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Australopithecus africanus (2.8-2.4)
- -Taung, S.Africa
- -Child (tooth eruption) "Taung Child"
- -Deciduous(baby teeth) canines small
- -Ape-sized brain
- -Endocast showed brain stem position changed(foramen magnum)
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Piltdown Man
- - "Discovered" in 1912
- - Showed that "the brain led the way" in human evolution
- - "Proved" earliest hominin was English(not African)
- - Hoax: 600 year-old skull, orangutan mandible.
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A. africanus Bipedal Traits
- - Human-like shape of pelvis
- - Convergent big toe
- - Foramen magnum under skull
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A. africanus Cranial Traits
- - Derived cranial traits shared with later species
- - Canine reduction
- - Bicuspid premolars
- - and Less Prognathism
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The "Robust" australopiths
- - Australopithecus aethiopicus (2.7-2.3mya) E. Africa
- - Paranthropus boisel (2.3-1.4mya) E. Africa
- - Paranthropus robustus(1.8-1.0)
- - Living around the same time as the more gracile A. africanus
- - Skulls probably adapted to a coarse vegetatian diet
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The emergence of the genus Homo...
- - Defined by increased brain size
- - Associated with behavioral innovations:
- food getting strategies
- division of labor & food sharing
- tool use
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Increase in Foraging Complexity
- - Larger brains
- - Long periods of juvenile development:
- time for brains to grow(cant grow in womb)
- time to learn important foraging skills
- - Specialization favored for Division of Labor, Sharing and Cooperation.. "social insurance"
- - More male paternal invesment.. reduced sexual dimorphism
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The Pleistocene: First members of the genus Homo
- Homo habilis
- Homo rudolfensis
- - Most people classify as early Homo species
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Origin of Homo
- - First discoveries of genus Homo at Olduvai Gorge in Tanzania
- - Dating 2.4-1.6 mya (Pleistocene)
- - Contemporaneous w/robust australopiths
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Homo habilis (2.4-1.6)
- - Larger brain
- - Reduced cheek teeth
- A. afarensis, A. arficanus, H. habilis
- - Oldowan Tools
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Homo ergaster (1.8-0.6mya)
- - "Turkana Boy"
- - Dated to 1.5 mya
- - 12 year old male- 5'4"
- - Tall & Big Brained
- Shared Features:
- - No chin
- - Receding forehead
- Supraorbital suclus
- Supraorbital torus
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Homo ergaster tools
Acheulean handaxes
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