Human Evolution

Front 1

Advantages of fire

Back 1

- cooking food

- increases illumination

- encourages food sharing and bonding

- reduces danger from predators

- allowed expansion into cold areas

- drives animals into traps

- process other materials eg: wood spears

Hint 1

There are 7

Front 2

Why is cooking food advantageous?

Back 2

- increases range of foods that can be consumed

- increases food hygiene

- reduces time needed for digestion / shorter gut / freeing up calories for larger brain

- allows more calories to be accessed

- reduces time spent gathering food / frees up time for social activities/ stimulates brain development

Hint 2

There are 5

Front 3

Who started burying their dead and what is the advantage to it?

Back 3

Neanderthals

They reduced attraction to predators and stops spreading of diseases and creates group bonding by having emotional needs satisfied.

Hint 3

There are 3

Front 4

Who introduced clothing and why was it advantageous?

Back 4

Neanderthals and Homo sapiens

Allowed them to inhabit colder habitats during ice ages

Front 5

What is scavenging vs hunting?

Back 5

Scavenging is looking for foods such as fruits and nuts

Hunting was killing live stock for meat

Front 6

Systematic hunting

Back 6

When a group premeditate a hunt of a larger game, must have communication of some sort

Front 7

Domestication advantages and disadvantages

Back 7

Advantages: adapted wild stock for human use, greater range of food source, less dangerous, less time and work needed to collect food, no need to travel for food sources

Disadvantages: increases populations increases chance of epidemics, lack of variety in diet leads to deficiencies, vulnerable to crop failure, issues of property and ownership, reliance on stored food in winter

Hint 7

5 in each

Front 8

Multi regional

Back 8

Homo erectus migrated from Africa about 1.5 mya. Populations established in Europe and Asia. Some level of gene flow prevented speciation. Homo sapiens evolved in all areas due to advantageous adaptations.

Front 9

Out of Africa

Back 9

Homo erectus migrated from Africa. Populations established in Europe and Asia and become geographically isolated. No gene flow therefore they become reproductively isolated. Homo sapiens evolved in Africa around 200,000 ya then migrated out of Africa and replaced all other populations without significant interbreeding.

Hint 9

Interbreeding

Front 10

Fossils?

Back 10

Found in sedimentary rock oldest at bottom and youngest at top

Intermediates between homo erectus and Neanderthals and modern humans exist. The supports the multiregional theory.

Using fossil evidence is challenging as fossils are very rare and are usually incomplete and any fossils found with tools could be misplaced as species may have used the same types of tools.

The first modern fossil was found in Africa -supports Out of Africa theory

Front 11

mtDNA

Back 11

Inherited along the female line only and can be traced back to a single female.

Supports out of Africa theory as it uses mtDNA analysis to support the idea that the oldest living modern human cane from Africa.

Does not undergo recombination in meiosis.

Has consistent mutation rate and gives timeline of genetic change

Hint 11

4 things

Front 12

Y chromosomes

Back 12

Inherited a long male line only and can be traced back to a single male

Supports out of Africa theory

No recombination in the non-homologous section of the Y-chromosome

Has variation due to mutations which can be traced

Hint 12

4 things

Front 13

Which theory is most supported? MR or OoA

Back 13

More recent evidence suggests out of Africa has most justification. However the introduction of Neanderthal and Denisovan DNA into gene pools of non-African modern humans show that interbreeding must have occurred which supports multiregional theory

Front 14

Bipedalism and hands positive feed back loops

Back 14

Bipedalism > changes in foot and reduced hairiness > infant cannot grap on and needs carrying > hands free > bipedalism

Bipedalism > food gathering and sharing > changes in social and reproductive behaviour > hands free > bipedalism

Hint 14

There are 2

Front 15

Increased brain size and intelligence positive feedback Loop

Back 15

Increased brain size and intelligence > development of advanced tools clothes fire and language > greater quantity and quality of food > increased survival > increased brain size and intelligence

Increased brain size and intelligence > larger brain babies > selection of females with a larger pelvis > increased survival of babies > increased brain size and intelligence

Hint 15

There are 2 one includes pelvis shape

Front 16

Why did bipedalism evolve?

Back 16

It is thought that bipedalism evolved due to a drier and cooler climate

Front 17

Advantages to bipedalism

Back 17

- greater height and awareness of surroundings (predators, food sources)

- more efficient locomotion

- thermoregulation - decreased exposure to sun

- Ability to carry objects (tools, infants, food)

Hint 17

There are 4

Front 18

Changes in the skull to support bipedalism

Back 18

- Foramen Magnum positioned in centre of skull thus to balance the skull over the spine

- reduction of nuchal crest indicating that the size of the neck muscles have decreased as the weight of the head supported by the spine and no longer the neck muscles

Front 19

Changes in the skull to support diet

Back 19

- lack of sagittal crest and reduced zygomatic arch indicates smaller jaw muscles

- Reduced molars and pre-molars indicate food needed less chewing - more meat and less vegetation in diet

Front 20

Features of skull showing larger brain

Back 20

- flatter face

- lack of brow ridges as forehead becomes more upright

- rounder skull

Front 21

Brain and nutrients

Back 21

The brain is an energy demanding organ and requires a nutritious high energy supply of food. With a larger brain hominids were able to manufacture better tools, co-operate more, obtaining better prey providing the right nutrition for the brain

Front 22

Tools and intelligence

Back 22

Better tools use encouraged greater foresight, this stimulated brain development which provided the basis of better tool use more food and nutrients for a larger brain.

Front 23

Cultural evolution

Back 23

The development in learned behaviour from one generation to the next

Front 24

Biological evolution

Back 24

The development of genetic material through DNA from one generation to the next

Front 25

What is cultural evolution

Back 25

Learned and taught, limited by learning ability intelligence, collective knowledge accumulated over many generations

Front 26

What is cultural evolution

Back 26

Learned and taught, limited by learning ability intelligence, collective knowledge accumulated over many generations

Front 27

What is biological evolution?

Back 27

Genetically inherited through DNA, genes and chromosomes, parents to offspring only, limited by meiosis and fertilisation

Front 28

What is cultural evolution

Back 28

Learned and taught, limited by learning ability intelligence, collective knowledge accumulated over many generations

Front 29

What is biological evolution?

Back 29

Genetically inherited through DNA, genes and chromosomes, parents to offspring only, limited by meiosis and fertilisation

Front 30

Skeletal changes linked to bipedalism in the spine

Back 30

Generally upright or vertical

supports the skull which is balanced on top of the vertebral column

Spine is S shaped allowing the centre of gravity to be balanced above the pelvis and hip joint

No weight is supported by the arms

Front 31

What is cultural evolution

Back 31

Learned and taught, limited by learning ability intelligence, collective knowledge accumulated over many generations

Front 32

What is biological evolution?

Back 32

Genetically inherited through DNA, genes and chromosomes, parents to offspring only, limited by meiosis and fertilisation

Front 33

Skeletal changes linked to bipedalism in the spine

Back 33

Generally upright or vertical

supports the skull which is balanced on top of the vertebral column

Spine is S shaped allowing the centre of gravity to be balanced above the pelvis and hip joint

No weight is supported by the arms

Front 34

Skeletal changes links to bipedalism in the chest

Back 34

Broad and narrow

Long collarbone and scapula (shoulder blade) house behind the shoulder joints

Front 35

What is cultural evolution

Back 35

Learned and taught, limited by learning ability intelligence, collective knowledge accumulated over many generations

Front 36

What is biological evolution?

Back 36

Genetically inherited through DNA, genes and chromosomes, parents to offspring only, limited by meiosis and fertilisation

Front 37

Skeletal changes linked to bipedalism in the spine

Back 37

Generally upright or vertical

supports the skull which is balanced on top of the vertebral column

Spine is S shaped allowing the centre of gravity to be balanced above the pelvis and hip joint

No weight is supported by the arms

Hint 37

4

Front 38

Skeletal changes links to bipedalism in the chest

Back 38

Broad and narrow

Long collarbone and scapula (shoulder blade) house behind the shoulder joints

Hint 38

2

Front 39

Skeletal changes links to bipedalism in the arms

Back 39

Relatively short arms

Mobile shoulder joint retained

Hint 39

2

Front 40

Skeletal changes linked to bipedalism in the pelvis

Back 40

Broad and shallow (bowl shaped) and supports the abdominal organs

Larger gluteus maximus muscles that maintain upright position

Hint 40

2

Front 41

Skeletal changes linked to bipedalism in the pelvis

Back 41

Broad and shallow (bowl shaped) and supports the abdominal organs

Larger gluteus maximus muscles that maintain upright position

Hint 41

2

Front 42

Skeletal changes linked to bipedalism in the legs

Back 42

Legs longer than arms

Femur: heat of femur wider then knees, femur angled inwards (valgus angle)

Knee: under the body (centre of gravity) thus less side to side movement needed when walking bipedally

Front 43

Skeletal changes linked to bipedalism in the legs

Back 43

Legs longer than arms

Femur: heat of femur wider then knees, femur angled inwards (valgus angle)

Knee: under the body (centre of gravity) thus less side to side movement needed when walking bipedally

Hint 43

Knee and femur

Front 44

Skeletal changes linked to bipedalism in the foot

Back 44

Toes shorter straight less mobile

Big toe longer no gap used to push forward when taking a stride

Arched foot stores energy from one stride for pushing forward on the next

Larger heel takes initial contact weight transferred through arched foot to toes for push off

Hint 44

4

Front 45

Nuchal crest

Back 45

Neck muscles!

Nuchal muscles (located at the back of the skull and keep the skull upright) are smaller, muscles are attached to a nuchal crest at the back of the skull for humans

Apes: larger because the skull needs to be lifted against gravity so face is forward, nuchal crest area is larger

Front 46

Sagittal crest

Back 46

Jaw muscles!

Sagittal crest (along the top of the skull) which serves as attachment for chewing muscles usually absent in humans

Apes: present, jaw muscles are used for defence and competitive interactions

Front 47

Zygomatic arch

Back 47

Humans: does not flare out, face is narrower

Apes: flares out to accomodate for large chewing muscles, gives a wide face

Front 48

Changes in the skull: jaw

Back 48

Becomes lighter as more meat was included in diet and as fire was used to cook food

Reduced jaw (non-prognathic)

Jaw shape is semicircular

Hint 48

3

Front 49

Endocranial changes

Back 49

Increased brain size to 1400 cc from 400 cc

Cerebellum: finer muscle coordination and balance

Cerebrum: problem solving, complex processing

Brocca’s and Wernicke’s area: sound sequencing and processing

Hint 49

4

Front 50

Changes in the manipulative ability of the hand

Back 50

Thumb longer and more mobile than that of apes

Increased dexterity in thumb joints and ligaments

Precision grip and fine manipulation possible because the thumb is longer and has very sensitive pads

Straight fingers

(These changes have huge implications for tool use and cultural evolution)

Hint 50

4 and tool use and cultural evolution

Front 51

Tools

Back 51

OAMU

Oldawan: Homo habilis, small single faced stone tools used for chopping and cutting

Acheulian: homo erectus, both faces worked on, tear drop shape

Mousterian: homo Neanderthals, flakes chipped off a core, wooden spears made for stabbing

Upper Palaeolithic: Homo sapiens, specialised, several materials (bone, wood)

Hint 51

OAMU

Front 52

Quadrapedal

Back 52

Habitually use four legs in locomotion

Front 53

Quadrapedal

Back 53

Habitually use four legs in locomotion

Front 54

Bipedal

Back 54

Habitually use two legs in locomotion