Lecture notes
Human Origin and Evolution
- Module
- BIOL1029
- Institution
- University Of Southampton (UOS)
Lecture notes on human origin and evolution
[Show more]
Seller
Follow
Content preview
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
The benefits of buying summaries with Stuvia:
Guaranteed quality through customer reviews
Stuvia customers have reviewed more than 700,000 summaries. This how you know that you are buying the best documents.
Quick and easy check-out
You can quickly pay through credit card for the summaries. There is no membership needed.
Focus on what matters
Your fellow students write the study notes themselves, which is why the documents are always reliable and up-to-date. This ensures you quickly get to the core!
Frequently asked questions
What do I get when I buy this document?
You get a PDF, available immediately after your purchase. The purchased document is accessible anytime, anywhere and indefinitely through your profile.
Satisfaction guarantee: how does it work?
Our satisfaction guarantee ensures that you always find a study document that suits you well. You fill out a form, and our customer service team takes care of the rest.
Who am I buying these notes from?
Stuvia is a marketplace, so you are not buying this document from us, but from seller aiswaryamenon. Stuvia facilitates payment to the seller.
Will I be stuck with a subscription?
No, you only buy these notes for £5.49. You're not tied to anything after your purchase.
Can Stuvia be trusted?
4.6 stars on Google & Trustpilot (+1000 reviews)
62890 documents were sold in the last 30 days
Founded in 2010, the go-to place to buy revision notes and other study material for 14 years now