Hominin Evolution

Australopithecus Afarensis - Time Line and geographical distribution

3.7 - 2.5 million years ago

Lived in Central East Africa

Australopithecus Afarensis - Cranial Capacity and features

Capacity: 430 cc

• Foramen magnum almost central

• Steep forehead

• Brow ridge

• Large prognathism

• Chin underdeveloped

• Long flattened cranium

Australopithecus Afarensis - Jaw and dentition

• Becoming parabolic

• Diastema present

• More prominent canines

• Small molars and pre molars

Australopithecus Afarensis - Other adaptations

• Pelvis: bowl-shaped but narrow hips

• Vertebrae: More wedge-shaped

• Hand: Power and precision grip (thumbs getting longer and fingers straighter)

• Femur sloping inwards towards knee - large carrying angle

• Arms longer than legs

Australopithecus Afarensis - Diet

Opportunistic omnivores

Australopithecus Africanus - Time line and geographical distribution

3-2 million years ago

Lived in South Africa

Australopithecus Africanus - Cranial capacity and skull features

460 cc

(same as afarensis)

• Foramen magnum almost central

• Steep forehead

• Brow ridge

• Large prognathism

• Chin underdeveloped

• Long flattened cranium

Australopithecus Africanus - Jaw and Dentition

• More parabolic than apes

• No diastema

• Less prominent canines

• Small molars and premolars

Australopithecus Africanus - Other adaptations

(same as afarensis)

• Pelvis: bowl-shaped but narrow hips

• Vertebrae: More wedge-shaped

• Hand: Power and precision grip (thumbs getting longer and fingers straighter)

• Femur sloping inwards towards knee - large carrying angle

• Arms longer than legs

Australopithecus Africanus - Diet

Opportunistic omnivores

Paranthropus Robustus - Time line and geographical distribution

2-1 million years ago

Lived in South Africa

Paranthropus Robustus - Cranial capacity and skull features

540 cc

• Foramen magnum almost central

• Flatter forehead

• Brow ridge

• Large prognathism (slightly less than Australopithecus)

• Sagittal Crest

Paranthropus Robustus - Jaw and Dentition

• More parabolic than apes

• No diastema

• Small canines

• Large molars and premolars

Paranthropus Robustus - Other adaptations

• Pelvis: hips getting wider (bowl-shaped)

• Vertebrae: more wedge-shaped

• Hand: power and precision grip (thumb getting longer and fingers straighter)

• Femur sloping inwards towards knee

• Arms longer than legs

• Sexual dimorphism

Homo Habilis - Time line and geographical distribution

2-1.7 million years ago

Lived in East Africa

Homo Habilis - Cranial capacity and skull features

600 cc

• Foramen magnum central

• Brow ridge

• Moderate prognathism (slightly less than P. Robustus)

• Chin underdeveloped

Homo Habilis - Jaw and Dentition

• Parabolic

• No diastema

• Small canines

• Small molars and premolars

Homo Habilis - Other adaptations

Pelvis: hips getting wider (bowl-shaped)

Vertebrae: more wedge-shaped

Hand: precision grip (thumb getting longer and fingers straighter)

Legs longer than arms

Homo Erectus - Time line and geographical distribution

1.7 million years ago to 200 000 before present

Africa, Asia, and Europe

Homo Erectus - Cranial capacity and skull features

1000 cc

• Foramen magnum central

• Long flattened cranium

• Low forehead

• Brow ridge

• Moderate prognathism (slightly less than Homo Habilis)

• Chin development

Homo Erectus - Jaw and Dentition

• Parabolic (Wider than homo habilis)

• No diastema

• Small canines

• Molars and premolars getting smaller

Homo Erectus - Other adaptations

• Pelvis: hips getting wider (broad hip bones and bowl shaped)

• Vertebrae: Wedge-shaped

• Hand: precision grip (thumb getting longer and fingers straighter)

• Legs longer than arms

Homo Neanderthalensis - Time line and geographical distribution

200 000 - 30 000 years before present

Europe, Western Asia

Homo Neanderthalensis - Cranial Capacity and skull features

1485 cc

• Foramen magnum central

• Occipital bun

• Swept back cheekbones

• Large nose

• Low prognathism (slightly less than H. Erectus)

• Chin development (no chin yet)

Homo Neanderthalensis - Jaw and Dentition

• Parabolic (wider than H. Erectus)

• No diastema

• Small canines

• Molars and premolars getting smaller (larger than H. Sapiens though)

Homo Neanderthalensis - Other adaptations

• Pelvis: Hips getting wider (broad hip bones and bowl shaped)

• Vertebrae: Wedge shaped

• Hand: Precision grip (thumb getting longer and fingers straighter)

• Barrel chest - for warming air

• Thick muscular neck

• Short limbs - to give a lower SA to volume ratio making it better for them to retain heat

Homo Sapiens - Time line and geographical distribution

160 000 to present

Africa, Europe, Asia (spread worldwide from Afrcia)

Homo Sapiens- Cranial Capacity and skull features

1350 cc

• Foramen magnum central

• No brow ridge

• Vertical forehead

• Taller and more rounded skull

• No prognathism

• Chin

Homo Sapiens - Jaw and Dentition

• Parabolic (wider than H. Neanderthalensis)

• No diastema

• Small canines

• Smallest molars and premolars

Homo Sapiens- Other adaptations

• Pelvis: broad hip bones and bowl shaped

• Vertebrae: wedge shaped

• Hand: Precision grip (long thumbs and straight fingers)

Homo Habilis Tool Culture Name

Oldowan

Homo Habilis (Oldowan) - Food Collection Method

• Hunted and scavenged meat occasionally

• Mostly plant based diet

• Males would hunt and females would gather plant material - division of labour

Homo Habilis (Oldowan) - Tool Use

• Used pebble tools (very simplistic): Crudely flaked on one side of the pebble

• Choppers (tennis ball size)

• Scrapers (marble size)

• Flakes (small, shark section of rock)

Homo Habilis (Oldowan) - Cultural development

• Shared food so selection pressure for simple communication methods

• Simple language development possibly

• Evidence for increase in speech producing part of the brain

Homo Erectus Tool Culture Name

Achuelian

Homo Erectus (Acheulian) - Food collection method

• Hunting more important

• Mainly plant based food with increasing amounts of meat including fish

• More organised and skillful hunters using a variety of techniques to catch prey

• Tapping and butchering

Homo Erectus (Acheulian) - Tool Use

• More complex and diverse tools

They have flakes on all sides

An increased number of bows and flakes

Increase in the number of materials used (bone, bamboo)

• Hand Axes - have flaking on all edges, bifacial, teardrop shaped

• Used butchering and removing animal hides

Homo Erectus (Acheulian) - Cultural Development

• Possibly developed complex language

• Constructed simple shelters

• Modified environment to suit needs

• Used fire for warmth, protection, cooking (increasing digestibility and flavour)

• Mutual corporation

Homo Neanderthalensis Tool Culture Name

Mousterian

Homo Neanderthalensis (Moustarian) - Food

• Hunter gatherers

• Increasing meat content

• Big game hunting (wooly mammoths)

Homo Neanderthalensis (Moustarian) - Tool Use

• Flake tools for cutting, scraping, piercing (these tools had much smaller flakes)

• Scraping tools to prepare animal hides for clothes

• Hafting: a process by which an artifact (stone flake or bone) is attached to a haft (stick)

• Levallois Technique:

A piece of stone was first trimmed into a disc-shaped core and struck many times to produce flakes that were flat on one side and had sharp edges. This process was slow and labour intensive.

Homo Neanderthalensis (Moustarian) - Cultural Development

• Animal hides used for clothing to protect them from cold climate

• Sharing of resources

• Buried their dead - ceremonial burials

• Caring for sick and disabled members of the group

Homo Sapiens Tool Culture Names and Time Period

Cro-Magnon (France, Europe)

Aurignacian: 43 000 - 26 000 BP

Solutrean: 22 000 - 19 000 BP

Magdelenian: 18 000 - 12 000 BP

Cro Magnon Food

• Increasing meat content in diet

• Animals provided a source of meat, clothing, tools, and material for shelter

Cro Magnon (Aurignacian) Tools

• Blade tools with parallel sides

• Bone tools

• Tools prepared from cores (not crude flakes)

Cro Magnon (Solutrean) Tools

• Used flint and stone

• Developed ornamental ‘laurel-leaf’ blade

• Ornamental rather than practical

Cro Magnon (Magdelenian) Tools

• Bone, ivory, and antler tools

• Burin (chisel like cutter) - making tools to make tools

• Fine needles

• Barbed spear points and throwers

• Hooks

Cro Magnon Cultural Development

• Created portable art - figurines and statuettes

• Sewing of animal skins, clothing, and shelter

• Developed coordinated hunting techniques

• Mural art