ANTHROP 2AN3 Lecture Notes - Lecture 2: Deciduous Teeth, Foramen Magnum, Cyperus Esculentus
13 Apr 2014
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The biocultural perspective: centred on the understanding of biology and culture. Omnivorous diet- we eat everything from vegetation to meat. We use cooking and have intensive food preparation. Diverse type of diet, frugivors (fruit), insectivores (insects), omnivores (everything), and folivores (folio) Fossilized teeth- can tell us if they were eating hard or soft foods. Bones- examine isotopes to determine what type of plants they were eating. Took 4 years to extract it from the rock that it was in. Believed to be bipedal because the foramen magnum (hole in your head where the spine goes) was in the centre. Adult australopithecus africanus: -these showed that they were indeed bipedal and were close to a human ancestor. Thick bones, thick muscle attachment, thick teeth, etc. Entire face is built towards chewing foods- strong maxilla region, large molars. Would have to chew for a long time. Very large incisors, but had reduced canines and premolars.
