NCEA L3 Human evolution

Trends in human evolution

Change over a period in relation to human biological evolution, human cultural evolution, and patterns of dispersal of hominins.

Hominins

Living and fossil species belonging to the human lineage, a subgroup of hominids that includes both humans and the great apes.

Trends in human biological evolution

Begin with early bipedal hominins and involve skeletal changes linked to bipedalism, changes in skull and endocranial features, and changes in the manipulative ability of the hand.

Trends in human cultural evolution

Involve the use of tools (stone, wood, bone), use of fire, clothing, abstract thought (communication, language, art), food-gathering (hunter-gatherer, domestication of plants and animals), and shelter (caves, temporary settlement, permanent settlement).

Primates

An intelligent mammal that includes monkeys, apes, and humans, distinguished by having hands, feet similar to hands, and forward-facing eyes.

Human specialization

Includes skeletal changes and bipedalism, skeletal changes and hand flexibility, skin and cooling, and brain expansion and the development of speech and language.

Pentadactyl

Refers to having five digits, allowing humans to grab things 'precisely' and use tools to learn skills.

Plantigrade feet

Means walking with the toes and metatarsals flat on the ground, providing stability and weight-bearing ability.

Prehensile grasping

Ability of monkeys to use tails and limbs for grasping, advantageous for arboreal life.

Forward facing eyes

Allows for binocular or stereoscopic vision, enabling depth perception.

Clavicle

Stronger in apes and monkeys due to its use in arboreal life.

Skin

The largest organ of the body, with humans having more sweat glands and finer hair for quick cooling in hot conditions.

Ridges on skin

Provide sensitivity to touch.

Nails

Provide extra support to the tips of the digits for grasping branches or objects.

Brain Expansion

Refers to the increase in brain size and complexity, contributing to the development of speech and language.

Skeletal changes linked to bipedalism

Changes in the structure of the skeleton that allow for upright walking.

Changes in skull and endocranial features

Alterations in the skull structure and brain cavity that accompany evolutionary changes.

Manipulative ability of the hand

Refers to the dexterity and skill in using hands for various tasks.

Use of tools

Involves the creation and utilization of objects to assist in tasks, significant in human cultural evolution.

Use of fire

A major advancement in human evolution that allowed for cooking, warmth, and protection.

Abstract thought

The ability to think about concepts that are not immediately present, including communication, language, and art.

Food-gathering

Includes methods such as hunting-gathering and the domestication of plants and animals.

Shelter

Refers to the various forms of housing, including caves, temporary settlements, and permanent settlements.

Cooling in hot conditions

Allows quick cooling in hot conditions.

Chimpanzees sweat glands

Chimpanzees have less sweat glands and longer hair on the skin.

Human dispersal

This tells us why humans were able to move long distances during human dispersal.

3-D vision

Aided by Colour (Rods and Cones) and fovea gives a detailed picture of the environment.

Binocular vision

Primates have forward facing eyes to give them a wide field of binocular vision.

Human vision development

Humans' vision is more developed than other primates which compensates for our reduced sense of smell.

Brain size

The Primates brain is larger than other animals.

Human brain

Humans' brain is the largest and because of cerebral cortex development we are the most intelligent.

Kinaesthetic balance

Allows awareness of bodily movement without visual aid.

Arboreal

Pertains to trees; enables primates to perfectly balance their body as they move around.

Human kinaesthetic balance

Humans' kinaesthetic balance is not as developed but exists as muscle memory or the sixth sense.

Sense of smell

Apes have increased sense of smell than humans.

Reproduction in Primates

Long gestation provides full internal development of embryo before being born.

Nutrient-rich milk

Further external development is enhanced by nutrient and vitamin rich milk from mothers.

Social life of Primates

Primates are extremely social; bigger numbers mean more work is done through division of labour.

Group advantages

Helps in organized hunting, taking care of the young, and finding mates for reproduction.

Molecular Taxonomy

Classification of organisms based on the distribution and composition of chemical substances.

Protein Analysis

Protein Analysis involves studying the positioning of amino acids of Apes and humans.

DNA Hybridisation

Accomplished by heating strands of DNA from two different species that breaks the H-bonds between complementary base pairs.

Hybrid DNA strand

Scientists can make a 'new hybrid DNA strand through hybridisation' if the DNA's are similar.

Amino acid positioning

Shows a close relationship between Apes and humans.

Amino acids

Building blocks of proteins that, when combined, form proteins like those in humans.

Foramen magnum

The structure from which the spinal cord passes, centrally located in the human skull for balance and energy efficiency.

Advantages of foramen magnum location

Balance, save energy, and enable long-distance movement.

S-shaped vertebral column

Allows the chest and body weight to be directly above the hip bone, providing balanced agility.

Advantages of S-shaped spine

Provides balanced agility and supports upright posture.

Disadvantages of S-shaped spine

Must cater for all stress/weight from hip to head, making the hip bone vulnerable to injuries.

Hip girdle in humans

Bowl-shaped, small and tough, supporting all body weight above it.

Advantages of human hip girdle

Weighs less, uses less energy for movement, and allows for high agility.

Disadvantages of human hip girdle

Vulnerable to injuries and narrow, making childbirth difficult.

Hip girdle in chimpanzees

Long and hard, distributing weight on forelimbs.

Valgus angle

Human knees are centrally located, aligning with the hip girdle, enhancing balance and energy efficiency.

Advantages of valgus angle

Provides a balanced mode of walking, saving energy for long-distance travel.

Arched foot

Allows for speed in movement by minimizing surface contact, saving energy.

Advantages of arched foot

Increases speed and acceleration, aiding in evasion of predators.

Enlarged big toe

Propels humans forward; prevents injury and movement halting.

Disadvantages of hooked big toe

Would impede movement and risk injury, affecting human dispersal.

Flattened chest in humans

Flattened from back to front, aiding in bipedalism.

Flattened chest in chimpanzees

Flattened from side to side, differing from human chest structure.

Bipedalism

The ability to walk on two legs, a key evolutionary advancement in humans.

Evolutionary biological advancement

Changes in skeletal structure that support efficient bipedalism.

Knocked knees

Human knees align with the hip girdle, providing stability and balance.

Human exploration

Enabled by energy-efficient bipedalism, allowing long-distance travel.

Chimpanzee locomotion

Characterized by seesaw motion due to different skeletal structures.

Energy efficiency in bipedalism

Reduced energy expenditure during movement compared to quadrupedal locomotion.

Skeletal evolution

Changes in upper and lower skeletal structures that facilitate bipedalism.

Foot

Humans evolved to have both arched feet and larger big toes which were not hooked, allowing for efficient movement.

Femur and Knee

Humans have evolved to have 'knocked knees' which are centrally aligned with the hip girdle, enabling better balance while walking.

Hip Bone

Humans have a hip girdle that is 'bowl shaped', small and tough, allowing for efficient weight support and agility.

Power Grip

A grip that allows humans to hold objects firmly, enabled by the development of the hands due to bipedalism.

Precision Grip

A grip that allows for fine manipulation of objects, crucial for tool use and development.

Oldawan Tools

Tools created by Homo habilis, marking one of the earliest known tool-making traditions.

Acheulean Tools

Tools developed by Homo erectus, characterized by bifacial hand axes.

Mousterian Tools

Tools associated with Neanderthals, known for their sophisticated flake technology.

Upper Paleolithic Tools

Advanced tools created by Homo sapiens, reflecting complex cognitive abilities.

Energy Efficiency in Hunting

The development of less energy-consuming hunting strategies due to tool use and bipedalism.

Cerebral Cortex Development

The growth of the brain's cerebrum, which was influenced by increased energy availability and complex survival strategies.

Agility

The ability to move quickly and easily, enhanced by the structure of the human hip bone.

Quadrupedal Posture

The body posture of chimpanzees that supports weight on their forelimbs, unlike human bipedalism.

Arboreal Life

A lifestyle adapted to living in trees, which is characteristic of chimpanzees.

Energy Conservation

The reduced energy expenditure during movement due to the anatomical adaptations of bipedalism.

Long Distance Walking

The ability to walk over extended distances, facilitated by human anatomical adaptations.

Chimpanzee Foramen Magnum Position

The more rearward position of the foramen magnum in chimpanzees, affecting their ability to walk upright.

Sweat Glands

More sweat glands than any other primates, allowing for greater water loss and quicker cooling of the skin.

Finer Hair

Shorter and finer hair on the skin that allows air to brush through easily, aiding in the evaporation of sweat and cooling the skin.

Information Storage

The ability of the modern human brain to store many decades worth of information for teaching future generations.

Quick Thinking

The brain's ability to collect and process information rapidly, crucial for making fast decisions in challenging situations.

Abstract Thinking

The capability to solve problems and create ideas that enable survival in harsh environments.

Oxygen Supply

Human brains use approximately 20 percent of the body's oxygen supply.

Blood Flow

Human brains receive about 20 percent of the body's blood flow.

Cerebrum

The most highly developed part of the human brain responsible for thinking, perceiving, producing, and understanding language.

Cerebral Cortex

The area of the brain where most information processing occurs.

Neocortex

The area of the brain with the greatest amount of recent evolutionary change, involved in higher functions such as sensory perception and cognition.

Cerebellum

Part of the brain associated with balance, motor control, and learning complex motor sequences.

Broca's Area

The region of the brain that helps produce sound.

Wernicke's Area

The region of the brain that helps understand language.

Environmental Challenges

Difficulties faced by early humans that necessitated the evolution of the brain for survival.