Anthropology 1020E Lecture Notes - Lecture 5: Western Asia, Gene Flow, Brain Size
25 Oct 2017
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Which of the following characteristics does not describe the key characteristics of primates: bipedal locomotion, five digits on the hands/feet, shoulder joint flexibility, forward facing eyes, learned behaviours. Humans and chimpanzees last shared a common ancestor 18 million years ago. Primates evolved to take advantage of a new environment (life in trees). Why do we study non-human primates: to test hypotheses about evolutionary forces, to understand human evolutionary past, to protect species and habitats from destruction, all the above. Distinctive dentition (teeth), expanded brain, and evidence for culture. We are the only primate species doing this today. So that we can carry resources for a distance. Newly bipedal ancestors lived in a woodland area. The pelvis indicated bipedalism (transitional: (cid:862)tra(cid:374)sitio(cid:374)al(cid:863) ho(cid:373)i(cid:374)i(cid:374) Transition between ape-like locomotion and bipedal locomotion: australopithecus afarensis. Several species: robust and gracile, really thick or really thin bones. (cid:862)lu(cid:272)y(cid:863: 3. 2 million years ago, found in ethiopia, 1. 1 (cid:373) (cid:894)3"7(cid:863)(cid:895) tall, weighed 29 kg (64 lbs. )
