1. Human Evolution

2. What makes us human? Anthropology has examined evidence from millions of years to develop a theory of the evolution of humanity Anthropologists have studied human biological evolution- fossil evidence (paleontology) and cultural remains (archeology) Scientific advancements now include study of DNA

3. Theories of Evolution Origin Myths/Cosmologies Greek – Prometheus Genesis Left: Prometheus and Athena Top: God and Adam Western examples

4. Species Classification Age of Exploration 15 th and 16 th centuries New species of plants and animals discovered New information classified by Carolus Linnaeus (Sweden) during 18 th century

5. Believed that animals and plants were fixed and could not change according to God's work Later revised this thinking as a result of observation of cross-breeding plants = hybrids

6. Theories of Evolution Darwin Evolution theory holds that existing species of plants and animals have emerged over millions of years from simple organisms. Darwin, On the origin of species, 1859 Charles Darwin youtube.com/watch?v=CKDSiNf_rLohttp://www. “Darwin's Theory of Evolution: A Brief History”

7. Theories of Evolution Darwin’s principle of natural selection “Natural selection is the gradual process by which nature selects the forms most fit to survive and reproduce in a given environment.” For natural selection to work on a given population, there must be variety within that population and competition for strategic resources.

8. Theories of Evolution Mendel’s principle of inheritance, 1856 The science of genetics explains the origin of the variety upon which natural selection operates. By experimenting with successive generations of pea plants, Mendel came to the conclusion that heredity is determined by discrete particles, the effects of which may disappear in one generation, and reappear in the next. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7QwTEKhVEDk&feature=related “How the Body Works: Eye Colour”

9. Early Primates Prosimians (65mya) Monkeys (35mya) Apes (23mya) Hominids (5mya)

10. Early Primates - Traits Common physical primate traits: Dense hair or fur covering Warm-blooded Live young Suckle Infant dependence Common social primate traits: Social life Play Observation and imitation Pecking order Common Primate Traits

11. Primate Family Tree Crown lemur Orangutan

12. Pre-hominid Evolution Reconstruction of Australopithecus

13. Hominid Evolution Homo habilis (2.0 – 1.6mya) H. rudolfensis (2.4-1.6mya) H. erectus (1.9-27kyBP) H. heidelbergensis (800-100kyBP) H. neanderthalensis (300-30kyBP) H. sapiens (130kyBP – present) Scale: Millions of Years BP

14. Hominid Evolution Major Homo advances: Brain size Better bipedalism Hunting Fire (H. erectus) Tools Built shelters (H. heidelbergensis) Clothing (H. neanderthalensis) Language (Neanderthals?)

15. Homo habilis Artist’s representation of a Homo habilis band as it might have existed two million years ago. 612 cc brain 2.3 - 1.6 mya first toolmaker prognathic face, brow ridge probable meat-eater possibly arboreal discovered in 1960 by Leakeys no speech

16. Homo erectus 1891 - Eugene Dubois discovers H. erectus in Java Dubois calls it Pithecanthropus erectus initially, also dubbed “Java Man” dates from 1.9 mya to 27,000 years B.P. 994 cc brain size (compare to 612 for H. habilis) Photograph of Nariokotome boy, an early Homo erectus found near Lake Turkana, Kenya.

17. Homo erectus – 1.9mya to 27k BP Why was H. erectus so successful? Less sexual dimorphism = possible pair bonds, marriage Less hair on body = wearing of furs, other clothing Wearing of furs = ability to live further north Culture is main reason H. erectus was so successful organization for hunting ability to protect against predators control of fire? possible campsites tools Distribution of H. erectus

18. Homo neanderthalensis discovered in the Neander Valley (Tal) near Dusseldorf, 1856 massive brain--about 1,400cc on average large torso, short limbs, broad nasal passages later remains show decrease in robustness of the front teeth and face, suggesting use of tools replaced teeth The skull of the classic Neandertal found in 1908 at La Chapelle-aux- Saints.

19. What happened to Neanderthals? H. neanderthalensis coexisted with H. sapiens for at least 20,000 years, perhaps as long as 60,000 years What happened? Neanderthals interbred with H. sapiens Neanderthals were killed off by H. sapiens H. sapiens drove Neanderthals into extinction by competition

20. Homo sapiens Archaic – 100,000 to 35,000 years BP Sometimes called Homo sapiens neanderthalensis Modern – 35,000 years BP to present Anatomically modern

21. Cro-Magnon Man Cro-Magnon humans 35,000 years B.P. in western Europe to 17,000 years B.P. 1,600 cc cranial capacity Name comes from a hotel in France Not a different species, just old Homo sapiens from Europe Artist’s reconstruction of a Cro-Magnon man