ENV100Y5 Chapter Notes - Chapter 6: Pleistocene Megafauna, Black Death, Neanderthal Extinction
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ENV100Y5 Full Course Notes
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94-98% genetic similarity: differences: larger brains, speech, bipedalism, what separates us from the chimps, brain size. Neoteny: retention of juvenile features: speech. Changes in the hyoid bone and larynx. Adaptive pressure to move from gestures speech. Not clear when it evolved: bipedalism. Why be bipedal: leaves hands free for tool use; gesturing, able to run and throw, able to carry offspring better, babies can be born at a less developed state (bigger brains) Bipedalism: thermoregulation: expose less body surface to the sun, postural feeding: easier to feed from low branches, better field of view: easier to see over tall grass; keep social contract; efficient gait for crossing open spaces. Lived from 400,000 to about 30,000 years ago. 2010: sequencing of the neanderthal genome: neanderthals interbred with homo sapiens after h. sapiens move out of africa, modern non-africans: 1% to 5% of dna derived from neanderthal, competition from homo sapiens probably contributed to neanderthal extinction.