AN101 Lecture Notes - Lecture 2: Australopithecus, Microevolution, Mosaic Evolution
Document Summary
What are the differences between microevolution and macroevolution. What are the key components of niche construction. What is the difference between short term acclimatization and developmental acclimatization: - what are the major factors of skin colour variation in human populations. Bipedalism: walking on two feet: bipedal hominins first appeared in africa at the end o the miocene or beginning of the pliocene hominins: bipedal hominoids. Mosaic evolution: different traits evolving at different rates. Suggests evolution is a process, rather than an event. Motivations for bipedalism: more ground coverage, less sun exposure, escape quicker, more energy efficient. Australopithecus affrays the remaining early hominin fossils have been found assigned to this species (3. 9 to 3. 0 mya) The earliest evidence of hominin (australopithecus afarnesis) bipedalism is 3. 6 million years old. Footprints made in volcanic ash are the most recent and concrete evidence, which occurred during the pliocene at the site of laetoli tanzania.
