Archaeology 1000 unit 9

the first bipeds

superfamily Hominoidea

a Classification in taxonomy that includes the lesser apes (Hylobatidae), great apes (Hominidae) and humans.

Hominidae family

a classification of taxonomy that includes the great apes and humans.

Homininae subfamily

a classification of taxonomy that includes the Gorillini tribe (gorillas) and the Hominini tribe.

The tribe of the Hominini

a classification of taxonomy that include the genus Pan (chimpanzees and bonobos) and Homo (humans and their fossil ancestors).

genus

a distinguishing factor between members of the Hominin tribe, including Australophitecus and Homo.

species

a distinguishing factor between the different genus of the Hominin tribe such as Homo habilis, Homo heidelbergensis and Homo sapiens.

Geologic Timescale

Earth history, usually divided into eons, eras, periods and epochs. Each of these has a numerical designation, going from largest to smallest.

Tertiary

One of the two main geological periods of human evolution. spans from 66 million to 2.6 million years ago and it is subdivided into five epochs: the Palaeocene, the Eocene, the Oligocene, the Miocene, and the Pliocene. Particularly relevant for us is the end of the Miocene (the moments in which the first bipeds emerged) and the Pliocene (with the expansion and diversification of the genus Australopithecus.)

Quaternary

one of the two main geological periods of human evolution. began 2.6 million years ago and continues to the present day. This period is divided into two epochs: The Pleistocene, and the Holocene.

Paleolithic period

One of the two main periods of the stone age as divided by John Lubbock. begins at the same time of the Pleistocene and is divided into three main periods: The Lower Palaeolithic , the Middle Paleolithic, and the Upper Paleolithic.

Neolithic period

One of the two main periods of the stone age as divided by John Lubbock. spans from 10 kya to the present time.

Continental drift

a feature of plate tectonics that helps theoretically explain not only why we have seven continents—but why mammals developed in the areas that they did. a process that describes the splintering of our world landmass from one singular continent called “Pangea” to the seven we have today.

When did mammals evolve fully?

around 190 million years ago, during the end of the Triassic Period.

ecological niches

positions in mammals habitats that were left open with the extinction of dinosaurs around 65 million years ago.

adaptive radiation

substantial increase in the number of species after a major climatic event.

ability to maintain regular body temperature

one of the most important factors contributing to the adaptive radiation of mammalian during their evolution.

homeotherms

warm blooded creatures like mammals.

isotherm

cold blooded creatures like reptiles and dinosaurs

k-selected propagation

Creatures (like mammals) that have few offspring and invest a lot of time in parental care.

r-selected propagation

Creatures (like reptiles) that have many offspring and invest little in caring for them.

arboreal hypothesis

a theory about how the evolution of early primates occurred that focuses on how primates are anatomically suited to life in the trees. Characteristics that support this hypothesis are primates’ grasping hands/feet/tails, binocular vision, and generally higher intelligence.

visual predation hypothesis

a theory about how the evolution of early primates occurred that asserts that early primates preyed predominantly on insects and other small animals in the forest. The increased vision, decreased sense of smell, and grasping appendages all aided early primates in catching prey, rather than living in trees, specifically.

angiosperm radiation hypothesis

a theory about how the evolution of early primates occurred that sets forth that early primates were evolving to consume the multitude of flowering plants, called angiosperms (specifically fruits), that emerged after the climatic shift that killed off the dinosaurs. These plants spread rapidly, and early primates may have taken advantage of this new food source and adapted to consume it.

euprimates

The first primates. arose around 55 million years ago during the Eocene epoch. Making up two different groups, the adapids and omomyids, they had the characteristics we associate with primates today in their binocular vision, grasping limps, nails (instead of claws), nonspecialized dentition, etc.

adapids

one of the two types of euprimates. Ancestral to lemurs, possibly anthropoids, Diurnal, Overall sexual dimorphism, and in canines, Longer skull, longer snout, smaller orbits, Diverse speciation.

omomyids

one of the two types of euprimates. Ancestral to tarsiers, Nocturnal, Projecting lower incisors, small canines, Short skull, short narrow snout, large orbits, Diverse speciation.

plesiadapiforms

the early mammals of the Paleocene. These mammals lacked the fundamental traits we have been describing as inherent in primates: they had claws, lacked convergent vision, lacked well-adapted grasping hands and feet, had a tiny brain, and had specialized dentition

Carpolestes

a genus of plesiadapiform that possessed longer fingers and toes for grasping, and a nail (instead of a claw) on the end of the large toe. This may represent a “transitional” animal that links early mammals with early primates.

Fayum area

the area where the majority of fossils from the Oligocene period are found (now modern Egypt). Which represents a shift from the previous epoch where fossil primates could be found in numerous regions around the world.

primitive anthropoids

emerged during the Oligocene epoch, though these Old World shared a number of both ape and monkey features in that they were diurnal, quadrupeds, and possessed a mixed dentition. Several groups emerged at this time beginning with oligopithecids, parapithecids, and propliopithecids.

Aegyptopithecus

One of the Propliopithecids genera, possessed the five lower molar cusps of an ape, in addition to the shearing canine and first premolars of a monkey, exhibited forward-facing eyes, grasping limbs, and a larger brain than its contemporaries. considered to be the first definitive catarrhine. Fossil evidence shows that there was significant sexual dimorphism between males and females by way of general body and canine size—indicating (as seen in modern anthropoids) a high level of competition between males for mates

platyrrhines

new word moneys. Currently preside in south America. At present, four different hypotheses exist to explain exactly how they got to live there:

• ancestors migrated south from North America

• ’ ancestors migrated from Africa to South America over the Atlantic Ocean (evidence supports)

• ancestors migrated from Africa to South America via land i.e. Antarctica (evidence supports)

• evolved independently of one another in South America and Africa, respectively

hominoids

First true apes, emerged during the Miocene epoch in Africa. primates that loosely resembled humans anatomically. had the Y-5 molars and classic 2/1/2/3 dental formula of the Old-World apes in addition to broad “flexible shoulder joints” and absent tails.

Proconsul

a types of hominoid that resembled a proto-chimpanzee

Drypopithecids

one of the three groups of primes that arose due to The radiation of African apes to other landmasses. found in Europe (France and Spain specifically) and were about the size of a modern chimpanzee. They resembled living apes in some important ways; in particular, they have similar dentition. also had large canines, thin enameled teeth for softer foods, grasping limbs for brachial locomotion, and relatively large brains.

Sivapithecids

one of the three groups of primes that arose due to The radiation of African apes to other landmasses. found in Asia and have strong enamel for foods like nuts and seeds. These apes are similar in morphology to Orangutans and, in addition to another Asian ape, Khoratpithecus, are likely the Orang’s direct ancestors. Asia at this time was also home to the largest primate ever discovered, the appropriately named Gigantopithecus that weighed as much as 300kg and was nearly 3m tall.

Oreopithecids

one of the three groups of primes that arose due to The radiation of African apes to other landmasses. short-lived (only one million years), were “medium-sized” (30-35kg), had dentition specific to eating leaves, and possessed brachiating limbs. Though small-brained, this ape does have similar traits to future hominids when the skeletal anatomy of the hand is analyzed. fossils recovered primarily in the Tuscany region of Italy, but they were also present in Africa and were contemporaneous with proconsulids there.