1. Hominid Origins in Africa
Chapter 11
Hominid Origins in Africa

2. Major Events in Early Primate Evolution

3. Miocene Hominoid Distribution, From Fossils Thus Far Discovered

4. Miocene Fossil Hominoids
African forms (23–14 m.y.a.)
Western Kenya
Primitive.
European forms (16–11 m.y.a.)
France, Spain, Italy, Greece, Austria, Germany, and Hungary.
Asian forms (16–7 m.y.a.)
Largest and most varied group
Turkey through India/Pakistan and east to southern China.

5. Miocene Hominoid Fossils
These are hominoids.
Mostly large-bodied hominoids.
Not (certainly) ancestral to any living form. One lineage that appears well established relates to
Sivapithecus from Turkey and Pakistan.
Evidence of definite hominids from the Miocene has not yet been indisputably confirmed.

6. Key Very Early Fossil Hominid Discoveries (pre-Australopithecus)
Site
Dates (m.y.a.)
Hominids
East Africa
Middle Awash (Ethiopia; five localities)
5.8–5.2
Ardipithecus
Aramis (Ethiopia)
4.4
Ardipithecus ramidus
Central Africa
Tugen Hills
~6.0
Orrorin tugenensis
Toros-Menalla
~7.0
Sahelanthropus tchadenis

7. Features of Australopithecus
Bipedal.
Small brains.
Large teeth, & thick enamel on the molars.

8. Laetoli Dated at between 3.5 and 3.7 m.y.a.
Fossilized hominid footprints were found in an ancient volcanic bed.
Bipedal locomotion.

9. Hadar (Afar Triangle) Dating range- 3.9 to 2.3 m.y.a. Recovered:
"Lucy"
13 individuals, including 4 infants
(social unit died at the same time).
Some stone tools (2.5 m.y.a., earliest cultural evidence)

10. Koobi Fora (East Lake Turkana)
Richest assemblage of Plio-Pleistocene hominids in Africa.
Most date to 1.8 m.y.a., others to 3.3 m.y.a.
150 hominid specimens represent at least 100 individuals.

11. West Turkana
Two important discoveries:
Almost complete 1.6 m.y.a. Homo erectus adolescent.
“The black skull”, a well-preserved 2.4 million year old skull.

12. Olduvai Gorge
Louis and Mary Leakey excavations (1930's to early 1980).
Evidence of over 150 species of extinct animals.

13. Estimated Body Weights and Stature in Plio-Pleistocene Hominids
Male
Female
A. afarensis
99 lb
64 lb
59 in.
41 in.
A. africanus
90 lb
65 lb
54 in.
45 in.
South African “robust”
88 lb
70 lb
52 in.
43 in.
East African “robust”
108 lb
75 lb
49 in.
H. habilis
114 lb
62 in.

14. Groups of Plio-Pleistocene Hominids
200 individuals from South Africa
Over 300 from East Africa.
Divided into four broad groupings:
Set I Basal Hominids.
Set II Early Primitive Australopithecus.
Set III Later, more derived Australopithecus.
Set IV Early homo.

15. Set I. Basal Hominid (4.4 m.y.a.)
Aramis- earliest and most primitive remains.
Classified as Ardipithecus ramidus.

16. Set II. Early Primitive Australopithecus, 4.2-3.0 m.y.a.
Australopithecus afarensis – Laetoli & Hadar hominids
A. afarensis very primitive, criteria for classification as hominid is bipedalism.

17. Set III. Later, More Derived Australopithecus (2.5-1.0 m.y.a.)
Robust Australopithecines
Larger body size
Small cranial capacities
Very large, broad faces
Massive back teeth and lower jaws
Gracile Australopithecines
Different face dentition

18. Set IV. Early Homo (2.4-1.8 m.y.a.)
The earliest appearance of our genus, Homo may be as ancient as the robust Australopithecines.
Leakey named these specimens Homo habilis ("handy man")
H. habilis differs from Australopithecus in cranial cavity and dental proportions.