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Human Evolution. Mammal Characteristics Produce milk for young Hair Differentiated teeth Embryos develop inside and gain nutrients from the mother (placentals)

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Presentation on theme: "Human Evolution. Mammal Characteristics Produce milk for young Hair Differentiated teeth Embryos develop inside and gain nutrients from the mother (placentals)"— Presentation transcript:

1 Human Evolution

2 Mammal Characteristics Produce milk for young Hair Differentiated teeth Embryos develop inside and gain nutrients from the mother (placentals)

3 Primates Order of animals in class Mammalia 3 main groups: lemurs, tarsiers, and anthropoids (monkeys, apes and humans)

4 Primate Characteristics Open shoulder structure Legs and feet designed to bear majority of the individual’s weight Well developed fingers Fingernails and Toenails (not claws) Opposable thumbs

5 Continued Hip and shoulder joints allow a wide range of motion Eyes directed forwards – Binocular vision = both eyes view the same objects simultaneously with slightly different angles Large and complex brains Omnivorous One offspring at a time

6 What makes humans unique from other primates? Larger and more complex brain Capable of language Completely bipedal Hands are better adapted for precise movement Manufacture and use complex tools

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8 Where did we come from? Homo sapiens = only species of human that still exists – 20 extinct species that are more closely related to humans than chimps (hominims) Fossil records help us study our ancestors – Focus on pelvis, backbone, skull, jaws and teeth Molecular comparisons determine relatedness – Chimpanzees = closest living relative

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10 Relatives Hominids – Bipedal, human-like animals that belong to the same family as modern humans – Appeared approx. 4 million years ago – 2 genera – Homo and Australopithecus (Lucy) – 2.5 million years ago hominids began to use tools – 1.5 million years ago hominids became more widely distributed throughout the world (Homo erectus) – 160,000 years ago = early modern humans eventually lead to Homo sapiens – Current debate over modern human lineage Not a linear progression but a branching phylogeny


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