ANT100Y1 Lecture Notes - Australopithecus Anamensis, Bipedalism, Laetoli

• School: UTSG
• Department: Anthropology
• Course: ANT100Y1
• Professor: Fukishima

Document Summary

What differentiates our hominin ancestors: large brain size (encephalization, dentition, tool making behavior standardized, habitual bipedal locomotion e. g. eoanthropus dawsoni (piltdown man) discovered by charles dawson, was thought to be the missing link. Bipedalism is the largest defining character of hominin: forward foramen magnum, spine spine is s shaped, wraps around center of gravity, basin pelvis causes knees to in center of gravity, causes thigh bones to angle towards knees, long lower limbs, valgus position, foot changes big toe can support body weight, arches of the foot. Disadvantages of bipedalism: more visible to predators, expose underbelly exposing organs, limits ability to change direction, reduces speed, lower backaches, leg & foot injury. Ape like from waist up longer arms relative to legs; curved flexible fingers and toes: still tree climbing forward thrust of the face, large flaring cheek bones ape like human like from the waist down bipedal: s spine; forward foramen magnum; basin shaped pelvis.