Human Evolution - Introduction to Evolution - Lecture Slides, Slides of Theory of Evolution

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Human Evolution

Primates

• The earliest primates have been around for about 65 million years or more.
• Characteristics: binocular vision, finger nails instead of claws, 2 pectoral mammary glands, less prominent snout (except in lemurs), relatively large brains.

Australopithecines

• Contain the species: anamensis , afarensis (Lucy) , africanus , bahrelghazali , garhi , and sediba ;
• Australopithecus had both light boned (gracile) and heavy boned (robust) members.
• The heavy boned members have been reclassified as Paranthropus by some scientists: P. aethiopicus , P. boisei , and P. robustus ; They’re all sometimes called Australopithecus

Homo habilis

• Homo Habilis – Lived 2.4 million to 1.4 million years ago.
• Are thought to have created some of the earliest stone tools. This is not certain.
• Some stone tools date from before the earliest “Homo” fossils so perhaps some pre-Homo genera like Australopithecus made stone tools.

Homo Heidelbergensis

• Is thought to be the ancestor both of modern humans and neanderthals.
• First ancestor to regularly hunt big game.
• Evidence they also built shelters as well as lived in caves.