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.