Biology Human Evolution

Hominin

Humans and their direct ancestors

Bipedalism

the ability to walk upright on two legs

Zygomatic arches

cheek bones (reduced in size among hominids)

Sagittal crest

Bump found on the top of the skull where muscles attached (reduced in size among hominids)

Teeth size

(reduced in size among hominids)

Cranium size

Size of the human skull (increased in size among hominids)

Foremen magnum

Hole in the base of skull. (moved towards the center of skull in more modern hominids)

Face slant

Hominids faces become flatter the more modern the hominid.

Hominoids

apes and humans

Primates

Members of the mammalian order Primates, which includes lemurs, lorises, tarsiers, monkeys, apes, and humans.

monkeys

primates with tails

apes

a large primate that lacks a tail, including the gorilla, chimpanzees, orangutan, and gibbons.

cultural evolution

The adaptive changes of cultures in response to environmental changes over time

biological evolution

Change in allele frequency of a species or population over time

technological evolution

how technology has changed over time

Out of Africa Hypothesis

The hypothesis that modern humans (Homo sapiens) evolved in Africa and spread to other continents, replacing other Homo species without interbreeding with them.

Multiregional Theory

Populations largely isolated with some interbreeding, so evolved in parallel to become species we are today with distinct features in regional races. Location of H. erectus in many regions supports theory.

Homo sapiens

modern humans

Homo neanderthalensis

the species before us homo sapiens; lived form 30,000 to 300,000 years ago; they were stronger and had bigger brains. First to bury dead and care for old.

Homo denisova (denisovans)

an extinct hominin species that lived alongside Homo sapiens with whom they are believed to have interbred. Their status as a distinct species or subspecies of Homo sapiens is still debated

Homo habilis

(man of skill) first to make stone tools

Australopithecines

Any early hominid that walked upright.

Paranthropus

Genus of robust, vegetarian hominins includes P. aethiopicus, robustus and boisei.

femur angle

the angle between the top and bottom of the femur when standing. It is greater in hominins when compared to other primates