Download Evolution of Humankind Fossil Hominids from South Africa

Evolution of Humankind
Fossil Hominids from South Africa-the Cradle of Mankind
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Hominid
- Biological group include humans, human-like animals (gorilla, chimps, orang-utans, our
ancestors)
Sterkfontein richest Hominid fossil site-World Heritage site known as Cradle of Mankind
- Cold be because depression in ground people pushed-mud slide
Hominid studies depend on:
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Fossilised remains
Genetic evidence (mitochondrial DNA through mother’s line)
Archaeology
Trends in Human Evolution:
Human biological evolution:
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Skeletal changes linked to bipedalism
- Morphological alterations – arrangement and size of bones, hip size and shape, knee
size, leg length and shape/orientation of vertebral column
- More delicate skeleton
- Shift foramen magnum to more forward position
- Rounder skull
- Increased cranium size-develop language and intelligence\
- Flatter face-less sloping forehead, small eyebrow ridges (usually absent), less protruding
jaw, more developed chin, more rounded jaw, change in dentition
Advantages bipedalism:
- Free arms completely (use/make tools more efficiently, stretch fruit, pick fruit, seeds in
trees, use hands social display communication)
- See further over savannah grass (better nutrition) however more easily seen by
predators
- Foraging/scavenging out in open savannah bodies exposed less sunlight (better
temperature control)
- More energy efficient walk on two legs-energy reproducing
Changes in skull and endocranial features
- Large brain outcome substantial energy saving development ie:bipedalism
- Bipedalism change energy/fat allocation in body-additional energy brain
Changes in manipulative ability of hand (fine motor skill)
Walking upright
- Adapt to climate change cooling globally
- Rainforests in Africa replaced savannah, patches woodland
- Tree climbing apes more adept walking-rewarded shrubs, carcasses, roots in savannah
Evolution of Humankind
Human cultural evolution:
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Living socially co-operative groups-increased chances of survival
Use of tools (stone, wood, bone)
Parenting
Fire (manipulate environment suit us)
Shelter
Clothing (occupy more niches)
Abstract thought (communication, language, art)
Increase intelligence-taught behaviour adapt changing climate
Food-gathering
Domestication of plants and animals
Note: Hominids are bipedal animals in fossil record showing mixture ape-like and human-like feature
Characteristics shared with apes:
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Opposable thumb
Bare finger tips
Long free rotating arms
Stereoscopic vision
Eyes cones/rods
Large brains compared to body mass
Portion of brain centres that process information from hands and eyes enlarged
Olfactory (smell) brain centres diminish
Dentition similar monkeys/apes
Jaws teeth gentle curve
Few offspring, long parental care
Characteristics that make us different from other primates:
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Always bipedal
Flat face (senses closer brain)
Large brain
Opposable thumb (power/precision grip) Note: Apes-only power
Complex language, writing, technology
Sophisticated culture suggest consciousness lacking apes (art/jewellery)
- Cro-magon culture
- Tool kits more sophisticated, wider variety raw materials (bone/antler)
- New implements making clothing, engraving and sculpting
Fine art ie: decorated tools, beads, ivory carving humans/animals, clay figurines, musical
instruments, cave paintings
- Found Blombos caves, Pinnacle point, Border cave, Southern Africa
Evolution of Humankind
Patterns of dispersal:
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Modern man preceded by evolutionary forms of Hominid showed bipedalism
Archaic man (habilis and erectus) and modern man (Homo sapiens sapiens) characterised
enlarged brain cases and use of tools
Australopithecus afarensis:
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>3mya
Example of Lucy
Awash Valley (Ethiopia)
Australopithecus africanus:
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>3mya
Taung child discovered by Raymond Dart
Mr Ples from Sterkfontein Caves in Cradle of Humankind discovered by Dr Robert Broom,
Raymond Dart, John Robinson
Little Foot discovered by Ron Clarke
Laetoli footprints discovered in volcanic ash in Tanzania
Australopithecus sediba:
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Latest find placed between Australopithecus and Homo species
Discovered Malapa Fossil Site Cradle of Mankind by Professor Lee Berger
Transitional species
- A lot of argument/controversy
- Link theory together
- Lead to weight of gradual change (show shifts from one form to another)/common
ancestor
Homo habilus:
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2mya
Handy man/first tool maker
From Lake Turkana (Kenya) and Olduvai gorge (Tanzania)
Homo erectus:
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1.5mya
Disputed ancestor of humans and Homo neanderthalensis
Found in Europe
Homo sapiens:
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100000-25000mya
Example Border cave in KZN, Klasies river mouth
Evolution of Humankind
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Earliest use of fire to make ochre artefacts at Blombos cave and Pinnacle cave (Mossel Bay)
San as world’s oldest extant people
Migration of modern humans around the world:
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Both theories state climate played huge role man movements
Follow prey
Changes sea level during ices ages led to land bridges developing-allow migration, across
seas, inhabit new continents
Resources limited/more hospitable climate
Early humans strandlopers-migrate along shores living off sea
Multiregional Continuity Model:
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After Homo erectus left Africa, dispersed portions of Old World
Regional populations slowly evolved into modern humans
Groups were isolated
- Climate pressure, ocean levels rise, spontaneous change
This model suggests that:
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Some level gene flow between geographically separated populations prevented speciation
after dispersal
All humans derive from Homo erectus
Natural selection regional populations since original dispersal is responsible for regional
variants (races)
Emergence of Homo sapiens not restricted one area, phenomenon occurred throughout
geographical range where humans lived
Out of Africa theory:
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Most widely accepted
Modern humans evolved recently out of Africa
Migrated into Eurasia and replaced all populations which had descended from Homo erectus
- Homo erectus from Africa migrated to Europe and Asia
Critical to this model are:
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Homo erectus colonise large portion planet
Changes occur
Genetic and fossil evidence interpreted to show that archaic Homo sapiens evolved to
anatomically modern humans in Africa (200 000-150 000 years ago)
- Mutations in Africa especially Homo sapiens
Successful second wave Members one branch of Homo sapiens left Africa (125 000-60 000
years ago) over time these humans replaced earlier humans ie: Neanderthals/erectus
Homo sapiens co-habited with Homo erectus eventually outcompete them/adaptable so
colonise quickly
DNA testing early humans interbred Neanderthals
Evolution of Humankind
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Date earliest out of Africa migration (earliest migrants with living descendents)-60000 years
ago suggested by genetics
Migration out of continent could have taken place 125 0000 years ago according to Arabian
archaeology find tools in region
Modern human variation relatively recent phenomenon
Alternatives theory evolution:
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Intelligent design
- All living forms intelligently designed by supreme being
- Evidence scientific based not faith based
Creationism
- All living forms created by God (image)
- Some explanations in form of stories (Zulu/San)
Note: All humans genetically very closely related to each other and to primates