BIOL 350 Lecture Notes - Lecture 10: Brain Size, Homo Sapiens, Hominidae
13 Oct 2016
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Humans (homo sapiens: order: primates, family: great apes (hominidae, originated in africa along east coast, defined as an ape that walks on two legs. Bipedalism advantages: more efficient long distance walking and running. Wet rain forest open savannah: allowed elevated poster for improved viewing. Less trees for vantage points: lower danger of heat stroke. Less surface exposed to sun when upright. Less surface facing ground that radiates heat. Less hair also cools: frees your hands for other uses. Stone tool use: plant food was scarce in africa, needed tools for meat, brain got bigger. Brain mass to body mass is much higher (cid:494)brain size- environmental hypothesis(cid:495) - more adaptable to. Left africa to spain, italy, egypt, horn of africa changes in environment. Hard to give birth because narrow hips.
