal deformations caused by severe arthritis. -Depicted Neanderthals as stooped, ugly, brutish, etc. -Scholars now understand that Neanderthals were intelligent and complex, innovative, highly skilled, sophisticated hunters.

Erectus running?

-According to Daniel Lierberman, Homo erectus was an endurance runner. The lack of body hair and the ability to sweat, allowed humans to remain cool while running during the hottest part of the day. -Endurance running gave humans a competitive advantage over other scavengers, and perhaps even over pray.

Zhukudian

-China: 1926 -excavated by the Canadian paleoanthropologist Davidson Black 30 miles SW of Beijing. -Black identified 12 stratified layers dated between 700,000 - 200,000 BP. -Remains including 6 skull caps, 12 skull fragments, and 157 teeth. -The skull caps show increase in cranial capacity (larger brain size) over time. In 1937 the fossils were lost during the war between China and Japan.

erectus brain and nutrition?

-Cranial capacity/brain size: 600 - 900 Cm3. -Increased brain size increased the body's demand for energy. -This increase is accompanied by decrease in masticatory apparatus. -Nutrition acquired through consumption of animal protein and fat (meat, bone marrow accessed by smashing bones and brain cases) and intensive food processing that reduces masticatory demands.

Nariokotomi Boy

-Discovered by Richard and Maeve Leakey along Lake Turkana in the Rift Valley of Africa, Kenya (also known as Turkana Boy) -Most complete specimen- enables good biomechanical reconstruction of walking/running capabilities -Dates to >1.5 mya Age: estimates have varied from 8 (based on observation of microscopic growth patterns within enamel) to 14/15 (based on lack of fusion in growth plates on limbs and gross tooth morphology). The most recent evidence suggests 8 which places growth rate similar to modern chimpanzee.

Anatomical features Neanderthals

-Large cranial capacity (slightly larger than average modern humans). Long low skull (egg shaped), with large brow ridges, large eye orbits, large nasal cavity, no chin. -Overall body proportions = arctic (short distal limbs [tibia and radius/ulna] decreases skin surface area relative to body volume, heat retention). -Very muscular with thick, robust bones. Homo sapiens, in contract have more gracile proportions and tropical body proportions (long distal limbs increase skin surface area relative to body volume, heat dissipation). Compared to modern humans, Neanderthals are more barrel chested and have a longer pubic bone. Better adapted to cold climates? -Very strong hands: many specimens exhibit evidence for arthritis (product of intense and prolonged use of joints).

Homo neanderthalensis (Neanderthal)

-Middle Palaeolithic: distribution -Between Western Europe and Central Asia. Recent DNA finds expand distribution east to Siberia. -Ca. 130,000-42,000 BP

Neanderthals Genetics

-Recent genetic studies of Neanderthal and modern humans nuclear genome provide first evidence for some interbreeding between Neanderthals and modern humans. -First study shows that between 1-4% of modern European and Asian populations comes from Neanderthals. This interbreeding took place after modern humans already left Africa, since none of the modern-day African populations show traces of Neanderthal genes.

Erectus cooking?

-Richard Wrangham suggests that the use of fire to cook food made food more digestible (leading to smaller teeth and gut) and enabled social relationships to form at a more complex level than before. -Fire would have helped humans protect themselves from predators during the night. -Breakdown of food that can assist with mastication and digestion can be done mechanically (chopping) and through aging without the need for fire.

Neanderthals Hunting

-Serious hunters associated with Mousterian (Middle Paleolithic) tool technology. -The new technology allowed Neanderthals to produce multiple highly replicable tools from a single core. Trauma in similar rate and location as rodeo riders! -Close quarters hunting with thrusting spears, not projectiles. Tooth wear implies use of mouth in hide processing. -Stable nitrogen isotope data suggests strong emphasis on terrestrial high-rank prey (large prime aged mammals such as bison, wild horse). It is possible that Neanderthals didn't have sexual labor division, and women took active part in hunting.

Wonderwerk

-South Africa,1 mya -microscopic burnt wood fragments, and heat treated bone fragments indicate the presence of fire inside Wonderwerk cave. -Spontaneous fires cannot happen inside caves - the only agent that could have been responsible for the burnt deposits is hominin activity.

Homo heidelbergensis

-predecessor of Neanderthals. -The exact location from which this species originate is unclear, but its presence included Eurasia and Africa. -In Europe H. heidelbergensis occupied all of the temperate regions between 500 - 200 kya. -Neanderthal is the only species that evolved locally in Europe.

Dmanisi

-site in Georgian Republic provides evidence for Homo erectus as early as 1.8 mya (K-Ar dating), much earlier than previously thought (much earlier than the Turkana Boy). -Remains include 4 skulls (600- 775 Cm3) and numerous post cranial remains of additional individuals indicate less derived anatomy than Turkana Boy and short stature (roughly 4' 6" ) with ape-like shoulders. -Tool industry = Oldowan (no use of Acheulean hand axe!).

Homo erectus Finds span

1.8 mya-200 kya in Africa, Europe, and Asia

Distribution of Homo erectus finds

Homo erectus is widely thought to be the first hominin to migrate out of Africa. All previous ancestors are found in Africa only.

How can Homo erectus be split?

Homo erectus sensu lato (inclusively) can be split to early appearing Homo ergaster, and later appearing sensu strictu(exclusively) Homo erectus.

Erectus Social Characteristics

Hunter (at least competitive scavenger), fire user (sporadic evidence), tool maker, enhanced social relationships, first hominin to migrate out of Africa.

Neanderthal Intentional Burials

Identified at Kebara, Israel; Shanidar, Iraq; La Ferraissie, France, and many other sites. Implies a level of group caring and sharing.

Fate of the Neanderthals

Related to the spread of anatomically modern humans (Homo sapiens)?? Neanderthals extinct by ca. 42kya.

Earliest credible evidence for controlled use of fire:

Wonderwerk, Gesher Benot Ya'aqov