Transcript Powerpoint Presentation: The Changing Trees of Human Evolution

THE CHANGING TREES OF
HUMAN EVOLUTION
© 2008 Paul Billiet ODWS
1960
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Up the ladder
The idea that one
species smoothly
evolves from one into
another is regarded
today as an
oversimplification
Unfortunately it is a
very persistent view
that continually
resurfaces in
cartoons
© 2008 Paul Billiet ODWS
Public Domain Images
Up the ladder
Homo sapiens
Homo erectus
Australopithecus
© 2008 Paul Billiet ODWS
1970
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Branching out
The 1960s and
1970s were a fertile
period for fossil
hunting in Africa
The idea developed
that more than one
hominid species
existed at the same
time developed
A. boisei
Homo sapiens
Homo erectus
A. robustus
Homo habilis
Australopithecus
africanus
Australopithecus afarensis Added
“Lucy”
1974
© 2008 Paul Billiet ODWS
1991
Changing status
Homo sapiens
Homo erectus
A. boisei
Homo habilis
As more
specimens were A. robustus
A. africanus
found a clearer
idea developed of
the relationships Australopithecus afarensis
between them
© 2008 Paul Billiet ODWS
2001
From a tree to a bush
Homo sapiens
Homo neanderthalensis
Homo
erectus
H. heidelbergensis
1 Ma
Paranthropus
boisei
H. ergaster
P. robustus
?
2 Ma
Homo
rudolfensis
A. africanus
P. aethiopicus
3 Ma
Homo
habilis
A. garhi
?
?
4 Ma
Australopithecus
afarensis
?
© 2008 Paul Billiet ODWS
Ardipithecus ramidus
?
Australopithecus anemensis
?
2003
DEEPER
ROOTS
Gorilla
gorilla
Pan
trogolodites
Homo sapiens
Homo neanderthalensis
Homo
erectus
H. heidelbergensis
1 Ma
2 Ma
H. ergaster
Paranthropus
robustus
Paranthropus.
boisei
?
Homo
rudolfensis
A. africanus
P. aethiopicus
A. garhi
?
3 Ma
Homo
habilis
Australopithecus
afarensis
4 Ma
?
Australopithecus anemensis
?
?
5 Ma
Ardipithecus
ramidus
?
6 Ma
Orrorin tugensis
?
© 2008 Paul Billiet ODWS
7 Ma
Sahelanthropus tchadensis
“Toumai”
?
How many more?
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An estimated number of 16 hominid
species is thought to have existed
This is based on the evolutionary
patterns of other primates
Our family tree is similar to other
species
Periods of radiation
Separated by periods of extinction
© 2008 Paul Billiet ODWS