ANTHROP 1AA3 Study Guide - Final Guide: Adaptive Radiation, Mosaic Evolution, Zhoukoudian
3 May 2017
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Document Summary
Hominids: hominid - humans and their direct ancestors. Fossils - organic material is replaced by minerals from surrounding soil - petrification. What are the earliest fossils found: usually in africa, cave chambers. Lived in a forest environment, bipedalism may have evolved there. Small front teeth and large molars: bipedalism and its associated adaptations, manual dexterity. Australopthecus afarensis (4-3 million years ago): ethiopia and tanzania. Species was either very short or had large sex difference between males and females. S shaped spine, two curves, the lumbar and thoracic. Femur angle, angles in, firmly under center of gravity: position of foramen magnum - more to the front, arched vs flat foot, big toe close in, vs wide apart almost dexterous big toe. Look over tall grass: hunting and meat eating, communication. Limit sun exposure, enhanced heat loss, comes with hair loss. Small brains: many different types, more a genus than a specific, bipedal, thick enamel.
