ANTH 101 Lecture Notes - Lecture 9: Sahelanthropus, Jane Goodall, Tooth Enamel
Document Summary
Upright two-legged locomotion differentiates early hominins from apes. Traditionally viewed as an adaptation to open grassland/savanna habitat. Adaptation may have pre-dated this: brains, skulls and childhood. Brain size increased during hominin evolution especially with the advent of homo. Human children have a long periods of childhoods dependency, during which the brains and skulls grow dramatically. Long periods of child dependency was a product of natural selection: the mechanics of bipedalism would not allow childbearing to continue, tools any longer. First firm evidence for homin stone tool manufacture dates 2. 6 mya. Upright bipedalism permitted the use of tools and wesapons and the ability to carry things: teeth. Early hominins had useful large back teeth and thick tooth enamel. Lost during human subsequent human evolutiuon: started cooking things and was better for the health. Designates human life after split from ancestral chimps. Taxonomic family of chimps and apes: if earths history = 24 hours. Who were the arliest hominins: sahelanthropus tchadensis.
