From Them to Us… Why evolution does not mean we came from MONKEYS…
Mar 27, 2015
From Them to Us…
Why evolution does not mean we came from MONKEYS…
Primates
Primates are an order of mammals which includes lemurs, monkeys, apes, and humans
Where do we separate?
COMMON PRIMATE COMMON PRIMATE TRAITSTRAITS
5 DIGITS ON BOTH HANDS & FEETNAILS INSTEAD OF CLAWSFLEXIBLE HANDS WITH ABILITY TO GRIPERECT UPPER BODYCOLLARBONESMALL NOSE, NO ACUTE SENSE OF SMELLUSE OF VISION AS PRIMARY SENSELARGE & COMPLEX BRAINEFFICIENT FETAL NOURISHMENTLONG PERIODS OF INFANT DEPENDENCY AND LEARNED BEHAVIORADULT MALES ALWAYS PRESENT WITHIN GROUP (HELP IN CHILD REARING).
Trends in Primate Evolution1) Larger body size
2) Increasing brain size or cranial capacity
3) More upright standing
4) Living in or near trees
5) A diet that includes plants and animals
6) Binocular vision that allows for depth perception
Trends in Primate Evolution continued…
7) Specialized color vision
8) A decreasing number of young produced al one time
9) Longer embryonic and childhood development
10) Specialized thumb
11) Increasing lifespan
12) Growing complexity of social behavior
Differences Between Man and Apes
Humans have the development of more specialized areas in the brainHumans have a more vertical face plateHumans have a smaller jaw and more evenly rounded archHumans have smaller canine teeth Humans have smaller molarsHumans have longer lower limbs (legs) and shorter upper limbs (arms)
The biggy…Bipedalism
Bipedalism is erect posture and walking with two feet
Bipedalism was important in developing the ability to hunt and make tools
HominidsHominids are a family of primates which includes all two-legged manlike species, extinct or living
Examples of hominids are erect walking apes, ourselves and our ancestors
Ardipithecus ramidus (Ar. Ramidus)
Ardi
4.4 m.y.a.
Ethiopia
Bipedal Theory
Stubby CaninesCooperative males?
The AustralopithecinesMeans “Southern Ape”Australopithecus was an erect walking ape that was a member of the hominid family
There were at least 5 kinds of Australopithecines, but probably one was man’s ancestorAustralopithecines lived 5 to 1 million years ago
Australopithecus Anamensis4.2-3.9
mya
Found: Tibia, pieces of skull, and mandible
Characteristics:Probably walked upright.
Enamel on teeth suggests a diet of hard food but size is pretty primitive.
Probably lived in open woodland in area that is now northern Kenya and southern Ethiopia.
Australopithecus Afarensis4-3 mya
Australopithecus Afarensis resembled a chimpanzee, but was upright and bipedal
They lived 4-2.7 million years ago
A.Afarensis probably did not make tools or understand fire
Characteristics:Foreword protruding faceU-Shaped Jaw (like an ape; human jaw’s are parabolic shaped)Small Cranial Capacity (About the same size as modern chimps).
Debatable descendents…homo? robustus?
Australopithecus Afarensis4-3 mya
LucyLucy was an Australopithecus AfarensisHer skeleton was was discovered by Donald Johanson in Ethiopia in 1974She was the most complete pre-human skeleton ever foundHer bones gave many clues about her anatomy, diet and lifestyle
More Discoveries of A. Afarensis Fossils
AL 129Complete Knee Joint
1976Donald Johanson
Hadar Region of Ethiopia
SignificanceShows angle of femur to place foot under center of body.
Confirms upright walking.
Footprints at Laetoli3.6 myaFootprints of two creatures formed in fresh lava ash.
1975 Mary LeakeyLaetoli, Tanzania
SignificanceHeight determined by length of stride 4’-4’8”Confirmed Bipedality by this time
• Big toe in line• Heel toe strike when walking
More Discoveries of A. Afarensis Fossils
Location of Afarensis Finds
Australopithecus Africanus3.3-2.5 mya
“Southern Apeman of Africa”First Australopithicine to be identified
Raymond Dart’s Taung Child (1925)
The species walked upright and probably used toolsIt is unknown where it came from and who it led too.
Australopithecus Africanus Findings
Taung Child
Australopithicus garhi2.5 mya
•May be a link between genus Australopithicus and Homo
•May have been the earliest tool user
•found scratches on Antelope bone fossils
•Found in Ethiopia in 1997
Paranthropus boisei2.3-1.2 mya
Highly specialized for heavy chewing.Thrived in drier savannah climate.
Specialization may have been downfall as climate changed and it was unable to adapt.
Australopithecus Robustus
Australopithecus Robustus was probably another human “cousin”The species was large and was probably a vegetarianRobustus lived 2.2-1 million years agoRobustus was possibly preyed on by early humansFossils of Robustus were first found in East and South Africa in the 1930s and 40s by the Leakey family
A. Robustus Finds
Timeline of Human Evolution
The Evolution of Humans
Louis Leakey and Olduvai Gorge
Dr. Louis Leakey and his wife, Mary , did their fieldwork at Olduvai Gorge, TanzaniaDr. Richard Leakey, their son , currently does fieldwork in the Lake Turkana regionLouis Leakey is credited with the discovery of Homo Habilis, the first human
Homo Habilis2.3-1.6 mya
“Handy Man” Homo Habilis was the
earliest known species of the genus homo
Probably made tools Probably scavenged for
meat and ate vegetation Skull was 30% larger
than Australopithecines Brain much more
human like in shape.
Homo Habilis
Some anthropologists believe that Homo Habilis hunted for prey
These tools are believed to be the tools of Homo
Habilis
Homo Habilis Finds
Homo rudolfensis 2.3-1.6 mya & Homo ergaster 1.9-1.6 mya
Not much is known about Rudolfensis
Homo ergaster is the earlier African only form of Homo erectus.
Very rounded cranium, more spacious
Small teeth
Homo ergaster
Homo rudolfensis
Homo Erectus1.9-.3 mya
“Erect of Upright Man”
Homo Erectus was the first large brained human
Sometimes called “Java Man” or “Peking Man”
Homo ErectusHomo Erectus made tools and lived a hunter-gatherer lifestyle
Diet included plants and animals
Homo Erectus
Homo Erectus was the first hominid to migrate from Africa
Homo Erectus remains have been found in Africa, Asia and Europe
HOMO ERECTUSHOMO ERECTUS WAS THE FIRST HOMINID TO BE DISTRIBUTED THROUGHOUT THE OLD WORLD, PERHAPS EVEN TO EUROPE, ITSELF.
1 MILLION YEARS AGO HOMO ERECTUS LIVED IN ASIA1.8 MILLION YEARS AGO IN JAVA
PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICSSKULL WAS LONG, LOW, AND THICK WALLED WITH FLAT FRONTAL AREA AND PROMINENT BROW RIDGESNOSE PROJECTED AND FROM THE NECK DOWN, INDISTINGUISHABLE FROM HOMO SAPIENSHEIGHT AND WEIGHT RESEMBLED THAT OF MODERN HUMANS
HANDSOME FELLA!
Homo Heidelbergensis700-100,000 years ago
The between species.Features of Homo erectus and Homo sapiens.
Very robust mandible, no chin
Very prominent brow ridge
Increased cranial capacity.
Smaller teeth but bigger than Homo sapiens.
Neanderthal Man250-30,000 years ago
Homo Neanderthalensis
This species was human , but was probably not an ancestor to modern humans
Neanderthal Man
Neanderthal man had large arms and legsHis brain was actually larger than modern humans, but the language and speech center of the brain was not well developedNeantherthal man was a hunter who made tools, had primitive language skills and used fire
Neanderthal Man
Fossilized remains of Neanderthal Man were first found in the Neander Valley of Germany in 1857
Neanderthal man is sometimes referred to as a cave man
Homo Sapiens130,000 years ago-Present
“Thinking Man”
Lighter build in skeleton
Enormous brain capacity
1300 cc from 400 cc of early Australopithicine.
Early discoveries called Cro-Magnon Man.