ANTH-UA 2 Chapter Notes -Foramen Magnum, Canine Tooth, Hominidae
21 Oct 2014
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Document Summary
Early in hominin record we look for evidence of bipedalism. Look for human features in skull and dentition. Cp3 = sectorial premolar complex; combination of canine and first premolar teeth that form a self-sharpening apparatus. First australopithecines show some reduction of the canine, absence or reduciton of a diastema, and at least partial loss of the cp3 honing complex. Hominins have thicker enamel than apes (but thicker enamel probably arose several times, so this alone does not guarantee a hominin tooth) Throughout hominin evolution, brain size increases while face size decreases. Emphasis on brain size and probably intelligence. Early hominins lose cranial crests (bony ridges on the skull to which muscle attach) and end up with more rounded braincase. Majority of fossil evidence of earliest hominins has come from the great rift valley of. The species to be discussed below are candidates for earliest hominin remains, but all or some of them may represent fossil apes rather than hominins.
