Ch.10: Early Hominin Origins and Evolution: The Roots of Humanity

identify the features of the pre-australopithecine Orrorin tugenensis

dates to 6 mya
found in Tugen Hills
clear evidence of bipedalism from the femurs
hominin canine complex

select the conclusions you can reach using the figure below

OH 5 older than OH 12
OH 11 is youngest
OH 24 approximately same age as OH 7

Place in order the expected appearance of each hominin feature according to Owen Lovejoy's provisioning hypothesis

1.bipedalism
2. small canine
3.big brain
4.tools

The numerous parallel dotted lines on this map indicate the location of an important feature on the landscape. What is it?

East African Rift Zone

Several ________ , especially the well-represented A. afarensis, had lower limb morphology indicating very _______ locomotion.

1. australopithecines
2. humanlike

Identify the muscles shown on these skulls by dragging and dropping each term to the appropriate location on the diagram

Upper: temporalis
Lower: masseter

Identify the muscle that is oriented vertically in hominins to allow for crushing food

Human skull upper muscle

Identify the dental traits that characterized the hyper-robust australopithecines

large molars

Complex tool use is one of the characteristics of modern humans, yet the first tool users and makers are difficult to determine definitively. Still, various hominins have been associated with tool use. Identify the early hominins that have been shown to use tools.

Aust. garhi
Aust. afarensis
Homo habilis

Identify the features that are associated with bipedalism as seen in humans.

S-shaped spine
short ilium

Many features distinguish modern humans from the nonhuman apes. However, only bipedalism and nonhoning canines define hominins as a group. Identify the reasons why

The evolution of hominins involved several different changes that happened at different times. Only two of these evolved early enough to apply to all hominins.

Many features distinguish modern humans from the nonhuman apes. However, only bipedalism and nonhoning canines define hominins as a group. Identify the reasons why

Ardipithecus ramidus: Ethiopia
Sahelanthropus tchadensis: Chad
Orrorin tugenensis: Kenya

Place the following australopithecines in the chronological order in which they likely lived, from oldest to most recent

Australopithecus anamensis, Australopithecus afarensis, Australopithecus garhi, Australopithecus sediba

Place the following important evolutionary events in chronological order. These events define hominins as a group

evolution of bipedalism
increase enamel thickness
regular use of stone tools
enlargement of brain

Identify the statements that correctly describe the site of Bouri

Aust. Garhi found here
located in middle awash Ethiopia
cut marks and smashed bones found

Identify the characteristics associated with Australopithecus afarensis in contrast to earlier hominins

lived in various habitats
diverse diet
round heels, double arches

Drag the dentition features to show which ones are characteristics of humans or indicative of nonhuman apes. Note that some morphologies are indicative of both.

apes: thin enamel, honing complex
both: specific number/type of teeth
humans: thick enamel, non-honing

Australopithecus deyiremeda is similar to other australopithecines in tooth size.

False

This is a possible phylogeny of early hominins. Drag the species names to the appropriate locations on the diagram

1. Ardipithecus ramidus
2. Aust. anamensis
3. Aust. afarensis

Select the statements that describe Olduvai Gorge.

Aust. boisei and stone tools found
contains layers of exposed geologic strata

The drawing represents three genera of pre-australopithecines. Match the key features to the correct species by dragging the image

Skeleton: Ardipithecus
Skull: sahelanthropus
femur: Orrorin

Match the features to the appropriate early Australopithecus species.

Aust. afarensis: associated with fossilized footprint track, "Lucy"
Aust. anamensis: parallel tooth row, has large canines

Drag the genus names to their appropriate position in the hominin lineage.

left: Ardipithecus
Right top: homo
Right bottom: robust australopithecines

Match the following food acquisition behaviors to the hominin tool type or technology most likely used to carry it out.

Cobbles: smashing bone
Chipped stone tools: cutting meat
South African bone tools: digging termite mounds/ roots

Early hominins have been found across Africa. Each area exhibits unique and different geological formations. The different formations determine how we can date the fossil and how they are preserved. Drag the geological formation where hominins were found to their location

Top: dessert
Right: sedimentary basins
Bottom: limestone caves

Identify the statements that correctly describe Australopithecus platyops.

Aust. platyops found
has flat face
suggested be place in genre Kenyathropus

Identify which features distinguish all hominins from other hominids and which are only characteristic of later hominins

Left: bipedalism, non-honing
Right: large brain, tool use

The events surrounding the Piltdown fossil discoveries provide important lessons for the scientific community. Place in chronological order the events that occurred before and after the excavations at Piltdown Common

-Leading scientific hypothesis large brain most important feature
-piltdown man found in england
-Aust. africans is found in south africa
-piltdown man hoax

Drag the species to the picture of its mandible.

Left: Pan
middle: Aust. anamensis
Right: Homo

Australopithecus sediba has a mosaic of advanced features associated with the genus Homo, whereas other features are ancestral and associated with the genus Australopithecus. Match each anatomical feature of Australopithecus sediba to the genus it most often resembles

Australopithecines: small brain, long arms
Homo: non curved phalanges

Which of the following hominins is represented by the map and information provided below?
dates to 3.5 mya
a lesser-known hominin from about the same time as Au. afarensis
discovered by Meave Leakey and her colleagues at Lomekwi, on the western side of Kenya's Lake Turkana
habitat was mainly woodlands
face was unusually flat

Aust. platyops

Identify the statements that correctly describe Lovejoy's provisioning hypothesis

-Provisioning by male allows female to care for more than one offspring at a time
-Freeing of hands, males could bring food to females and offspring

Which of the following statements best characterize the patchy forest hypothesis

-Climate change occurred led to contraction of forest in favor of grassland
-bipedalism more efficient for medium and long distance travel

Match the physical features on the left to the type of locomotion on the right

Gorilla: c-shaped spine, opposable big toe, elongated pelvis, no foot arch, foramen magnum near skulls posterior, straight knee
Human:everything else

Identify the statements that accurately describe both Australopithecus aethiopicus and Australopithecus boisei.

-They are found in East Africa.
-They had very large molars
-They are also known as robust australopithecines
-They had enormous chewing muscles indicated by the large attachment areas and a pronounced sagittal crest.

You are an anthropologist who has studied early hominin bones, and you argue, based on the finds, that this species was both bipedal and exhibited a high degree of sexual dimorphism in body size. What are the implications of your argument?

Your argument falsifies Owen Lovejoy's provisioning hypothesis because his hypothesis requires a decrease in sexual dimorphism with the evolution of bipedalism.

Using the graphic and the information provided below, identify this hominin by choosing the correct answer.
may have descended from Au. afarensis
large teeth and a large face
prominent sagittal crest
lived 2.0-1.5 mya
found at Swartkrans, Kromdraai, and Drimolen in South Africa

Aust. robustus

Watch the research video "Lucy Discovery" and answer the quesiton that follows.What did scientists conclude about human biological evolution based on the findings of Lucy and other australopithecines?

To be classified as a hominin, fossils had to demonstrate evidence of bipedal locomotion rather than larger brain size.

Identify the facts that emerged in the twentieth century that falsify Charles Darwin's hunting hypothesis for the origin of hominins

-Piltdown man hoax
-Bipedalism arose early in hominin evolution, while intensive use of chipped stone tools appeared much later

Identify the important features of the pre-australopithecine Sahelanthropus tchadensis.

-the only hominin fossil found in central Africa
-dates to 7-6 mya
-probably bipedal
-very small brain size
-prominent browridges

The earliest chipped stone tools on which there is consensus are called the_______ complex culture. The earliest of these tools date to about_____ mya

1. Oldowan
2. 2.6

Which of the following statements is true about nonhoning chewing and bipedalism

Both precede speech and tool use by several millions of years

_____concluded that because of the remarkable anatomical similarity between humans and______the continent of Africa was likely the place of origin of hominins.

1. Charles Darwin
2. chimps and gorillas

Match each hypothesis to the scientist(s) who proposed it

Owen Lovejoyprovisioning hypothesis
Charles Darwinhunting hypothesis
Peter Rodman and Henry McHenrypatchy forest hypothesis

You are presented with a fossil that was just excavated. This fossil skull has a large face, large molars, and a prominent sagittal crest, suggesting it is

Australopithecus robustus

Which of the following limb features are associated with bipedalism as seen in humans?

valgus knee
non-opposable big toe
length of the leg

Mary and Louis______worked for years at the famous hominin site of______in Tanzania, where they located numerous archaeological sites and hominin remains.

1.Leakey,
2.Olduvai Gorge