History of Evolutionary Theory

History of Evolutionary Theory (Dr. Jeffrey Peterson)

Why Evolution Matters for Anthropology

  • Humans are one of many primate species.

  • We share important biological traits with other primate species.

The Phylogenetic Tree of Life and Deep Time

  • This diagram illustrates major and many minor living branches of life, along with some extinct ones (e.g., dinosaurs).

  • Key Time Periods and Events (Millions of Years Ago - MYA):

    • 4000-3000 MYA: Earth Birth.

    • 541 MYA: Cambrian Explosion - a period of rapid diversification of most major animal phyla.

    • Mass Extinction Events: Occurred at approximately:

      • 444 MYA

      • 370 MYA

      • 252 MYA

      • 201 MYA

      • 66 MYA

  • Major Domains of Life:

    • Bacteria

    • Archaea

    • Eukaryotes (includes Plants, Fungi, Animals)

  • Evolution of Various Life Forms:

    • Early Life: Global Ice Ages, Oceans Rust.

    • Animals: Protostomes (sea scorpions - extinct, trilobites - extinct, ammonites - extinct), Echinoderms.

    • Vertebrates: Armored fish (extinct), Fish (herring, eels, gar, sturgeon, acanthodes).

    • Amphibians: Caecilians, Salamanders, Frogs.

    • Reptiles: Lizards, Snakes, Marine reptiles (extinct), Turtles, Crocodiles, Pterosaurs (extinct), Dinosaurs (extinct).

    • Birds: Ostriches.

    • Mammals: Mammal-like reptiles (extinct), Platypus, Echidna, Marsupials, Aardvarks, Multituberculates (extinct), Elephants, Dogs, Wolves, Bears, Seals, Sheep, Goats, Deer, Camels, Rabbits, Rodents, Tree shrews, Lemurs, Tarsiers, New World Monkeys, Old World Monkeys, Gibbons, Orangutans, Gorillas, Chimpanzees, Humans (positioned as