ANT-101-01 Important Hominins

Australopithecus aethiopicus

Lived 2.5 mya. Robust between a. afarensis and boisei. Had similar jaw movement to A. afarensis. Had a large, prognathic face. Robust face. Massive teeth. Sagittal crest.

Australopithecus boisei

A later robust australopithecine from East Africa that was contemporaneous with A. robustus and A. africanus and had the robust cranial traits, including large teeth, large face, and heavy muscle attachments. Lived 1.75 mya. Sagittal crest.

Australopithecus afarensis

Lucy, dubbed by some as the "Missing Link". The longest living hominin species. Shorter and more similar to chimpanzees. An early australopithecine from East Africa that had a brain size equivalent to a modern chimpanzee's and is thought to be a direct human ancestor. Lived 4/3.8 - 3 mya. Large teeth. Small cranium (size of a softball).

Australopithecus robustus

2 - 1 mya. Larger stature & bones, more muscular. V. large molars. Small brain. Sagittal crest.

Australopithecus africanus

A gracile australopithecine from South Africa that was contemporaneous with A. aethiopicus, A. garhi, and A. boisei and was likely ancestral to A. robustus. Lived 3 - 2.5 mya. While gracile, it was more robust than afarensis. Small brain, but some areas more developed than apes. Larger teeth than afarensis.

Australopithecus anamensis

Lived 4.2 - 3.9 mya. Skull, teeth, and ear openings were primitive like ardipithecus genus. But: think molar enamel. Resembled ancient apes despite bipedalism.

Ardipithecus ramidus

5.8 - 5.2 mya. Apelike cranium. Large canine teeth. Molar enamel not thick.

Homo erectus

1.9 mya - 140,000 ya. Oldest specimens found in Africa. Brain size was 700 - 1,250 ccs. Peking man of 460,000 - 230,000 ya had fire. Heavy brow ridges still present. Flat cranium. Widest toward base. Same postcranial structures as Homo sapiens, but heavier. Charcoal fire. Stone tools. Shelters. Front of skull narrows behind eye sockets. Strong jaw and neck muscles. Front teeth are larger than Homo sapiens, but smaller than older hominins.

Archaic Homo sapiens

200,000 - 30,000 ya. Thick bones. Heavy brow ridges. Sloping forehead. Similar cranial capacity to modern humans. Teeth larger and more worn down. Many artifacts.

Modern Homo sapiens

200,000 ya, first in Africa. Vaulted cranium. Pronounced forehead. Skull extends upward rather than backward from eyes. Skeleton not as heavy. Weak brow ridges. Short jaws. Prominent chin. About 1350 ccs of brain capacity.

Homo habilis

2.3 - 1.4 mya. Larger cranial capacity than australopithecines and ardipithecus (660 - 775 ccs). First stone tools. Carnivore teeth marks found underneath stone tool marks on bones of their prey indicate this was a scavenger species. Arching of skull base begins. Short. Disproportionately short arms.