ANTHRO 2B Lecture Notes - Lecture 11: Diastema, Ardipithecus, Australopithecus
Document Summary
Note: sahelanthropos tchadensis and ardipithecus ramidus fosisls found along shoes of ancient lake. Forested environment: a. ramidus foud near fossils of forest dwelling monkeys and antelope. Found in east africa: kenya dated back to 4. 2 -3. 9 million years ago bipedal: tibia: thick molar enamel. Lucy now many dozens of individuals: east africa: ethiopia, kenya, etc 3. 75- 3 million years ago: cranium: prognathic like a chimpanzee, cranial capacity(small): 400-500 cc . (humans are about 1400 cc) Pelvis: ilium is short and broad: ilium is rotated. Theories of the origins of bipedalism: bipedalism gives a broader view of surroundings, better heat control, bipedalism is an efficient form of locomotion. Positive feedback loop: constant escalation as each element feeds off the other and they all increase big brain, small canines, tool use, bipedalism. Freeing hands from locomotion enables: carrying infants, carrying food back to supply others, enables overlapping child births bc higher reproductive capacity.
