Knowt 12 - Premodern Humans

Primer, "Heidi," and the Neanderthals

Pleistocene (4 Info)

1. "Ice Age"

2. Middle Pleistocene: 780 – 125 ka

3. Later Pleistocene: 125 – 10 ka

4. Glacial & interglacial periods

Glacial Periods (4 Info)

1. Colder temperatures

2. Sea levels drop

3. Europe: glaciers advance

4. Africa: deserts expand

Interglacial Periods (4 Info)

1. Warmer temperatures

2. Sea levels rise

3. Europe: glaciers retreat

4. Africa: savannahs expand

Anatomically Modern Humans (9 Info)

1. cranial capacity: 1350cc (avg)

2. high braincase

3. rounded occipital bone

4. small, flat face

5. projecting nasal bones

6. small brow ridge

7. protruding chin

8. parabolic dental arcade

9. Small teeth

Premodern Humans - Characteristics (7 Info)

1. Dramatic encephalization

2. Longer, but slightly higher braincase

3. Larger brow ridge

4. Bigger, projecting face

5. Projecting occipital bone

6. Larger teeth

7. No chin

Premodern Humans - Species (2 Species)

1. Homo Heidelbergensis

2. Homo Neanderthalensis

Premodern Humans - Dispersal (4 Places)

1. Africa

2. Eurasia

3. Asia

4. Europe

Premodern Humans - Subspecies (3 Subspecies)

1. Homo sapiens heidelbergensis

2. Homo sapiens neanderthalensis

3. Homo sapiens sapiens

“Heidi” - Homo Heidelbergensis (6 Info)

1. 700 - 200 ka

2. Range: Africa, Europe, Eurasia, Asia

3. Ancestral Characters

4. Derived Characters: 1300 cc (Avg), Higher max cranial width, Canine Fossa

5. Continued general evolutionary trend

6. Intermediate Robusticity 

Bodo, Ethiopia (3 Info)

1. 600 ka

2. Description: Adult Male, 1250 cc, Wide Nasal Opening

3. Significance: Earliest confirmed evidence of H. Heidelbergensis, signs of de-fleshing

Sima de los Huesos (3 Info)

1. Sierra de Atapuerca, Spain

2. 430 ka

3. Significance: 1000s of hominin fossils, 34 individuals, 80% of hominin remains, DNA shows Neanderthal relationship, Intentional Burial? 

Schöningen, Germany (2 Info)

1. 300 ka

2. Significance: Clear Evidence of hunting, 11 wooden weapons, 10,000+ Faunal remains

Tools, Culture, Lifestyle (5 Info)

1. used the "Levallois Technique"

2. regional hunter-gatherers

3. control of fire and cooking

4. built temporary structures

5. varied diet; first to exploit marine life

The Neanderthals (5 Info)

1. Discovery: 1856

2. Location: Neander Valley, Germany

3. Dates: Early Neanderthals": 400/300 - 130 ka; "Classic Neanderthals": 130 – 40 ka

4. Range: Europe and Asia

5. Pronunciation: neander-TAL, not –thal.

The Neanderthals - Characteristics (7 Info)

1. 1410 – 1520 cc (avg)

2. long, low cranium w/ sloping forehead

3. "occipital bun"

4. retromoral space

5. large, wide nasal aperture/cavity

6. projecting midface

7. widely set orbits

The Neanderthals - Aberration or Adaptation? (6 Info)

1. wide nasal aperture/cavity

2. wide, short trunk

3. short tibias

4. large infraorbital foramina

5. large cranial capacity

6. Glacial Period 225-125 at -6^o C

The Neanderthals - Burying (3 Info)

1. They buried their dead: Shanidar Cave, Iraq, 50-45 ka, 4 intentional burials

2. They took care of their injured: Shanidar 1 sustained significant injuries

3. They used “medicine”: pollen of plants with curative effects

The Neanderthals - Speaking (2 Indo)

1. They likely Spoke: Kebara Cave, Israel; 60 ka; hyroid bone

2. Evidence of brain lateralization: In Teeth?

The Neanderthals - hunting (3 Info)

1. Abundance of processed faunal remains

2. Bone chemistry/stable isotope analysis

3. Tooth plaque

The Neanderthals - Symbolism (3 Info)

1. Cuevo de los Aviones, Spain

2. 50 ka

3. Description: dyed, perforated shells

The Neanderthals - Genetics (2 Info)

1. mtDNA: difference of 200 - 105 base pairs (out of 16,569!)

2. nDNA: 99.7% the same