Anth Project PWeeks

8/7/2019 Anth Project PWeeks

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Human Evolution by SpeciesPatrick Weeks

Anthropology 107A

For Prof. L. LeClairUniversity of Prince Edward Island

Saturday, April 9 th , 2011


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Human Evolution by Species

Starting in the late Miocene epoch, this presentation will describefossil evidence of the earliest hominids (those that are most

speculated as human ancestors) over time, moving into the morecertain human forebears (those of the last half million years). Even

with these more recent species, much that is known is still speculative.As such, distinctions between species and subspecies are sometimesblurred, depending upon the research and conclusions of particular

people in the scientific community. It is for this reason that some moreminor species that may be omitted from the presentation. The

following species provide what I believe is the most probable and simplest

timeline of human evolution over the past seven million years.

Enjoy!


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SahelanthropustchadensisFound: 2001

Where: Toros-Manallasite 266, Chad

Team leaders: Michel Brunet, Alain Beayvilain

Temporal range:7 to 6 million years ago

Early relative of Humans and Chimpanzees

though it is uncertain as to whether or not eitheris descended from them. Few fossil specimensexist and very little is known. The oldest knownHominid, it is not known if it was bipedal but itbore a resemblance to the modern chimp.


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O rrorintugenensis

Found: 2000

Where: TugenHills, Kenya

Team leaders: Martin Pickford,Brigitte Senut

Temporal range:6.1 to 5.8mya

The second oldest hominid, O .

tugenensis was likely partiallybipedal. Little fossil evidence existsoutside of that pictured (joints,teeth).


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ArdipithecuskadabbaFound: 1997

Where: Middle Awash, Ethiopia

Team leaders: Tim White, Gen Suwa,

YohannesHaileSelassie

Temporal range: 5.7 to 5.2mya

Species known only from bone andteeth fragments, but differences in

teeth dictate that it is distinct toArdipithecusramidus and was likelyits ancestor. This may be the earliestknown proto-human.


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Ardipithecusramidus

Found: December 1992

Where: Aramis, Ethiopia

Team leader: Tim White

Temporal range: 4.5 to 4.2 mya

Similar stance and jaw to the modernchimp, A.ramidus was the earliest

hominid to be confirmed as afacultative biped (owing to a nearcomplete skeleton revealed to thepublic in 1999).


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Australopithecus anamensis

Found: September 1994

Where: Kanapoiand Allia Bay, Kenya

Team leaders: MeaveLeakey, Alan Walker


More apelike than A.afarensis, A.

anamensiswas likely the stepping stone

between facultative and habitual bipedalism.Feet and legs have not been found, but it

seems likely that it would have been equally

comfortable in a tree or on ground.


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KenyanthropusplatyopsFound: August 1999

Where: Lomekwiand East Turkana, Kenya

Team leader: Meave Leakey

Temporal range:3.5 to 3.2mya

A contemporary to A.afarensis, K.platyopsmayhave been an entirely separate genus of hominid(according to Leakey). This has been disputed byother researchers, who claim that it is a separatespecies of the Australopithecus genus. The fossils

uncovered so far are damaged to the extent thatthere is no way to be certain. The face is very flat,indicating upright bipedalism (the Latin namemeans flat-faced man of Kenya ).


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Australopithecus afarensisFound: November 1974

Where: Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania

Team leader: Donald C . Johanson


Likely the first full-fledged bipedal Hominid, A.afarensisfossils were only known by small jointsdiscovered in northern Africa. In 1974 thespecimen "Lucy" was discovered in Ethiopia,consisting of an almost complete skeleton. Very

recent findings have shown that A.afarensishadarched feet, clearly indicating habitualbipedalism.


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Australopithecus garhiFound: November 1997

Where: Bouri, Ethiopia

Team leaders: BerhaneAsfaw , Tim White

Temporal range: 2.5 mya

This may or may not be the missing linkbetween the Australopithecine andHomo genera, but A.garhiwas likely the

earliest developer of O lduwan stonetools, a fact that does not coincide withincreasing cranial capacity in this case.


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Australopithecus africanusFound: O ctober 1924

Where: Taung, Sterkfontein andMakapansgat, South Africa

Found by: Raymond Dart

Temporal range: 3.0 to 2.0 mya

A gracile hominid, A.africanus showsgreat human resemblance. The sagittal

crest is gone and brow ridges aredecreasing in size, likely due to thedevelopment of tools and a diet higher inprotein.


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Homo habilisFound: November 1964

Where: O lduvai Gorge,

Found by: Mary Leakey, Louis Leakey


The member of homo with the leastresemblence to humans, H. habilis wasthe first of the genus to use tools. Few

specimens have been found, and it ishotly debated whether or not it is in facta human ancestor


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Homo rudolfensisFound: August 1972

Where: East Turkana, Kenya

Team leaders: Richard Leakey, MeaveLeakey

Temporal range: 2.5 to 1.8 million years ago

The oldest of the genus Homo, H.rudolfensisrepresents a giant leap forward in cranialcapacity. From the Australopithecines thecranium has jumped between 100 and 300 cubiccentimeters (to around 700 cc), surpassing thatof modern chimps. Such a massive increase inenergy demand would indicate rapidly increasingprowess in hunting prey.


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Homo erectusFound: O ctober 1891

Where: Trinil, Indonesia

Team leader: Eugene DuBois

Temporal range: 1.8 million to 50thousand years ago

H. Erectus is a name often also used for otherHomo species, such as ergaster, georgicus,pekinensis, and later, heidelbergensis. Theyshowed great physical similarities to modernhumans, and were the first to control fire(ergaster). Brain capacity ranged around 800 900 cc, two thirds of modern human capacity.


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Homo heidelbergensisFound: O ctober 1907

Where: Mauer, Germany

Named by: O tto Schoetensack

Temporal range: 800 to 350 thousand years ago

H. heidelbergensis is likely the commonancestor of H. Sapiens and H. Neanderthalensis.He showed a comparable cranial capacity toeither species, and were likely capable tocommunicate complex messages. O ther socialbehaviors may have included burials anddecoration. They stood much larger than H.sapiens (over 2 meters) and likely had a similarcarnivorous diet to H. neanderthalensis.


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Homo neanderthalensisFound: August 1856

Where: Feldhofer, Neander Valley,Germany

Named by: William King

Temporal range: 200 to 28 thousandyears ago

Existing for a rather brief time, the gianthunter H. neaderthalensis was likelymarginalized by H. sapiens, requiringmuch greater energy intake while usingless advanced hunting technology. O ther theoriesinclude interbreeding with Homo sapiens.Regardless, it is undoubtedly the most human-looking species outside our own (if it is indeed adistinct species)


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Homo floresiensisFound: September 2003

Where: Liang Bua cave, Flores Island, Indonesia

Team leaders: Peter Brown, Michael Morwood

Temporal range: 100,000 to 12,000 years ago

Known as the "Hobbit", H. floresiensis was thesecond youngest species of the genus Homo.They stood only a meter tall and had asignificantly reduced cranial capacity, provingagain that this does not necessarily dictate toolusage or bipedalism. A creature of similardescription has been occasionally sighted onSumatra, possibly a living relative of H.floresiensis(but no proof has yet beendocumented).


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Homo sapiens

Named by: Carl Linnaeus

Temporal range: 200,000years ago to present

O f lighter build that H.neanderthalensis, energyrequirements for H. sapiens were much smaller. Coupledwith more advanced technology (particularly in rangedweaponry), H. sapiens were better able to acquire foodwhile reducing risk of injury. This permitted greaterreproduction as well as a migratory population. As ispainfully obvious, today our species numbers in thebillions and has more or less stopped evolving (due toreliance upon technology and the abandonment of natural selection). From here on out, evolution will likelybe only that of a technological sort.

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