Hominin Evolution

Homo habilis

*2.4 - 1.4 million years ago 500-800 cc *Smaller face and teeth than other hominins *Long arms *Prognathic face *3ft 4 in-4ft (avg.) *70 lbs (avg.) *Used tools for butchering rather than self defense *Name meaning 'handy man' because it's suspected that H.H was a slightly larger-brained early human that made the thousands of stone tools also found at Olduvai Gorge

Homo neanderthalensis

*400,000 - 40,000 years ago *our closest extinct human relative *Some defining features of their skulls include the large middle part of the face, angled cheek bones, and a huge nose for humidifying and warming cold, dry air *Their bodies were shorter and stockier than ours, another adaptation to living in cold environments *Their brains were just as large as ours and often larger - proportional to their brawnier bodies Neanderthals made and used a diverse set of sophisticated tools, controlled fire, lived in shelters, made and wore clothing, were skilled hunters of large animals and also ate plant foods, and occasionally made symbolic or ornamental objects. There is evidence that Neanderthals deliberately buried their dead and occasionally even marked their graves with offerings, such as flowers. No other primates, and no earlier human species, had ever practiced this sophisticated and symbolic behavior.

Homo heidelbergensis

*700,000 to 200,000 years ago *had a very large browridge, and a larger braincase and flatter face than older early human species *It was the first early human species to live in colder climates; their short, wide bodies were likely an adaptation to conserving heat * It lived at the time of the oldest definite control of fire and use of wooden spears, and it was the first early human species to routinely hunt large animals * This early human also broke new ground; it was the first species to build shelters, creating simple dwellings out of wood and rock

Neolithic

-A stage of cultural evolution or technological development characterized by the use of stone tools, the existence of settled villages largely dependent on domesticated plants and animals, and the presence of such crafts as pottery and weaving -The domestication of plants and animals usually distinguishes Neolithic culture from earlier Paleolithic or Mesolithichunting, fishing, and food-gathering cultures - The Mesolithic period in several areas shows a gradual transition from a food-collecting to a food-producing culture

Mesolithic

-A transitional period of the Stone Age between the Paleolithic and the Neolithic -cultures represent a wide variety of hunting, fishing, and food gathering techniques -This variety may be the result of adaptations to changed ecological conditions associated with the retreat of glaciers, the growth of forests in Europe and deserts in N Africa, and the disappearance of the large game of the Ice Age -Characteristic of the period were hunting and fishing settlements along rivers and on lake shores, where fish and mollusks were abundant. -Microliths, the typical stone implements of the Mesolithic period, are smaller and more delicate than those of the late Paleolithic period -Hafted axes, an improvement over the Paleolithic hand axe, and bone tools are found

Paleolithic - Lower, Middle, Upper

-AKA the Old Stone Age -The earliest period of human development and the longest phase of mankind's history -It is approximately coextensive with the Pleistocene geologic epoch *IMPORTANT* beginning about 2 million years ago and ending in various places between 40,000 and 10,000 years ago, when it was succeeded by the Mesolithic period

Lower Paleolithic

-Oldest recognizable tools made by members of the family of man are simple stone choppers, such as those discovered at Olduvai Gorge in Tanzania -These tools may have been made over 1 million years ago by Australopithecus, ancestor of modern humans - Lower Paleolithic stone industries of the early species of humans called Homo erectus include the Choukoutienian of China and the Clactonian, Chellean-Abbevillian, *Acheulian and Levalloisian represented at various sites in Europe, Africa, and Asia, from 100,000 to 500,000 years ago - Stone tools of this period are of the core type, made by chipping the stone to form a cutting edge, or of the flake type, fashioned from fragments struck off a stone -Hand axes were the typical tool of these early hunters and food-gatherers

Middle Paleolithic

-The Middle Paleolithic period includes the Mousterian culture, often associated with Neanderthal man ( early form of humans living between 100,000 and 40,000 years ago) -Neanderthal remains are often found in caves with evidence of the use of fire - Neanderthals were hunters of prehistoric mammals, and their cultural remains, though unearthed chiefly in Europe, have been found also in N Africa, Palestine, and Siberia -Stone tools of this period are of the flake tradition, and bone implements, such as needles, indicate that crudely sewn furs and skins were used as body coverings -Since the dead were painted before burial, a kind of primitive religion may have been practiced

Upper Paleolithic

-Upper Paleolithic period Neanderthal man disappears and is replaced by a variety of Homo sapiens -The beginnings of communal hunting and extensive fishing are found here -The first conclusive evidence of belief systems centering on magic and the supernatural -Pit houses, the first man-made shelters, were built, sewn clothing was worn, and sculpture and painting originated -Tools were of great variety, including flint and obsidian blades and projectile points. -They also used bone, horn, and ivory and made necklaces and other personal ornaments -They carved the so-called Venus figures, ritual statuettes of bone, and made outline drawings on cave walls. -Weapons were highly refined and varied, the atlatl first came into use -The crowning achievement of the Magdalenian was its cave paintings, the culmination of Paleolithic art

Homo erectus

1.89 million - 143,000 years ago 750 and 1225 cc *Oldest known early humans to have possessed modern human-like body proportions *Relatively elongated legs and shorter arms compared to the size of the torso (features are considered adaptations to a life lived on the ground- indicating the loss of earlier tree-climbing adaptations) *There is fossil evidence that this species cared for old and weak individuals *Generally considered to have been the first species to have expanded beyond Africa *Homo erectus is considered a highly variable species-- spread over two continents *possibly the longest lived early human species (about nine times as long as our own species)

Australopithecine

3.85 and 2.95 million years ago 3.3 to 2.1 million years ago Both: 420-500 cc (africanus = slightly larger) Afarensis: * Long, strong arms with curved fingers ideal for arboreal climbing * Bipedal (regularly walked upright) *Largely vegetarian diet, similar to that of a present day chimpanzee or gorilla in Cameroon *Small canine teeth like all other early humans *Males larger than females by a more than foot and 30+ pounds Africanus: * Rounder cranium housing larger brain and smaller teeth * Some ape-like features, being long arms and strongly sloping face that juts out from underneath the braincase with a pronounced jaw *Bipedal but also suited for arboreal climbing Afarensis: *Grew rapidly and reached adulthood at a rate that exceeds that of modern humans (less learned behavior) * Lived in small social groups containing a mixture of males and females * Stone tools being used to remove flesh and to possibly smash bone in order to obtain marrow Africanus: *Stone tools to cut meat *Patrilocal Afarensis: *There have been more than 300 individuals found between 3.85 and 2.95 million years ago in the area of Eastern Africa *In Dikika, a 'child' skeleton was found and in Laetoli fossils of the species plus the oldest documented bipedal footprint trails

Percussion flaking

A technique in which a rock is used like a hammer to strike and shape a core.

Homo sapiens sapiens

About 200,000 years ago to present 1300 cubic centimeters *Lighter build of their skeletons compared to earlier humans *Modern humans have very large brains (vary in size from population to population and between males and females) average size is approximately *Housing big brain involved the reorganization of the skull into what is thought of as "modern" *Thin-walled, high vaulted skull with a flat and near vertical forehead *Modern human faces also show much less (if any) of the heavy brow ridges and prognathism of other early humans *Jaws are less heavily developed, with smaller teeth *Use of many tools -- use tools to make more tools *Greater proportion of behavior is learned

Hominid

Any of a family (Hominidae) of erect bipedal primate mammals. Includes: recent humans together with extinct ancestral and related forms and in some recent classifications the gorilla, chimpanzee, and orangutan.

Hominoid

Any of a superfamily (Hominoidea) of primates. Including: recent hominids, gibbons, and pongids together with extinct ancestral and related forms

Hominin

Any of a taxonomic tribe (Hominini) of hominids that includes recent humans together with extinct ancestral and related forms.

Bonus: whats the name of Pilver's new pets?

Clover, Black Jack, and Jasmine!

Oldowan

Earliest tool making (Mode I) Unifacial Choppers Cutting, sawing, crushing 1.8-1.2 MYA

Replacement model

H. Sapiens evolved in one area of the world first and later migrated to other regions.

Major trends in physical and behavioral evolution

Key trends to human evolution include several physical aspects. This includes changes in posture, cranial capacity, facial angle, and sexual dimorphism. These trends are often misused in famous illustrations and charts displaying how we became bipedal, and give off the impression that changes occurred in a linear pattern, as opposed to a sort of bush (or tree as displayed by the Smithsonian) as there are often several related species in existence at any one time. There has been an increase in cranial capacity throughout the course of human evolution. early australopithecines had cranial capacities within the range of modern chimpanzees (average around 400 cc) and later australopithecines reaching an even higher capacity of 500-550 cc. We see an increase in cranial capacity in early Homo, as the homo habilis, an early Homo, had a cranial capacity of 500-800 cc, and later Homo such as the homo erectus had a cranial capacity of 750-1225 cc. Another trend is bipedalism. Bipedalism appeared early on in human evolution, dating as far back to the Sahelanthropus. This was disagreed upon until recently when computer-assisted reconstruction of the fossils gave evidence indicating that the species was indeed bipedal (Zollikofer et at. 2005 in Human evolution). A feature linked to bipedalism is the Achilles tendon. In Homo, it links the calf muscles to the tarsal bones of the heel. The presence of the Achilles tendon in humans makes us relatively good endurance runners, which was a necessary feature for active hunting in the open savannah. Furthermore, the tendon can save up to 50% of the metabolic energy of rapid locomotion (Human Evolution). Finally, all hominids show some variation in size between the sexes, as well as features including the shape of the pelvis. Size differences are less pronounced in modern humans, and a trend toward less sexual dimorphism can be seen when examining the fossils of australopithecines (who had a lot of differences) and early hominids.

Acheulian

Mode II Homo erectus Refined choice of stone (flint, quartz, etc). Bigacial hand axe used for cutting, chopping Chisels, awls, scrapers, hammer etc

Anthropocene

Our influence has affected everything from the makeup of ecosystems to the geochemistry of the planet, from the atmosphere to the ocean. Many scientists define this time in the planet's history by the scale of human influence and label it as a new geological epoch called the Anthropocene.

Multiregional model

The gradual evolution of H. Erectus into H. Sapiens occurred in many regions

Power grip

The power grip is when the fingers (and sometimes palm) clamp down on an object with the thumb making counter pressure (applies pressure to secure grip)

Bipedalism

To walk erect on both feet

Sagittal crest

a bony ridge on the top of the skull to which the jaw muscles are attached

Precision grip

pinched with a thumb and forefinger (used when precision in movement is needed)