Closer look at primates Mammals called primates include Lemurs, monkeys, apes, humans. 300 species of primates living today Evolved from a small tree dwelling, insect eating ancestor 65 million years ago.

Primate characteristics Although primates live on the ground, they retain adaptations for living on trees. Flexible shoulder joints (swinging). Sensitive fingers/nails instead of claws. Hands can hang and manipulate food. Binocular vision: Eyes in front of the face and the field of vision overlap enhancing depth perception.

Primates divided into 2 major groups Strepsirrhini: wet-nosed Haplorhini: dry-nosed

Strepsirrhini Includes lorises, galagos, and lemurs. Lemurs (Madagascar) Lorises (Africa and South Asia) They are mostly nocturnal, tree dwellers and have claws.

Haplorhini Includes tarsiers, new world monkeys, old world monkeys, apes and humans. Tarsiers (South East Asia) New Word Monkeys: (Americas) Tree dwellers, prehensile (grasping) tails for swinging. Old World Monkey: Tree dwellers but tails are not prehensile, include baboons, macaques, and mandrills.

Chimpanzees Use Tools Biologically the closest relatives of humans; differing in about 5% of their DNA sequence.

Think about some differences Think about some similarities Apes vs. Humans Think about some differences Think about some similarities

Communicate

Work together

Sometimes even walk ‘upright’

Early Hominids Mammals that are more closely related to humans than to any other species family are called hominids (family Hominidae, Order Primates). Today, only 1 species of hominids exist: Homo sapiens (modern humans). Earliest man may have lived 6 to 7 million years ago.

1. Which hominid species was in existence 5 million years ago? 2. Which hominid species were in existence when Homo habilis was alive??

Important Developments Walking Upright Enlarged Brains

Important Developments WALKING UPRIGHT: Australepithecus aferensis provides the oldest evidence of upright posture and BIPEDALISM; walking on 2 feet. Lucy, female, 3.5 feet tall, head the size of a softball was the first to walk on 2 feet.

Important Developments ENLARGED BRAINS: First appeared in East Asia 2.5 million years ago. Large brains found with tools; Homo habilis. Increase in intelligence gave them success in Africa.

By comparing skulls, scientists can trace the evolution of the enlarged brain through hominid history.

Important Developments Human brains are much bigger than our ancestors’ Our brain size is about 1400cm3 Our earliest ancestors had brains that were only about 400cm3

Hypotheses for Origin of Modern Man MULTIREGIONAL HYPOTHESIS: Fully modern human developed from H.erectus descendants that spread from Africa 1.5 million years ago. Interbreeding among regional H.sapiens evolved as a single species.

Hypotheses for Origin of Modern Man REPLACEMENT HYPOTHESIS: All regional H.erectus became extinct in the world. Humans descended from a group of H. erectus that remained in Africa. They started spreading out 100,000 years after replacing the other.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=441rRHOHx5c EVOLUTION: THE EVOLUTION OF HUMANS DOCUMENTARY 2014..45min http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vv3I22jsUEw NEANDERTHALS..50 min http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rohhwn11xeI DECODING NEANDERTHALS..50 min