Human Evolution Vocabualry.

Charles Darwin. (1871)

He publishes his book, proposed the idea that chimpanzees, gorillas, and humans all have a common ancestor.

Primate

evolved 50-60 million years ago, first were arboreal, descended from insectivores.

Binocular Vision

Eyes forward, 3-D viewing, depth perception.

Strepsirhines

means “wet nose” and “large eyes”, includes lemurs, aye-ayes, bush babies, lourisies. Many are small, nocturnal, and they are the most primitive primates.

Haplorhines

means “dry nose” and “small eyes”, SUBGROUP 1: tarsiers. SUBGROUP 2: Anthropoids.

Anthropoids

“human-like”, have 3 branches: old world monkeys, new world monkeys, and haminoids.

New World Monkeys

one of the beaches of anthropoids, arboreal, prehensile tail, EX: spider monkeys, howler monkeys, capuchins.

Old World Monkeys

one of the branches of anthropoids, no prehensile tail, ground and tree dwelling, live in central/south Asia, EX: baboons, mandrills, and macaques.

Hominids

Means “Great Apes”, EX: Siamangs/ Gibbons (the lesser apes), Gorillas, Orangutans, Chimpanzees (closest to humans, 98% DNA match), humans, Bonobos (like chimpanzees, but docile)

Brachiation

The GIBBONS have this trait, it means arboreal locomotion, this helps gibbons swing fast/easily though trees.

Modern Apes

NOT bipedal, no large brain-case, limited tool use.

Hominids

“human” branch, a dozen different species of hominids, primates, bipedal.