NBB 201 Lecture Notes - Lecture 4: Paleoecology, Cooperative Breeding, Molecular Clock
27 Feb 2019
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Lecture 4: phylogeny + selection = ultimate level, major points, lots of evidence for human evolution. Fossils: dna, archeology, paleo-ecology, bipedal apes with small brains preceded large-brained, large-bodied humans that made stone tools (homo, all living humans descend from an african population living a few hundred thousand years ago. It"s complicated: various extinct side-branches, multiple species existing at the same time, new species discovered every few years. Inferred primarily from evidence for bipedalism: skeletal adaptations for bipedalism. Foramen magnum - the hole in the base of the skull through which the spinal cord passes: pelvis gets wider and shorter, why bipedalism, near continuous forest to wooded savannah - walking through high grass, seeing far distances. Forested environment: australopithecus afarensis (lucy, 4-3 mya, east africa, bipedal hominin, no evidence of small tools, the laetoli footprints (evidence) Southern africa: 3-2 mya, bipedal hominin, the taung child.
