Evolution of hominids

2.14 Describe the evidence for human evolution, based on fossils, including: a Ardi from 4.4 million years ago b Lucy from 3.2 million years ago c Leakey’s discovery of fossils from 1.6 million years ago

Lucy Australopithecines lived in Africa 1.5 to 4 million years ago. Lucy – the most complete Australopithecine skeleton found.

The Leakey Foundation Louis and Mary Leakey (1960’s) Richard and Meave (1980’s) The Turkana Basin Institute

Early evidence – mainly fossils & anatomical comparison

More recent fossil & DNA evidence

While the genetic difference between individual humans today is minuscule – about 0.1%, on average – study of the same aspects of the chimpanzee genome indicates a difference of about 1.2%. The bonobo (Pan paniscus), which is the close cousin of chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes), differs from humans to the same degree. The DNA difference with gorillas, another of the African apes, is about 1.6%. Most importantly, chimpanzees, bonobos, and humans all show this same amount of difference from gorillas. A difference of 3.1% distinguishes us and the African apes from the Asian great ape, the orangutan. How do the monkeys stack up? All of the great apes and humans differ from rhesus monkeys, for example, by about 7% in their DNA.

DNA shows that our species and chimpanzees diverged from a common ancestor that lived between 8 and 6 million years ago. The last common ancestor of monkeys and apes lived about 25 million years ago.

2.15 Describe the evidence for human evolution based on stone tools, including: the development of stone tools over time how these can be dated from their environment

At death the intake of C 14 stops, measure the ratio of C 14 to C 12

Evidence from tools

Gametes – How are they ‘adapted to their function’?

Fertilisation

Early human migration

Climate change