anth240 discussion quiz

ardipithecus ramidus

5.2-4.4 MYA. small and short body with long arms and hands

- ape-like brain case totaling around 300-350 cc

- ape-like jaw, prognathism decreases with evolution

- hands with curved fingers and flexible wrist

- pelvis

- rigid foot

- toe bone points to bipedalism, wasn't in use at the time likely

australopithecus anamensis

4.2-3.9 MYA. found in old forests and woodlands near lakes, Maeve Leaky in 1995 and Lake Turkana, Kenya

- brain size about 365-370 cc

- heavy plant eaters, fruits, nuts

- strong prognathism, heavily enameled teeth

- bipedal leg bones --> shin and human-like ankle joint

-- increasingly out of trees and onto the ground

- grasping feet are lost

australopithecus afarensis

4.2-2.9 MYA. Lucy is the most notable example

- rapid growth after birth, resembles chimps (not humans)

- ape-like: flat nose, prognathism, greater than 500 cc brain size

- diet includes leaves, nuts, fruits, insects, small game

- long and strong arms with curved fingers and a robust thumb

- regular upright walking

- life in the trees and on the ground

australopithecus africanus

3.3-2.1 MYA.

- rounder cranium with larger brain and smaller teeth

- male skull seems to be more robust than females

- ape-like: long arms, prognathism, greater than 500 cc brain size

- competent bipedalism

- shoulder and hand bones indicate used for climbing

- more robust thumb

- ate tough foods and fruits + plants

robust australopithecines

part of the broader genus (A) but are later evolutions, specialized enough for new classification related to differences in teeth and face size. contains adaptations for heavy shewing and strong sagittal crest

- a. boisei and a. robustus

A. boisei

robust australopithecine. 2.3-1.2 MYA. also called p. boisei

- flaring cheekbones, wide face, thickest enamel of any early human

- from East Africa

A. robustus

1.8-1.2 MYA. also known as P. robustus

- less extreme qualities of boisei

- from South Africa

genus homo

becoming human

- newborn human brain is 25% of adult size while a newborn chimp is 65% of adult size

- humans need longer nurturing time, which allows for development of kinship ties and knowing mother + family

- body:

-- pelvis - locomotion different from other primates

-- curvature and arch in foot

-- bipedalism allows for carrying meat + keep away from predators, carrying children, using weapons for protection, uses less energy

-- brain size - increased relative to body size

homo habilis

2.4-1.4 MYA. South and East Africa

- brain size of 600-800 cc

- Handy man - originally thought to be earliest tool users (tools are actually older than them, but still among first human ancestors to use tools)

- one of the earliest members of genus homo

- smaller braincase and face/teeth than australopithecines

- ape-like features including long arms and jaw prognathism

homo erectus

1.8 MYA-110,000 YA. North, East, South Africa, Asia, and potentially Europe

- oldest known human ancestor to share bodily proportions with homo sapiens

-- shorter arms, longer legs = no more trees

-- expanded brain size, average around 1000 cc

- early tool use

-- acheulean handaxes, stone tool technology. used wood, antler, or bone to flake blade

-- use of fire as early as 1.5 MYA

-- systematic hunting

- first species to "walk out" of Africa

- noteworthy findings in Turkana Boy, Java, Peking Man

Turkana Boy

1.5-1.6 MYA. Lake Turkana, Kenya. debated between h. erectus and related h. ergaster which displays primitive traits of erectus

Java Island

1891. Indonesia. erectus remains found, shell engravings from 500,000 YA, no stone tools

- possibility that Asia is the origin of humanity

homo heidelbergensis

700,000-200,000 YA. possible descendent of erectus. Europe, Africa, and possibly Asia

- brain size of 1200 cc

- first early human species to live in colder climates

- routinely hunted large animals, built fires, and used wooden spears (like erectus)

- lived in simple dwellings of wood and stone

-- possibly first species to do so

- debate of whether or not this is erectus or an archaic homo sapien

homo neanderthalensis

400,000-40,000 YA. Europe, Southwest and central Asia. Neanderthal

- brain size of up to 1700 cc, exceeding homo sapiens

- brawny stature, shorter and stockier than homo sapiens

- 15 month gestation period

- sophisticated tools, fire, shelter, skilled big game hunters

- potential language use, presence of the hyoid bone, lateralized + developed brain cerebrum which is similar to human brain

- evidence of burial and symbolic expression

- Shanidar Cave

- Mousterian lithic tools and Levallois technique

- Francois Bordes vs Lewis Binford

Shanidar Cave

Iraq. found deliberate burials with flowers and homo neanderthalensis laid in fetal position

levallois technique

pre-shaped the stone core and then sharpened the edges to create mousterian lithic tools

- 160,000 YA

Francois Bordes

1960s. studied a varity of mousterian lithics including tool types and hand axe forms

- concluded different types of tools were subtraditions with their own assemblages

Lewis Binford

father of new archaeology. rejects Bordes' hypothesis

- the different types of tools were not cultural developments but specialized toolkits used for different jobs or different times of year