Anthropology

ANT 202 Fact Sheet September 27-29, 2010

III. Processes in World Prehistory
A. Biological evolution
B. Colonization
C. Adaptation
D. Technological evolution
E. Increasing social complexity

IV. Beginnings: Africa
A. Biological classification of humans and their ancestors
________________________________________________________________Order: Primates – which includes all lemurs, monkeys, apes, humans, and human ancestors.


Family: Hominidae—Gorillas, chimps, Human and human-like ancestors represented in the fossil record back to ca. 6-7 million years ago.

Tribe (Subfamily): Hominin-- Human and human-like ancestors represented in the fossil record back to ca. 6-7 million years ago.Genera: There are four hominin genera that we will be mentioning from oldest and most ape-like to youngest they are:
Sahelanthropus
Ardipithecus
Australopithicus
Homo
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B. The Fossil Record
1.Sahelanthropus tchadensis Reported by Michel Brunet. The fossil consists of a remarkably complete skull (cranium). Much less prognathic profile, small canines and many other traits of the teeth distinguish it as a hominid not an ape. Small cranial capacity (380 cc) Dated 6-7 MYA based on association with time-diagnostic non-hominid fossils (index fossils).
2. Ardipithecus ramidusFound in the Awash area of the Great Rift Valley in Ethiopia. Dated 4.5 MYA . Reported by Tim White from U. C. Berkeley who argues that the species was bipedal but also spent a lot of time in trees.
3. Australopithecus : Defining features : 1) bipedalism; 2) small brains; 3) large cheek teeth
a. Australopithecus afarensis (Lucy) 40% complete female found at Hadarin the Rift Valley in Ethiopia . It is approximately 3.2 million years old. Discovered in 1974 by Donald Johanson.
i. Traits:
a) Considerable size variation;
b) Bipedal, but with robust curved arms usually associated with tree climbing
c) Very prognathousprofile- Human-like hands
d) Brains were chimpanzee size; Lucy was 415 cc.
ii. Laetoli: At this site in Tanzania in the southern Rift Valley Mary Leakey found three sets of footprints dating about 3.5 million years ago--probably left by Australopithecines. Found in 1976, dated by potassium argon. Demonstrate bipedal walking.c. Gracile line
i. Australopithecus africanus (3.0-2.5 MYA) Taung baby, Taung Limestone Mine South Africa 1925 (reported by Raymond Dart)
ii. Acceptance stalled by Piltdown Man
iii. Sterkfontein , near Johannesburg in South Africa. Robert Broom and Raymond Dart– Mrs Ples --2.5 MYA.iv. A. africanus appears to represent one of two lines of Australopithecines that split from A afarensis (the Lucy line)
d. Robust Australopithecines (3-1 MYA): In contrast with A. africanus this is a line of very robust (larger, more thickly boned, with big teeth and heavy jaws) Australopithecines, represented by two similar species. They had heavy buildsand specialized teeth used for chewing coarse plant foods.
i. Australopithecus boisiei : Defined by the Leakeys at Olduvai Gorge and dates to about the same time. Sometimes referred to as “Zinj” Also, sometimes referred to as Paranthropus
e. New find: In Ethiopia, Middle Awash: Australopithecus garhi 2.5 MYA. Found by Tim White appears to be...