topic 12 human origins

shared characteristics with animals

ingestive heterotrophs, immune system

shared characteristics with vertebrates

endoskeleton, spine

shared characteristics with tetrapods

four legs/limbs, lungs

shared characteristics with mammals

hair, mammary glands

what does mtDNA cox1 indicate?

humans are primates

who are the closest relatives of primates?

colugos

what makes humans different than other primates?

• habits

• reduced hairiness

• bigger brain

• control of fire and cooking

• language and art

• obligate bipedalism

• tool making

what is visual acuity important for?

tool making and hunting

what does visual acuity derive from?

stereoscopic vision (depth perception) and trichromatic vision (color and depth perception

what does a dexterous hand allow for?

precision taskswh

what does the dexterous hand derive from?

• opposable thumbs

• wide, tactile fingers with friction ridges

• finger nails

what is bipedalism associated with?

• broadened adn shortened pelvis

• forward pointing big toe

• femurs angled inward

• Furman magnon on the bottom of skull

what changes allowed for bipedalism?

• suspensory arboreal locomotion

• loss of tail

• increased body size

• enhanced opposability on the homo lineage