Human Evolution

Adaptations

• Adaptation: Any variation that makes an organism better suited to its environment.

Characteristics of Primates

• Opposable thumbs- to grab and hold objects like food or tools

Characteristics of Primates

• Binocular vision- judge distance and depth

http://www.museumofosteology.org/museum-education/3/How-to-quotReadquot-a-Skull-Eye-Placement-and-Size.htm

Characteristics of Primates

• Flexible shoulders- swinging from branch to branch or throwing

Adaptations• How do these three adaptations give

primates an evolutionary advantage over other types of animals?

Time Line

Hominids4-6 mya

Australopithicus2.9-3.4 mya

Homo habilis1.5-2 mya

Homo erectus1.6 mya

Homo sapien Neanderthals

125,000-400,000 ya

Homo sapiens Cro-Magnon

10,000-40,000 ya

6 million years ago- a common ancestor with other primates, then

we started to evolve separately

• Hominids

• 4-6 mya

• Ate both meat and plants, walked upright, larger brains than chimps and apes.

• Found in Africa

1. “Ardi”

• Ardipithcus ramidus (root of the ground ape)

• 4.4 mya• Could move through

trees slowly, most likely lived on ground and walked on 2 legs

• Africa

2. “Lucy”• Australopithicus

africanus (southern man ape)

• 3.4-2.9 mya

• small brain, walked upright, human-like features

• Africa

Named Lucy because….

• Celebrating their find, the anthropologists played “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds” over and over again.

3. “Handy Man”

• Homo habilis

• 2-1.5 mya

• Larger brain, tools found nearby

• Africa

darn

4. “Upright Man”

• Homo erectus

• 1.6 mya

• Larger brain, fully upright stance, possibly used fire

• Africa, SE Asia, China and possibly Europe

5. Homo sapiensNeanderthals

• 400,000 years ago• Short, heavy bodies with

thick bones, small chins and heavy brow ridges. Lived in caves and used stone tools to hunt.

• Africa and Europe• Disappeared about 30,000

years ago

6. Homo sapiensCro-Magnon

• 40,000 years ago• Similar to modern

humans, lived in caves, created art and buried dead.

• Africa, Europe, Asia, Australia

7. Homo sapien sapien- “wise human”

• Modern humans

• 10,000-present day

• Large brain case, high intelligence, very sophisticated tool builder, written language

• Found world-wide

Human Migration out of Africa