ANT101H5 Lecture Notes - Lecture 10: Swartkrans, Australopithecine, Foramen Magnum
Document Summary
What differentiates our hominin ancestors: large brain size (encephalization, dentition, tool making behavior standardized, habitual bipedal locomotion e. g. eoanthropus dawsoni (piltdown man) Human bipedalism: forward foramen magnum, s spine, basin pelvis- ilium: blades, long lower limbs, valgus position, foot changes. Advantages of bipedalism: see farther, freed the hands travel long distances. Disadvantages of bipedalism: more visible to predators, expose underbelly, limits ability to change direction, reduces speed, lower backaches, leg & foot injury. Dentition: human-like (thick enamel, arcade ape-like. Post cranium: apelike waist up, human waist down, australopithecine has pelvis similar to modern human iliac blade is the same. East africa kenya: ape-like jaw and cranium, thick enamel on dentition, bipedal. Don johanson: lucy (found in 1974, almost 40% of adult skeleton, stature 3 to 4 ft female by pelvis. 2. the first family (1975)- east africa: at least 13 individuals, including 4 infants, embossed into an ancient volcanic tuff, fossilized footprints, approx 4 3. 5 mya, mary leakey (1978, laetoli, tanzania.
