Fossils

Early Homo

• Africa

• ape sized brain

• rel. small teeth

• rel. small canine

• may be bipedal

Australopithecina

late Miocene

Ardipithecus

• Eastern Africa

• 5.8 - 4.4 Ma

• reduced canines

• habitual bipedalism

• habitual bipedalism?

Australopithecus anamensis

• about 3.8 ma

• canine larger than other hominins

• well-developed sagittal crest

• cranial features likely primitive

Australopithecus afarensis

• Southern Africa

• 2.7 - 3.9 Ma

• slightly larger cranial capacity

• larger canines

• cheek teeth: relatively large

• postcrania

  • longer arms

  • long fingers and toes

  • curved digits

  • short thigh

  • funnel-shaped thorax

Paranthropus

• robust face and jaw

• evolutionary dead end?

• megadont cheek teeth

• small anterior dentition

• less alveolar prognathism

• huge temporal muscles, large temporal fossa

• males have sagittal crest

• widely flaring zygomatic arches

• post-orbital construction

• dished face

• south africa

• 1.8-1.2 Ma

Australopithecus sediba

• South Africa

• 1.977 to 1.98 mya

• primitive traits similar to A. africanus

• derived traits - Homo

• relatively small cranium

• widely spaced temporal lines

• very little post-orbital construction

• some arboreal locomotion

Homo naledi

• S. Africa

• smaller brain

• primitive homo

• cranium

  • small

  • widely spread temporal lines

  • more rounded cranium —> widest at base

  • lower facial prognathism

• mandible

  • canines small

  • parabolic dental arcade

  • no diastema

• upper limb

  • scapula ape like

  • primitive

• hand

  • human-like manipulation abilities

  • phalanges long and curved

Homo erectus

• 2 Ma - 50 Ka

• larger brain and body size

• found in africa, asia, and europe

• sagittal keel

• shovel-shaped incisor

• smaller post-canine tooth size

• posterior molars get smaller

• linear body build

• less sexually dimorphic

Homo heidelbergensis

• low, long cranium

• big brow ridges

• broad, flat face

• rounded brain case

• occipital torus

• human-like encephalization

• primitive face and cranium

• Europe

  *also Asian and Africa

Denisovans

• Europe and Asia

• 41,000 years ago

• share common characteristics with Humans and Neanderthalensis

• short mandibular corpus

• large molars with 5 cusps

• No M3

• no chin

• difficulty dating

• large robust molars and teeth

• broad face and large nose

• sloping forehead

• protruding jaw

• similar in height to neanderthals

Neanderthalensis

• western europe to central asia

• 40,000 - 400 years ago

• low cranial vault

• higher nasial bone

• mid-facial prognathism

• occipital bun

• small mastoid process

• large round orbitals

• large brow ridges

homo habilis

• the oldest known species of genus Homo

• longer legs (sometimes longer arms)

• long, strong thumb

• short, straight fingers

• broader fingertips

• fully terrestrial with a bipedal gait

• lived in savannas and woodlands

• primarily vegetarian but with somewhat more mixed diet

• associated with Oldowan tools

2.4 to 1.5 mya

homo rudolfensis

-larger brain capacity

flatter and broader facial features

possessed larger cheek teeth

longer face

some scientists argue it should be separate species due to distinctiveness

2.0 to 1.5 mya

homo ergaster

-skull had higher more domed cranium

teeth and jar were smaller compared to earlier hominins

less body hair

less sexual dimorphism

1.8 to 1.3 mya

homo antecessor

brain size over 1,000 cc)

possessed characteristics of both Neanderthals and Homo sapiens including: bulky brow and big jaw of Neanderthal

the cheekbones and nose of Homo sapiens

not likely