1. KINGDOM: ANIMALIA PHYLUM: CHORDATA CLASS: MAMMILIA
PRIMATE ORIGINS
KINGDOM: ANIMALIA
PHYLUM: CHORDATA
CLASS: MAMMILIA
160 MILLION YEARS AGO: The First Placental Mammals…

2. PANGEA

3. DINOSAURS DOMINATE MAMMALS LURK!
TRIASSIC
JURASSIC
CRETACEOUS
MESOZOIC ERA
Million Years B. P.
Continental Drift:
Breakup of Pangea: Laurasia & Gondwana
The First Placental Mammals – Subclass Eutheria
Mesozoic Era, Jurrasic Period, 160 Million Years Before Present

4. JURMAIA, JURASSIC EPOCH, CHINA

5. MAMMAL CHARACTERISTICS
Vertebrates
Heterodontic
Cerebrum (Enlarged Forebrain)
Warm Blooded (Homeothermic)
Live Birth
Nurture Their Young

6. CENOZOIC ERA Dinosaurs Die; Mammals Take Over!
PALEOGENE: Million Years B. P.
NEOGENE: 23 Million Years B. P to Present
Continental Drift:
Breakup of Laurasia & Gondwana
Chixalub Meteor
Deccan Traps Eruption

7. PRIMATE CHARACTERISITICS
Mammals with Prehensile (Grasping) Hands/Feet
Nails instead of Claws
Enlarged Pads on Digits
Generalized Structure
Binocular Stereoscopic Vision
Large Brain to Body Ratio
PROSIMIANS AND ANTHROPOIDS

8. PALEOGENE PERIOD PRIMATES
PALEOCENE: 65 – 56 Million Years B. P.
Carpolestes simpsoni (Primate-Like Mammal)
EOCENE: 56 – 34 Million Years B. P.
Adapis (Early Primate)
OLIGOCENE: 34 – 23 Million Years B. P.
Aegyptopithicus (Early Anthropoid)

9. THE FIRST PRIMATES
Carpolestes simpsoni: Fruit-Eating Primate-Like Mammal

10. Adapis Prosimian-Like

11. The First Anthropoids Monkey-like
Aegyptopithicus

12. Proconsul An Early Ape

13. Geological Epochs Miocene: 23 – 5.6 Million Years B. P.
Miocene Apes – First Hominoids
Pliocene: 5.6 – 1.8 Million Years
Early Hominin Radiation
Pleistocene: 1.8 – 0.01 Million Years B. P.
Evolution of Genus Homo
Holocene: 10 Thousand Years B. P. to Present
Spread of Domestication, Agriculture

14. Major Events in Early Primate Evolution

15. Oligocene Primates from Fayum
Aegyptopithecus
Largest of Fayum anthropoids, roughly the size of a modern howler monkey (13-18 lbs)
Short-limbed, slow-moving
Bridges the gap between Eocene fossils and succeeding Miocene hominoids

16. Pierolapithecus Miocene Epoch
Ancestor to all Great Apes? 13 Million Years B. P.

17. Miocene Fossil Hominoids
Asian forms (16–7 mya)
The largest and most varied group from Turkey through India/Pakistan and east to southern China, most are highly derived.
Sivapithecus

18. Sivapithecus Compared
Comparison of a modern chimpanzee (left), Sivapithecus (middle), and a modern orangutan (right).
Both Sivapithecus and the orangutan exhibit a dished face, broad cheekbones, and projecting upper jaw and incisors.

19. Sahelanthropus tchadensis Miocene Epoch
Early Hominin, 5 – 7 Million Years B. P
First Bipedal Hominin?

20. Miocene Hominoid Distribution, From Fossils Thus Far Discovered

21. Paranthropus aethiopicus Pliocene Epoch
Robust Hominid
2.4 Million Years B. P.

22. Australopithicus afarensis Pliocene Epoch
Early Hominin
3.7 – 3.0 Million Years B. P.

23. Biocultural Evolution
All aspects of human adaptation, including technology, traditions, language, religion, marriage patterns, and social roles.
Culture is a set of learned behaviors; it is transmitted from one generation to the next through learning and not by biological or genetic means.
Material culture is part of the cultural complex

24. Early Hominin Tools Earliest tools likely made of perishable materials
Hominin bipedalism would have made tools easier to transport
Oldowan-Earliest recognized stone tool culture, including very simple tools, mostly small flakes

25. Oldowan tools

26. Dating Methods
Chronometric (Absolute) dating methods are based on calendar years
K/Ar, or potassium argon method used to date materials in the 5-1 mya range
Carbon-14 method used to date organic material extending back to 75,000 years
Thermoluminescence
Uranium series dating
Electron spin resonance (ESR)

27. Revised Classification of Hominoids

28. Mosaic Evolution
A pattern of evolution in which the rate of evolution in one functional system varies from that in other systems.
In hominin evolution, bipedal locomotion is a defining characteristic; other features such as brain development and behavior become significant in later stages

29. Mosaic Evolution of Hominin Characteristics
Locomotion
Modern Homo sapiens
Bipedal: shortened pelvis; larger body and legs; fingers and toes not as long
Early hominin
Bipedal: shortened pelvis; differences from later hominins, smaller body and long arms relative to legs; long fingers and toes; capable of considerable climbing
Miocene, generalized hominoid
Quadrupedal: long pelvis; capable of considerable arm swinging, suspensory locomotion

30. Mosaic Evolution of Hominin Characteristics
Brain
Modern Homo sapiens
Greatly increased brain size—highly encephalized
Early hominin
Larger than Miocene forms, moderately encephalized; prior to 6 m.y.a., no more encephalized than chimpanzees
Miocene, generalized hominoid
Small compared to hominins, large compared to other primates; a fair degree of encephalization

31. Mosaic Evolution of Hominin Characteristics
Dentition
Modern Homo sapiens
Small incisors; canines further reduced; molar tooth enamel caps thick
Early hominin
Moderately large incisors; canines somewhat reduced; molar tooth enamel caps very thick
Miocene, generalized hominoid
Large front teeth; molar teeth variable, depending on species; some have thin enamel caps, others thick enamel caps

32. Mosaic Evolution of Hominin Characteristics
Toolmaking Behavior
Modern Homo sapiens
Stone tools found after 2.5 m.y.a.; trend of cultural dependency in later hominins
Early hominin
In earliest stages unknown; no stone tool use prior to 2.5 m.y.a.; more oriented toward tool manufacture and use than chimpanzees
Miocene, generalized hominoid
Unknown—no stone tools; probably had capabilities similar to chimpanzees

33. Walking the Walk: The Bipedal Adaptation
Efficient bipedalism as the primary form of locomotion is seen only in hominins.
Advantages of bipedalism:
Freed the hands for carrying objects and for making and using tools.
In the bipedal stance, animals have a wider view of the surrounding countryside.
Bipedal walking is an efficient means of covering long distances.

34. Mosaic Evolution
A pattern of evolution in which the rate of evolution in one functional system varies from that in other systems.
In hominin evolution, bipedal locomotion is a defining characteristic; other features such as brain development and behavior become significant in later stages

35. Mosaic Evolution of Hominin Characteristics
Locomotion
Modern Homo sapiens
Bipedal: shortened pelvis; larger body and legs; fingers and toes not as long
Early hominin
Bipedal: shortened pelvis; differences from later hominins, smaller body and long arms relative to legs; long fingers and toes; capable of considerable climbing
Miocene, generalized hominoid
Quadrupedal: long pelvis; capable of considerable arm swinging, suspensory locomotion

36. Mosaic Evolution of Hominin Characteristics
Brain
Modern Homo sapiens
Greatly increased brain size—highly encephalized
Early hominin
Larger than Miocene forms, moderately encephalized; prior to 6 m.y.a., no more encephalized than chimpanzees
Miocene, generalized hominoid
Small compared to hominins, large compared to other primates; a fair degree of encephalization

37. Mosaic Evolution of Hominin Characteristics
Dentition
Modern Homo sapiens
Small incisors; canines further reduced; molar tooth enamel caps thick
Early hominin
Moderately large incisors; canines somewhat reduced; molar tooth enamel caps very thick
Miocene, generalized hominoid
Large front teeth; molar teeth variable, depending on species; some have thin enamel caps, others thick enamel caps

38. Mosaic Evolution of Hominin Characteristics
Toolmaking Behavior
Modern Homo sapiens
Stone tools found after 2.5 m.y.a.; trend of cultural dependency in later hominins
Early hominin
In earliest stages unknown; no stone tool use prior to 2.5 m.y.a.; more oriented toward tool manufacture and use than chimpanzees
Miocene, generalized hominoid
Unknown—no stone tools; probably had capabilities similar to chimpanzees

39. Walking the Walk: The Bipedal Adaptation
Efficient bipedalism as the primary form of locomotion is seen only in hominins.
Advantages of bipedalism:
Freed the hands for carrying objects and for making and using tools.
In the bipedal stance, animals have a wider view of the surrounding countryside.
Bipedal walking is an efficient means of covering long distances.

40. Footprints at Laetoli Hominin footprint from Laetoli, Tanzania.
Note the deep impression of the heel and the large toe (arrow) in line (adducted) with the other toes.

41. Australopithecus afarensis

42. A Transitional Australopith?

43. Closer Connections: Early Homo (2.0+-1.4 mya)
Increased brain size
Associations with stone tools

44. Early Homo Fossil Finds

45. A Tentative Early Hominin Phylogeny

46. Seeing the Big Picture What explains the pattern of speciation
The evidence is far from complete and significant gaps will remain
Patterns are evident
Early hominin species had restricted ranges; each species exploited a relatively small range and could easily have become separated from other populations of its own species