ARCH 112 Lecture Notes - Lecture 23: Ischium, Shock Absorber, Pelvis
27 Jun 2018
School
Department
Course
Professor
The Emergence of Primates and the Evolution of Humans
Discussion of Characteristic Primate Traits
Primates--humans belong to the order Primates, along
with prosimians, monkeys, and apes.
○
Some characteristic primate traits include:
Hands and feet with 5 digits (grasping hands and
feet)
§
Generalized dentition: teeth aren't specialized for
processing only one type of food
§
Eyes on front of face
§
Stereoscopic vision (diurnal/nocturnal see in colour)
§
Less reliance on sense of smell
§
Expansion and increased complexity of the brain
§
Rotating forearm
§
○
•
Phylogeny is the evolutionary history of a species.
•
The Earliest Primates appear by 65 million years ago.
Purgatorius is considered by many to represent the
earliest primate.
○
Many species of primates (anthropoids) have been
discovered at a site called the Fayum southwest of
Cairo, Egypt.
○
Aegyptopithecus is a slow moving, arboreal (adapted to
life in the trees) quadruped that dates 36 to 24 mya.
○
•
Miocene epoch 23-5 mya
"The Golden age of hominoids"
§
Thousands of hominoid fossils from sites in Africa,
Asia, and Europe.
§
The earliest (bipedal) hominoids date to the end of
the Miocene epoch.
§
We see the shift of walking on all fours to upright
walking.
§
Miocene apes (Sivapithecus, Dryppithecus,
Proconsul)
§
○
What is a hominin? (the text defines a hominin) as
any creature believed to be in the direct human
line. Bipedalism (upright walking) is a defining
characteristic of hominins.
§
Bipedalism is the ability to walk on two feet
There are many anatomical adaptations that
allow for bipedal locomotion. We will discuss
the unique characteristics of the following parts
of the body:
Vertebral Column
Human has two distinct curves
◊
S-shaped curve: cervical and lumbar
(are large in size)
◊
Quadruped has more c-shaped spine
◊
®
Foramen magnum
The hole in the base of the skull (where
the spinal column is placed)
◊
Human foramen magnum is push
further to the front on the base of the
skull
◊
Quadruped foramen magnum is
positioned further back on the skull
◊
®
Pelvis
Ilium, ischium, pubis (innominate)
◊
Human pelvis is more broad--the ilium
is short and broad
◊
The great ape's ilium is long and
narrow
◊
®
The leg
Femur fits into pelvis
◊
On the great apes the femur is more on
the side of the pelvis
◊
The femur on humans are longer, and
more centralized
◊
®
The foot
Obvious difference is in the big toe
◊
Human's big toes are shorter--have an
arch in the foot (shock absorber,
prevent fractures in upper leg)
◊
The great ape has more divergent big
toes--they have flat feet
◊
®
□
§
Advantages of bipedalism may include:
The ability to see great distances
(ecological influences: traveling between
trees or seeing over tall trees)
®
The ability to provide food to others
(feeding on grasses o from bushes)
®
More effective scavenging (free arms: carry
tools, food and infants)
®
Greater locomotive energy efficiency
®
Great endurance
®
□
Explanations for Bipedalism (see Feder chp. 3)
The Upright Provider (hypothesis put forth
by Owen Lovejoy--suggested that upright
walking and monogamy went hand-in-
hand)
®
The Upright Scavenger (hypothesis more
about scavenging then hunting--Pat
Shipman saw evidence of cut marks)
®
The Efficient Walker (hypothesis of how
chimpanzees and humans walk--physical
anthropology studied human locomotion is
a lot more energy efficient--similar to
endurance runner hypothesis)
®
The Endurance Runner (this hypothesis is
how well adapted your body is to running
"gluteal and articular, tibia, femur bones"--
Daniel Lieberman)
®
□
Primate Characteristics (pg. 64-74)
Monday, September 18, 2017
10:35 AM
The Emergence of Primates and the Evolution of Humans
Discussion of Characteristic Primate Traits
Primates--humans belong to the order Primates, along
with prosimians, monkeys, and apes.
○
Some characteristic primate traits include:
Hands and feet with 5 digits (grasping hands and
feet)
§
Generalized dentition: teeth aren't specialized for
processing only one type of food
§
Eyes on front of face
§
Stereoscopic vision (diurnal/nocturnal see in colour)
§
Less reliance on sense of smell
§
Expansion and increased complexity of the brain
§
Rotating forearm
§
○
•
Phylogeny is the evolutionary history of a species.•
The Earliest Primates appear by 65 million years ago.
Purgatorius is considered by many to represent the
earliest primate.
○
Many species of primates (anthropoids) have been
discovered at a site called the Fayum southwest of
Cairo, Egypt.
○
Aegyptopithecus is a slow moving, arboreal (adapted to
life in the trees) quadruped that dates 36 to 24 mya.
○
•
Miocene epoch 23-5 mya
"The Golden age of hominoids"
§
Thousands of hominoid fossils from sites in Africa,
Asia, and Europe.
§
The earliest (bipedal) hominoids date to the end of
the Miocene epoch.
§
We see the shift of walking on all fours to upright
walking.
§
Miocene apes (Sivapithecus, Dryppithecus,
Proconsul)
§
○
What is a hominin? (the text defines a hominin) as
any creature believed to be in the direct human
line. Bipedalism (upright walking) is a defining
characteristic of hominins.
§
Bipedalism is the ability to walk on two feet
There are many anatomical adaptations that
allow for bipedal locomotion. We will discuss
the unique characteristics of the following parts
of the body:
Vertebral Column
Human has two distinct curves
◊
S-shaped curve: cervical and lumbar
(are large in size)
◊
Quadruped has more c-shaped spine
◊
®
Foramen magnum
The hole in the base of the skull (where
the spinal column is placed)
◊
Human foramen magnum is push
further to the front on the base of the
skull
◊
Quadruped foramen magnum is
positioned further back on the skull
◊
®
Pelvis
Ilium, ischium, pubis (innominate)
◊
Human pelvis is more broad--the ilium
is short and broad
◊
The great ape's ilium is long and
narrow
◊
®
The leg
Femur fits into pelvis
◊
On the great apes the femur is more on
the side of the pelvis
◊
The femur on humans are longer, and
more centralized
◊
®
The foot
Obvious difference is in the big toe
◊
Human's big toes are shorter--have an
arch in the foot (shock absorber,
prevent fractures in upper leg)
◊
The great ape has more divergent big
toes--they have flat feet
◊
®
□
§
Advantages of bipedalism may include:
The ability to see great distances
(ecological influences: traveling between
trees or seeing over tall trees)
®
The ability to provide food to others
(feeding on grasses o from bushes)
®
More effective scavenging (free arms: carry
tools, food and infants)
®
Greater locomotive energy efficiency
®
Great endurance
®
□
Explanations for Bipedalism (see Feder chp. 3)
The Upright Provider (hypothesis put forth
by Owen Lovejoy--suggested that upright
walking and monogamy went hand-in-
hand)
®
The Upright Scavenger (hypothesis more
about scavenging then hunting--Pat
Shipman saw evidence of cut marks)
®
The Efficient Walker (hypothesis of how
chimpanzees and humans walk--physical
anthropology studied human locomotion is
a lot more energy efficient--similar to
endurance runner hypothesis)
®
The Endurance Runner (this hypothesis is
how well adapted your body is to running
"gluteal and articular, tibia, femur bones"--
Daniel Lieberman)
®
□
Primate Characteristics (pg. 64-74)
Monday, September 18, 2017 10:35 AM
Document Summary
The emergence of primates and the evolution of humans. Primates--humans belong to the order primates, along with prosimians, monkeys, and apes. Hands and feet with 5 digits (grasping hands and feet) Generalized dentition: teeth aren"t specialized for processing only one type of food. Phylogeny is the evolutionary history of a species. The earliest primates appear by 65 million years ago. Purgatorius is considered by many to represent the earliest primate. Many species of primates (anthropoids) have been discovered at a site called the fayum southwest of. Aegyptopithecus is a slow moving, arboreal (adapted to life in the trees) quadruped that dates 36 to 24 mya. Thousands of hominoid fossils from sites in africa, The earliest (bipedal) hominoids date to the end of the miocene epoch. We see the shift of walking on all fours to upright walking. What is a hominin? (the text defines a hominin) as any creature believed to be in the direct human line.
