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Life on Earth. Evidence for human evolution. Evidence for human evolution . Chimps and gorillas are apes. Human beings share many features with them. Chimps and gorillas are our closest living relatives. Feature. Gorillas. Human beings. Chimpanzees. Head hair. short. long. - PowerPoint PPT Presentation
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Life on Earth
Evidence for human evolution
Evidence for human evolution
Chimps and gorillas are apes.
Human beings share many features with them.
Chimps and gorillas are our closest living relatives.
Evidence for human evolution
From this evidence, do you think human beings are closest to chimps or gorillas?
Feature Gorillas Human beings Chimpanzees
Chromosomes
Head hair
Calf muscle
Buttocks
Arms vs legs
Canine teeth
Thumbs
short
small
thin
shorter legs
large
long
48
shorter arms
46 48
small
long
fat
large
long short
small
thin
shorter legs
large
short
Evidence for human evolution
It’s not a trick question!
So far we haven’t found enough evidence to decide.
But there is enough evidence to say that humans and apes share the same ancestor.
human beings
chimps or gorillas?
chimps or gorillas?
Evidence for human evolution
We know that ape-like animals were living in Africa over 20 m y a.
scientists have found skulls with ape-like features
they can date the fossils
The evidence:
Evidence for human evolution
But they also have some differences.
no tail shoulder blades at the
back of the body
These early apes share some features with living apes:
Evidence for human evolution
Scientists use the evidence to work out how living apes are related to fossil apes.
fossils
gibbons
orangutangs
chimpanzees and gorillas
human beings
Evidence for human evolution
Do human beings have any closer relatives in the fossils?
chimpanzees and gorillas
?
human beings
Evidence for human evolution
Australopithecines lived in Africa 1.5 to 4 m y a.
Lucy - the most complete Australopithecine skeleton found.
So is Lucy more closely related to us or to living apes?
Evidence for human evolution
Australopithecines share some features with human beings.
eye sockets are wide and set apart
broad nose
sinus inside front of skull
jaw more like human than chimpanzee
sinus (spaces inside skull)
eye socket
broad nose
modern human A. africanus chimpanzee
Evidence for human evolution
Chimps and gorillas also have these features. But other apes don’t.
So are Australopithecines more closely related to:
(a) human beings?or(b) chimps and gorillas?
jaw more like human than chimpanzee
sinus (spaces inside skull)
eye socket
broad nose
modern human A. africanus chimpanzee
C9 Evidence for human evolution
In 1978 scientists found the evidence to answer this question.
These footprints were made in Africa by Australopithecines.
They walked on two legs.
Evidence for human evolution
So Australopithecines were more like human beings than chimps and gorillas.
chimpanzees and gorillas
australopithecines
human beings
Evidence for human evolution
But scientists think that we have even closer fossil relatives.
Habilines lived in Africa 1.6 to 2 m y a.
Fossils show that their spines were joined to the middle of their skull, so habilines walked upright.
Evidence for human evolution
We have more evidence about habilines. They had much bigger brains than Australopithecines like Lucy.
We also know that they made tools.
So the evidence tells us that habilines are more closely related to modern humans than Australopithecines.
Species Brain size (ml)
Human beings
Australopithecines
Habilines
1400
500
650
Evidence for human evolution
Habilines were probably the first animals on earth to make tools.
Tool making is a very important feature of human beings.
So scientists think habilines were the first early humans.
They are called Homo habilis.
australopithecines
habilines
human beings
Evidence for human evolution
Fossils of other early humans have also been found.
Species Brain size (ml)
Human beings
Australopithecines
Habilines
1400
500
650
Homo erectus 900
Homo erectus lived in Africa 1.5 m y a.
Evidence for human evolution
Their large brains mean that Homo erectus are more closely related to modern humans.
habilines (Homo habilis)
Homo erectus
modern humans
Scientists have also found evidence that they were able to make fire.
Evidence for human evolution
Homo erectus were also the first early humans to leave Africa.
Their skeletons have been found in Asia and Europe.
Evidence for human evolution
But Homo erectus are not quite the same as modern humans. For example, their skulls have a thick, straight brow ridge.
So scientists think that we must have at least one more recent ancestor.
Evidence for human evolution
The search goes back to Africa. We know that not all Homo erectus left when they first moved out of Africa.
Those that stayed carried on evolving into modern humans.
We know this because skulls shaped more like a modern human have been found in Africa. This one from Ethiopia is only 160,000 years old.
Evidence for human evolution
Homo sapiens fossils this old have been found in Israel.
Modern humans are called Homo sapiens.
They left Africa about 120,000 years ago.
habilines
Homo erectus
modern humans
Evidence for human evolution
By 40,000 years ago modern humans had spread across the world.
Evidence like cave paintings and tools tell us where and how they lived.
Evidence for human evolution
These modern humans were hunters and farmers.
The symbols in their paintings tell us that they had language.
They also had ceremonies like burials.
Evidence for human evolution
Summary: Different groups of humans evolved from a common ancestor. All but one of these groups died out. Only Homo sapiens (modern humans) survived. Modern humans evolved in Africa.
modern humans
early humans
Australopithecines
living apes, like chimps and gorillas