1. Human Evolution

2. Humans did not evolve from Apes
You Cuz
Dad Mum Aunt Uncle
Humans did not evolve from Apes
You are descended from your mother and father
You are related to your aunt and cousin

3. Common ancestor
Where we came from

4. Apparently human evolution is just like that of other groups
We have followed an uncertain evolutionary path
As new species evolved,
they filled ecologic niches
and either gave rise to descendants
better adapted to the changing environment
or became extinct
Our own evolutionary history has many dead-end side branches

5. Phenotypic differences between humans and other apes
Carroll (2003) Nature 422,

7. Chimpanzee-human divergence
6-8
million
years
Hominids or hominins
Chimpanzees
Humans

8. Origins of hominids Sahelanthropus tchadensis Chad (Central Africa)
Dated to 6 – 7 million years ago
Posture uncertain, but slightly later hominids were bipedal
‘Toumai’, Chad, 6-7 MYA
Brunet et al. (2002) Nature 418,

9. Hominid fossil summary
Found only in Africa
Found both in Africa and outside, or only outside Africa

10. Why did bipedalism become the primary adaptation of hominids?
Carrying behavior
Reduction of overall heat stress - facilitates heat loss through convection by exposing body to air currents, only humans have sweat glands that produce moisture to cool body
Most energy efficient way to travel long distances
Allows for better vision in open environments & defensive action against predators by freeing hands to throw objects

11. Origins of the genus Homo
Homo erectus/ergaster ~1.9 million years ago in Africa
Use of stone tools
H. erectus in Java ~1.8 million years ago
Nariokatome boy,
Kenya, ~1.6 MYA

12. Additional migrations out of Africa
First known Europeans date to ~800 KYA (thousand years ago)
Ascribed to H. heidelbergensis
Atapueca 5, Spain,
~300 KYA

13. Origins of modern humans (1)
Anatomically modern humans in Africa ~130 KYA
In Israel by ~90 KYA
Not enormously successful
Omo I, Ethiopia, ~130 KYA

14. Origins of modern humans (2)
Modern human behaviour starts to develop in Africa after ~80 KYA
By ~50 KYA, features such as complex tools and long-distance trading are established in Africa
The first art? Inscribed ochre, South Africa, ~77 KYA

15. Expansions of fully modern humans
Two expansions:
Middle Stone Age technology in Australia ~50 KYA
Upper Palaeolithic technology in Israel ~47 KYA
Lake Mungo 3, Australia, ~40 KYA

16. Routes of migration? archaeological evidence
Upper Paleolithic
~130
KYA
Middle
Stone Age