Transcript Human Evolution - Woodstown-Pilesgrove Regional School

Human Evolution
Classification
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Kingdom
Phylum
Class
Order
Family
Genus
species
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K- Animal
P – Chordata
C – Mammalian
O – Primates
F – Hominid
G – Homo
S - sapien
Evolution of Primates
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Members of the Order Primates
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Prosimians (first ape), monkeys, Apes, Humans
Thought to have evolved 60 mya
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2 distinct anatomical changes seen in the
Primate order
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Grasping hands and feet, nails on toes and fingers
Eyes moved to the front of the head, binocular
vision (overlapping vision, depth perception)
Mobile forelimbs and hindlimbs
Reduced reproductive rate
Prosimians – lorises, lemurs and tarsier
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1st to evolve
Nocturnal at night
Tree dwellers
Tail
36 MYA
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1st see diurnal primates – active during the day,
hunting for food, competition
Eyes evolved rods and cones – specialized cells that
allowed for seeing colors
Anthropoids – group of primates that include
monkeys, apes and humans
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Old world monkeys – (lack tails, protruding noses)
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New world monkeys- (long tails, flat noses)
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Baboon, rhesus
Spider monkey, capuchin monkey
Hominids – Australopithecus, Homo
Monkeys –
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Opposable thumb – provides hand with
improved level of dexterity
Long flexible tail
Apes – gorillas, chimps, orangutan
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Larger more developed brains
No tail
Human Evolution - characteristics
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Thought to have evolved 4 – 6 mya
Larger cranium capacity
S shaped spine
Shorter arms than legs
Shape of pelvis supports upper body
Jaws and teeth – more round
Bipedal – ability to walk upright on 2 feet
Comparison of Gorilla and Human
skeleton
Early Hominids (humans)
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Australopithecus (genus) – bipedal and larger
brains
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species: aferensis, africanus, robustus, boisei
“Lucy” – fossils found by Donald Johanson in
1974, dated to be 3.2 mya
Homo genus – 2 mya
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Composed of at least 4 species, may be many more
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Homo habilis – Handy man, found fossils with tools
Homo erectus – Java Man – found on island of Java, may
have been capable of speech, and 1st to use fire
Homo floresiensis – most recent discovery
Homo sapien - Wise man, 34,000 years ago
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Homo sapien the only living
Origin of modern humans hypotheses
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Multiregional continuity hypothesis –
modern humans originated separately in Asia,
Europe and Africa as much as 1 million years
ago.
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Difference in the genes is expected between
human populations at different locations
Out of Africa hypothesis – modern humans
originated only in Africa and, after migrating
into Europe and Asia.
Neandertals and Cro-Magnon
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Neandertals
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Archaic humans
Lived in Europe and Asia
Physical features a result of adaptation to cold.
Cro-magnum
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Name given to modern humans
Sophisticated tools
Cultured as seen through cave paintings