1. Human Evolution
Chapter 32-Mader

2. Overview Evolution of Primates Evolution of Hominids Focus on Homo
Human Variation
Humans as a selective agent

3. Early Primates Prosimians (~58mya) Monkeys (35mya) Apes (23mya)
Hominids (~6mya)

4. First Arboreal Mammals
The first arboreal mammals probably resembled shrews:
long snouts.
Good sense of smell.
Probably nocturnal.
Very active.
CLAWS

5. First Arboreal Mammals?

6. Eosimias
The First Primate?
Comparison with tree shrew

7. Prosimians
Lemurs
Tarsiers
Pottos
Loris

8. Tarsier

9. Ring tailed lemur

10. Indri

11. Aye aye what do they sound like?
This

12. Slender loris

13. Primate Characteristics
What is the major selective pressure associated with life in the trees?
How are primates adapted to this life? ?

14. Binocular Color Vision

15. Primate Hands

16. Mobile Limbs
Most primates have flat nails as well as sensitive pads on the undersides of fingers and toes.
Many also have both an opposable big toe and thumb.
Mobile limbs and clawless opposable digits allow primates to freely grasp and release tree limbs.

17. Other important features
Upright posture.
Small litter size.
Expanded forebrain, larger brain capacity.
Advantages?

18. separated.

19. Two main groups of primates:
1. Prosimians – lemurs, lorises, pottos & tarsiers
2. Anthropoids – monkeys, apes and man

20. Prosimians
Lemurs
Tarsiers
Pottos
Loris

21. 2. Anthropoids = monkeys + apes + man
Old world monkeys
New world monkeys
Old World Monkey:
Long snout
Close nostrils
Non-prehensile tail
New World Monkey:
Flat face
Wide nostrils
Prehensile tail

22. Taxonomy Anthropoids= Hominoids + monkeys
Hominoids= Asian and African Apes + Hominids
Hominids= Humans

23. Proconsul- Ancestor to Hominoids?

24. Proconsul
A skull of Proconsul africanus from the Kenya National Museum.

25. Selective pressures
East Africa Rift Valley

27. Skull Comparisons:

28. Sahelanthropus tchadensis
6 to 7 million years ago
Flat face like Homo
Cranial capacity about the same as a chimp
Walked upright

29. Hominids
Bipedal primates.

30. To be Human standard primate characteristics upright, bipedal posture
much expanded brain
well defined sexual dimorphism
hidden estrus
altered female sexual response
extended childhood
language
society
culture

31. Homo erectus, Australopithecus,& Human

32. Map of Australopithecine Finds
Map of Australopithecus sites in Africa, with a focus on the East African rift valley and limestone caves of South Africa.

33. “Lucy” Australopithecus afarensis
An Example of Mosaic Evolution

35. A. boisei
A. afarensis
A. africanus
A. robustus

36. Human Ancestors

37. Human Evolution

38. Australopithecus africanus
2.8 million years ago
Cranial capacity 460 cc

39. Genus Homo

40. Homo habilis Brain~600cc “Handy Man” Olduwan tools Speech?
Artist’s representation of a Homo habilis band as it might have existed two million years ago.

41. Oldowan Tools

43. Homo erectus “Upright Man” Larger brain than H. habilis Migrated
Acheulean tools
More advanced culture?

44. Homo erectus

45. Homo erectus

46. Trends in Skull Development

48. Neanderthals
Neanderthal (H. neanderthalensis) skeletons were first discovered in Germany’s Neander Valley.
Skeletons date back 200,000 years.

51. Neanderthal Culture

52. What happened to Neandertals?
Coexisted w/H. sapiens for up to 60,000 years.
Interbred?
Killed off?
Outcompeted?

53. Neanderthal Man

54. Homo floresiensis – Nature, Oct. 28, 2004

55. Nature
Oct 28, 2004

56. Science, Nov 19, 2004

57. Homo sapiens Archaic – 100,000 to 35,000 years BP
Sometimes called Homo sapiens and Homo sapiens neanderthalensis
Modern – 35,000 years BP to present
Anatomically modern
Sometimes called Homo sapiens sapiens

58. Cro-Magnons Oldest fossils to be designated H. sapiens.
Modern humans who entered Asia and Europe from Africa 100,000 years ago.
Aurignacian tools.
Accomplished hunters.
Language.

59. Cro-Magnon Man Cro-Magnon humans 1,600 cc cranial capacity
Not a different species, just old Homo sapiens from Europe
Artist’s reconstruction of a Cro-Magnon man

60. Archaic H. sapiens Culture
Art
Female figurines
27,000 to 22,000 years ago
Called “venuses,”

61. Archaic H. sapiens Culture

62. Human Variation Responses to the environment: Bergmann’s Rule
Allen’s Rule

63. New World Humans

64. Sequence of Human Evolution One of several possibilities
Homo neanderthalensis
Australopithecus afarensis
Australopithecus africanus
Homo erectus
Common ancestor
Homo habilis
Homo sapiens
Modern apes