Human Origins – Final Exam Review Sheet

A comprehensive set of vocabulary flashcards based on the lecture notes for the 'Human Origins' course, covering key terms and concepts for exam preparation.

Homo habilis

Significance includes first occurrence of human-like hand morphology and using Oldowan stone tools.

KNM-ER 1813

Cranium specimen linked to Homo habilis.

Oldowan tools

Associated with an extractive foraging niche, the earliest known stone tools.

Homo erectus

Known for habitual committed terrestrial bipedalism and the first evidence for modern limb proportions.

Homo floresiensis

An island-dwarfed form of Homo erectus with a small cranial capacity.

Acheulean hand axe

Characterized by a mental template for tool manufacturing, found at various sites.

Homo heidelbergensis

Also called archaic H. sapiens; exhibits a mosaic of H. erectus and H. sapiens features.

Neandertal

A type of archaic H. sapiens known for cold adaptation and distinctive cranial features.

Levallois technology

A method of producing flint tools associated with Neandertals.

Homo sapiens

Modern humans recognized for complex behaviors, including symbolic burials and art.

Multiregional evolution model

Proposes modern humans evolved concurrently in different regions.

Ochre usage

Indicates symbolic behavior and potential artistic expression in early humans.

Paleolithic

The era characterized by the development of stone tools and art, divided into Lower, Middle, and Upper phases.

Atlatl

A tool used to throw spears with increased distance and accuracy during the Paleolithic era.

Mousterian technocomplex

Associated with Neandertals, reflecting a sophisticated lithic tool industry.

Burial practices

Reflects social behavior and cultural beliefs in ancient humans, including grave goods and body adornment.

Levaollis technology

a method for shaping stone cores and producing predictable flakes

Mandible retromolar space

triangular shaped depression in the mandible located behind the last molar tooth

flexed burial

basically the fetal position, legs up to chest, all neadertals burried their dead in the same way

Shanidar, Iraq

Remains recovered – 13 complete individuals (now 14)

Dates - 45,000-55,000 ya 

*Potential evidence for compassion and care-giving 

Shinidar 1

Super old

• Orbital fracture (blinded him in left-eye)

• Bone growth blocking his ear hole (functionally deaf in both ears) 

• Lost portion of his arm 

• Club foot 

Modern human craniofacial morphology

-High frontal bone 

-No brow ridges 

-Globular cranium (round)

-Cranial vault widest at partials (as opposed to wider at the bottom)

-Canine fossa 

-Pronounced chin 

Multi-regional model

A theory suggesting that modern humans evolved simultaneously in different regions of the world from existing populations of archaic human species, rather than from a single origin.

Out of Africa model or replacement model

Opposite of multiregionalism; suggests there are different species within homo and that few if any would be fertile with each other 

• Genetic drift, divergence of species 

• As modern humans leave Africa, they replace the species that were previously in regions they are now inhabiting 

Assimilation model

Intermediate to the out of Africa and multimodel

• Suggests low levels of infertility or interbreeding between species 

• Interbreeding rare, but genes were passed on would be important to regional survival

This can be seen today as many populations have genes from other species, such as neanderthals/denisovans. 

Planning depth/technological innovations

In comparison to other species, Homo sapiens goes through rapid development of stone tool technologies starting about 50,000 years ago 

New tools emerge such as atlatl begin to emerge 

• Compared to other members of genus homo who hunted through close quarters under spear thrusting, modern humans were able to accomplish the same behaviors from afar 

Symbolic behavior

Modern humans started practing art

Ex;) Venus depiction

Modern human burials also become increasingly elaborate

Grave goods such as tools, jewelry and animal remains 

• Many burials covered in red-pigment 

Neadertal close quarter hunting

Utilized thrusting spears, leading to higher frequency of injury

Purpose of atlatl

Increases penetration power, allows for distance between hunter and prey

Purpose of neadertals larger noses

They were a cold-adapted species, the larger nose allowed for the air breathed in to be warmer

Paramastication

Use of teeth as tools, neadetals used front teeth

Guatarri cave (monte circeo)

Cranium disocvered positioned upside down with rocks surrounding it

“ring of stone”

What did functional evolutionary change in FOXP2 gene lead to

Improved speech abilities in modern humans

FOXP2 gene

The first gene that carries a mutation that causes a specific language deficit in humans

Where is FOXP2 found?

On the long arm of chromosome 7

Childhood apraxia of speech

speech disorder resulting in difficulties in planning and production of sounds and words

Kebara neandertal hyoid bone

suggested that neaderthals had a decended larnyx indicative of human speech like capacity

Hyoid bone

provides attachment to the muscles of the floor of the mouth/tounge and aids in movement of the larnyx below it

Kebara 2 neadertal

First neadertal found with the hyoid bone that provided for evidence of speech capabilities

Krapina neadertal

Eagle-talon neckalce

130,000 year =s ago

Suggested symbolic behavior

Dederiyeh cave

Clear burial context of 2 year old infant

Pit was cut into rock sediment

Doni vestonice

Triple burial at this site

26,000 years ago

La chapelle aux-saints burial

Simple bundle burial

50-45,000 years ago

Upper paleolithic burials (Sunghir russia)

Bodies had an arrangement of beads sewen onto clothing

Who were the first pre-modern humans to intentionally bury dead?

Neadertals

2 most important primary features of Homo sapiens

-Globular neurocranium

-Reduced/retracted face

Cranial traits of homo sapiens (modern humans)

Vertical forehead

Pronounced chin

Reduced/absent brow ridge

Canine fossa

Reduced face

Round near pentagonal vault

Fossil from Jebel Irhoud 1

oldest know remains of homo sapiens

recontruction shows retracted face with archaic elognated brain case

Herto 1

Found in Ethiopia (afar region)

Male found; dated to 160,000 years ago

Modern features of herto 1

high-rounded neurocranium, partietal expansion, promient forehead, non-projecting face, canine fossa.

Archaic features of Hetro 1

medially thick brow-ridge, wide interorbital breth, large zygomatics, large vertical face.

en bombe cranial shape

distinuishing feature of homo sapiens

rounded and bulging outward (parietal/occipital regions)

gives it the globular shape

mosaic features

presense of anatomical triats in a fossil that combine features different species or evolutionary stages

Jebel Irhoud Morroco

mosaic fossil

face resmebles homo sapiens, braincase is more archaic

*Considered early homo sapiens with derived traits

Bodo Etiopía (600,000 years ago)

Massive face/brow ridge like H.erectus

Larger brain (1250 cc); modern cranial vault shape

Herto man 160,000 years ago

Transitional species between H.erectus / modern humans

Differences of H.erectus vs modern humans

H. Erectus has…

No true chin, larger teeth, large supraorbital torus, large projecting face, pronounced brow ridges

cranial capacity of H.erectus

600-1100 CC

chronomatic dating

dating technique that gives an estimate in years (absolute dating)

relative dating

any method of determining whether an event or object is older or younger than other events or objects

upper paleolithic art

austria and russia had horse sculptures, bone flutes and whistles carved with ivory

early evidence of symbolic artifacts

Blombos cave

Aurignacian

pertaining to an upper paleolithic stone tool industry in Europe, associated with humans
earliest record of Homo sapiens tools

Cro magon

earliest evidence of modern humans in france

30,000 ya

Earliest evidence of anatomoically accurate modern humans

Jebel irhoud

22 individuals found

315,000 ya

canine fossa

an indentation on the maxilla above the root of the canine, an anatomical feature usually associated with modern humans that may be present in some archaic Homo species in Europe

Complete replacement model

Homo sapiens moved from Africa to Europe and did NOT breed with existing hominids
Stringer/Rightmire
splitters

Splitters

Hominins split into several new species as they migrated out of Africa during the Pleistocene.

midfacial prognathism

the forward projection of the middle facial region, including the nose

occipital bun

a projection of the bone in the back of the cranium where neck muscles attach, these muscles hold up the head

Feldhover cave

First Neandertal individual recognized, found in 1856 by Fuhlrott• Schaaffhausen recognized the specimen as a human ancestor•Accepted as a non-modern human ancestor after more finds were made

also known as Neander Valley

Sima de los huesos

Large sample of Homo heidelbergensis and very early evidence of Neanderthal ancestry, earliest evidence of deliberate body disposal of the dead anywhere

Schoningen

shows evidence of fire-hardened spears in the hominin species Homo heidelbergensis.

Bodo

the earliest definitive evidence of Homo heidelbergensis in Africa, evidence of ritual defleshing or cannibalism)

Kabwe (broken hill)

found complete cranium of Homo heidelbergensis, very robust brow ridges, resemblance of Homo erectus and also modern humans
300,000+ yrs ago

Ngandong

130,000 years ago (latest H. erectus)
12 partial skulls and two tibiae were unearthed at this site in the 1930s. The cranial capacities of these hominins ranged from 1,035 to 1,255 cc.
verey late survival of homo erectus

Zhoukoudian, china

the second largest collection of Homo erectus fossils from Asia is found at this site
shows how some Homo erectus adapted to cold enviornments
Davidson Black

Dmansi

first Homo Erectus fossils found in Georgia that show differences that give evidence that Homo Erectus was the first Homo species to leave Africa. 1.85mya
small body, large cranial capacity

Homo erectus

•Thick cranial bone•Low forehead•Supraorbital torus•Fairly large posterior teeth•Sagittal ridge/keel•Nuchal torus•Broad-based skull
First projecting face/ Nose
1100 cc
oldowan and Achueulian

Denisovans

found in a cave in Sibera, Based on only a finger bone and a tooth, in geneticists sequenced the entire genome of a population called

also share a common ancestor with neanderthals and modern humans

Gracile

slender build

Robust

strong build

First hominin to have a projecting nose

Homo erectus

What does homo habilis mean in latin

Handy man, because they had tools

First hominin to leave africa / where found

Homo erectus in Dmansi

Scientific name given to pre-modern humans in paleolithic

Homo Heidlerbigensis

Which archaic humans represented by DNA

Homo sapiens, Denisovans, H. Heidlerbigensis

Accepted hypothesis for limb proportions in neanderthals

Allens rule

Which hominins have been found in americas

Homo sapiens (350 kya-present)

Important artifact in shonogan germany

fossilized wooden spears

Skhul, Herto, Cro- Magon sites found…

Homo sapiens (Anatomically modern humans)

3 models of human origins

Multi-regional, Assimilation, Out-of africa/Replacement

What do only modern humans have?

Canine fossa

Sex, species and site of Nariokotome individual

Male homo erectus found in lake turkana,kenya

WT1500/Turkana boy

Which model of human origins emphasizes gene flow

Multi-regional

(Only gene flow)

Which stone tool industry did Homo erectus use

Oldowan/Achulean

Which hominin is associated with paramastification

Neaderthals

Jacob-bridge-Isreal

Displays earliest evidence for controlled fire use

Information about sequencing Neanderthal genome

-Found interbreeding between modern humans

-Carnorvious diet

-FOXP2 gene

-Neaderthals had red hair/green eyes