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Human Origin and Evolution
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Lecture notes on human origin and evolution
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Human Origin and EvolutionConstant state of flux, emotions runs very high
Order primates consists of lemurs, tarsiers, monkeys and apes. Their ancestors were small
insectivores. They have hands and feet adapted for grasping, relatively large brain, forward facing
eyes, and omnivorous diet.
Primates: anthropoids
Consists of new world monkeys, old world monkeys and hominoids. Unique to anthropoids: fully
opposable thumb.
Hominoids 'apes'
Consists of gibbons, orangutans, gorillas, chimps, and humans
Unique to hominoids: lack of tail
There was confusion about what is the earliest hominoid. Its difficult to ascertain if all you have is
some teeth.
All early hominoid fossils were found in Africa, so no doubt that's their place of origin.
Hominoids = gibbons, orangs, gorillas, chimps, humans
Hominids = all species more closely related to humans than to chimps. Humans have brains that are
3x bigger than those of chimps.
Bipedal: cooling of climate saw forests replaced by savannah. Key selection pressure for bipedalism.
Earliest hominids consist of Sahelanthropus and Orrorin. The earliest hominids are hard to pin point.
Ardipithecus
4.4mya
1.2m tall
Upright posture, grasping hands and feet.
Direct ancestor or parallel line?
This suggests our ancestors never looked like chimps, gorillas.
Australopithecus
1.2-1.4m tall
Fully bipedal
Full bipedalism evolved before large brain size.
'Lucy' was a 25 year old female.
Paranthropus
2.5mya
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