ANTH 110 Chapter Notes - Chapter 6: Ischium, Postorbital Bone, Diastema
Document Summary
The hominin (human lineage incorporated several important physical changes to accommodate the shift to bipedal locomotion, modification of the female pelvis, expansion of the brain, and reduction of the face teeth and jaws. Extended period of infant and child dependency. The first hu(cid:373)a(cid:374) (cid:862)hall(cid:373)ark(cid:863) (cid:449)as (cid:271)ipedalis(cid:373), or ha(cid:271)itual lo(cid:272)o(cid:373)otio(cid:374) o(cid:374) t(cid:449)o legs(cid:894)5-6 mya) The emergence of bipedal hominids in africa coincides with a change from extensive tropical forest cover to discontinuous patches of forest and open country. Drying trend causes african rainforests to retreat replaced by savana (grasslands) and scattered deciduous woodlands. Open county favored characteristics of ground living of some primates as well as other animals. There are several competing explanations for the emergence of bipedalism. Bipedalism adaptive for life amid the tall grasses of the savannas because an erect posture would enable primates to spot predators and prey (visual surveillance) and monitor other group members.
