BIO 3102 Study Guide - Australopithecus, Thumb, Paleogene
Document Summary
Include humans: also known as simians or higher primates, tend to be larger than lower primates though maintaining certain characteristics such as. Australopithecus: an extinct hominid thought to be an evolutionary ancestor to humans, were bipedal thus suggesting bipedalism evolved prior to the homo genus, characterized by large faces, protruding jaws and small brains and skulls, apelike appearance. Bipedal: walking on two legs, exists in contrast to quadrepedal, allows for greater versatility by allowing specialization of limbs, (tool use in hands) First non-archaic humans, fitting into the homo genus: were robust and powerfully built, emergence coincided with demise of neanderthals. Endothermy: also known as warm blooded, the condition by which animals produce their own heat via metabolic processes, allows them to function effectively in temperatures that are not ideal. Glandular skin: development in mammals, addition of sweat glands to aid in homeostasis.
