Unit 2: Evolution

Unit 2

Misconceptions about evolution

We are not monkeys, orangutans, chimpanzees or gorillas, neither are they the same thing

Humans

Belong to biological groups called Peimates and are classified with great apes, similarities in anatomy and behaviour, we have close biological kinship with other primate species indicated by dna evidence, closest living relatives are chimps and baboons, we diverged from common ancestry million of years ago

Archaeological discoveries

Stone tools, weapons along River bank, people now capable of more, people often opposed to idea, went against religious texts

Charles Darwin 1831

Discovered evidence to prove evolution, travels for four years on HMS beagle observing wildlife and collecting fossils, kept his discovery secret, wrote on the origin of species in 1859, and the descent of man in 1871, public begins to accept evolution, natural selection

Natural selection

1. Variation in traits, 2. Differential reproduction, 3. Heredity, 4. End result

Genetics

Gregor Mendel, inheritance, breeding experiments with plans, discovered certain genes are dominant and are passed down to offspring explains how modern humans inherited traits from earlier hominids, explains human variation

Paleoanthropology

Study if human ancestors based in evidence fri. The distant evolutional part, evidence exists in form of fossils, points to Africa as origin if humans

Human ancestors, Importsnt discoveries

Dart, Leakey, Johansson, Richard Leakey, Tim White, comparisons between humans and earlier hominids, competition between Neanderthals and Homo sapiens

Ardipithecus Ramidus - 4.4 million years ago

Discovered in 2009, bipedalism began 4.4 million years ago,anatomy suggests was not a knuckle walker, has opposable bug toes meaning was able to move through tree

Tuang’s Child - Australopithecus Africanus

3\.3-2.1 milllion years ago, first ancient hominid discovered in 1924, fossilized skull found by workers in a quarry in South Africa, skull more human than ape, teeth, and jaws very similar

Lucy - Australopithecus Afarensis

3\.85-2.95 million years ago, one metre tall, long arms with ape like thumbs, able to grasp tree limbs, ape like face, slanted thigh bone, arched foot, significantly smaller brain, found by Donald Johnson and Tom gray in 1974 in Ethiopia, 40% complete

Handy man - Homo Habilis

After Australopithecus developed, lived in Africa 2.3-1.5 million years ago, used stone tools, may have coexisted with Australopitheci es

Homo erectus

Existed 1.28 to 300 000 million years go, possessed modern human like body proportions, oldest human discovered with such proportions, learned to control fire, first species to expand beyond Africa and

Homo-Neanderthalensis

Found in Europe, Asia, Middle East, disappeared, less intelligent, may have been hunted by humans, lost in competition for food and did not contribute to gene pool, may have interbred with modern homo sapiens, remains in Hungary date back 450 000 ago, similar bone structure to modern humans, developed more advanced tools, for ed spoke language

The hobbit - Homo Foresiensis

100 000 - 60 000 years ago, discovered in Indonesia in 2004, three for six, tiny brains, large teeth, shurugged forward shoulders. No chins, receding foreheads, relatively large feet due to their short legs, despite small body and brain size, made and used stone tools, hunted small elephants and large rodents, island dwarfism

Homo Sapiens

Emerged 40 000 years ago, skills included making clothes, and more sophisticated technology, tall as milder humans with same facial and cranial features

Homo Naledi

New discovery in 2013, announced 2015, discovered u. South Africa’s, shows sign of burial, not seen in species this old, 1559 specimens been made, believed to bridge gap between Australopithecus and homo habIlis, think it ses 236 ppp yrs old, most remains excavated by women