Chapter 21: The Evolution of Primates

Features Unique to Man

• Bipedal– Curvature of spine,

weight distribution– Pelvis – upright walking– Foramen magnum –

base of skull– Longer legs– Alignment of big toe

• Increase in brain size• Skull– Supraorbital ridges

absent– Flatter face– U-shape for teeth– Smaller teeth

• Large nose• Large jutting chin• Big not not opposable• Arched foot• Hairless skin

6 mya- Sahelanthropus 4.38 mya- Ardipithecus

4 mya

Australopithecus

anamensis

3.9 mya -3.0 mya

Austral. afarensis

3.5 mya Kenyanthropus

2.7 mya- 1.2 mya

Paranthropus(Austr.) boisei

2.0 mya -1.5 mya P.(Austr.) robustus

3.0 mya- 2.0 mya

Austra. africanus

Lucy - 3.2 mya

A. afarensis

A. afarensis

A. boisei

• Olduvai Gorge• Tanzania• 1.8 mya

Sagittal crest

simianBrow ridges

A. boisei _

A. robustus

Homo habilis 1.9-2.6 mya

H. erectus 150,000 mya -1.4 mya

H. ergaster 1.7-1.9 mya

(archaic H. sapiens) H. heidelbergensis

500,000-800,000 yrs ago

H. floresiensis or H. erectus?

18,000 yrs ago

H. sapiens sapiens

250,000 yrs ago-present

H. neandert(h)alensis -

10,000-350,000 yrs ago

1st 1856 – Neander Valley in Feldhofer caves, Germany

• Skullcap• Other bones, too

Neandertal vs modern human

‘Java man’ skullcap – H. erectus

3rd ‘Peking man’• H. erectus• China• 14 skulls and more• stone tools• Campfires• 300,000-500,000

years ago

4th Homo habilis• ‘handy man’• stone tools• 2 mya - 1.5 mya• Olduvai Gorge• 1960’s• The Leakeys

Homo erectus

• 1.5 mya - 250,000 • First to leave

Africa?• Long thought a

direct descendent of H. sapiens

Cro-Magnon

http://anthro.palomar.edu/primate/videos/evol07_vid_genconnect.html