AN 1344 Final Exam Study Guide Flashcards

• Review key concepts from each chapter

• Practice past exam papers

• Organize study groups for collaborative learning

• Create flashcards for important terms and definitions

• Schedule regular study sessions leading up to the exam

• Ensure adequate rest and nutrition before the exam day.

Early Homo

• Why did Homo evolve?

  • The evolutionary pressures that led to the emergence of Homo are complex and likely multifactorial. Some potential factors include climate change, increased environmental variability, and the need for greater adaptability.

• Why did Australopithecines go extinct?

  • Several factors may have contributed to the extinction of Australopithecines, including competition with early Homo species, changes in climate and habitat, and potentially their inability to adapt to new environmental conditions as effectively as Homo.

• 1st evidence of human characteristics associated with Homo.

  • The earliest evidence of human characteristics associated with Homo includes increased brain size, the development of stone tools (Oldowan tools), and changes in dental and facial structures.

• Closest ancestor to Homo? A afarensis, A garhi, A sediba, K platyops?

  • The exact ancestor is still debated, but Australopithecus afarensis , Australopithecus garhi, and Australopithecus sediba are all considered potential candidates. Kenyanthropus platyops is another possible, though less widely supported, ancestor.

• Early H. erectus: relative time frame, overall basic traits (stone tools, language, & their significance, evolutionary relationships).

  • Early H. erectus appeared around 1.8 to 1.9 million years ago. Key traits include a larger brain size (850-1100 cc), more human-like body proportions, and the use of Acheulean stone tools. The development of language is still debated but likely more advanced than earlier hominins. They are considered direct ancestors to later Homo species.

• 1st evidence of human characteristics associated with home bases.

  • Evidence of home bases, suggesting more complex social structures and resource sharing, appears with Homo erectus. This includes evidence of hearths and consistent tool use areas.

• Middle-late Homo erectus: hypotheses about evolution of.

  • Hypotheses include adaptations to changing climates, increased reliance on hunting and tool use, and potentially the development of more complex social structures and communication abilities.

• 1st evidence of human characteristics associated with being first to leave Africa.

  • Homo erectus is generally considered the first hominin to leave Africa, around 1.8 million years ago. This is associated with increased adaptability, larger brain size, and the ability to exploit new environments.

• Meaning of Dmanisi finds: ALL early-middle-late Homo is H. erectus

  • The Dmanisi finds in Georgia are significant because they show a wide range of variation within early Homo populations outside of Africa. Some researchers argue that these finds, along with other evidence, suggest that all early to middle Homo specimens should be classified as H. erectus.

• Brain growth: relationship to diet, meat eating (evidence for), fire use, cooking.

  • Brain growth in early Homo is linked to increased meat consumption, which provided more calories and protein. The use of fire and cooking further increased the digestibility and nutritional value of food, allowing for greater brain development.

• Fire Use/cooking

  • The use of fire for cooking provided numerous benefits, including making food easier to digest, killing parasites, and increasing the availability of nutrients. This is evidenced by changes in tooth size and digestive systems, as well as archaeological finds of hearths and cooked food remains.

Transitional Homo & Neanderthals

• Phylogenetic and taxonomic issues (where do we draw the line between species?)

  • Defining species boundaries in the hominin fossil record is challenging due to incomplete fossils, variation within species, and the potential for interbreeding. This leads to debates about whether certain fossils represent distinct species or variants of existing ones.

• Climate & climate change during the Middle to Late Pleistocene & its effects on hominin evolution, specifically Archaic Homo

  • The Middle to Late Pleistocene saw significant climate fluctuations, including glacial and interglacial periods. These changes likely drove hominin evolution by favoring adaptability and the ability to exploit new resources and environments. Archaic Homo species, such as H. heidelbergensis, evolved during this period and show adaptations to colder climates.

• Archaic Homo: early & late forms; characteristics; and as compared to H. erectus & H. sapiens sapiens

  • H. heidelbergensis (archaic H. sapiens): relative time frame, overall basic traits (behavior, morphology, etc.) & their significance, taxonomy, evolutionary relationships to H. erectus, H. sapiens neanderthalensis, H. sapiens sapiens

  • H. heidelbergensis lived roughly 600,000 to 200,000 years ago. They exhibited a mix of H. erectus and H. sapiens traits, including a larger brain size than H. erectus but a more robust build than modern humans. They are believed to be ancestral to both Neanderthals and modern humans. Levallois tools are associated with this species.

  • Homo (sapiens) neanderthalensis: relative time frame, overall basic traits (behavior, morphology, etc.) & their significance, evolutionary relationships to previous & later Homo.

    • Neanderthals lived from about 400,000 to 40,000 years ago. They were adapted to cold environments with a stocky build, large nose, and strong brow ridges. They had complex behaviors, including the use of Mousterian tools, burial of the dead, and possibly symbolic expression. They are closely related to modern humans, sharing a common ancestor in H. heidelbergensis.

    • Mousterian tools

    • Fate of Neanderthals? Replacement vs. interbreeding: understand them both. What model is supported best by genetic and fossil evidence?

    • The fate of Neanderthals is a topic of debate. The replacement model suggests that modern humans completely replaced Neanderthals without interbreeding. The interbreeding model suggests that modern humans and Neanderthals interbred, and Neanderthal genes were integrated into the modern human gene pool. Genetic evidence suggests that interbreeding did occur, but the extent and significance of this interbreeding are still debated.

    • Shanidar I

  • Denisovan: relative time frame, what was found, DNA.

  • Denisovans lived around the same time as Neanderthals. They are primarily known from DNA evidence found in a cave in Siberia. Little is known about their morphology, but genetic evidence suggests they interbred with both Neanderthals and modern humans.

  • H. floresiensis: relative time frame, overall basic traits (behavior, morphology, etc.) & their significance, evolutionary relationships; Interpretations of size? (i.e. Insular dwarfism)

  • H. floresiensis, nicknamed the "Hobbit," lived on the island of Flores in Indonesia until about 50,000 years ago. They were characterized by their small size (about 3 feet tall) and small brain size. Insular dwarfism, a process where large animals evolve to smaller sizes on islands due to limited resources and lack of predators, is suggested as an explanation for their size