...Asian Trek-April 7, 2007: Fossil puts ancient humans in Far East, In 2001 Chinese tree farmers discovered a few bones from an old cave called Tianyuan. The bones belonged to a 40,000 year old human. A Chinese Paleontologist by the name of Hong Shang led an excavation of the site. He found some teeth, a lower jaw bone, and limb bones. But they couldn’t find the gender of the human because Hong couldn’t find a pelvis. There were also no found stone artifacts or other remains. They got the age of the skeleton by measuring the radiocarbon in the bones. The skeleton was a mix of people today and Neanderthals. The jaw, legs, and arms resemble the bones of people today but the teeth and hands are from Neanderthals. That means as the modern humans spread out of East Asia the interbred with other people. But there’s not enough evidence to compare with the new find. This is the second skeleton that they’ve found in East Asia that’s over 35,000 years old. The first was found in Borneo in 1958. The skull was reported by Graeme Barker. Graeme goes to the University of Cambridge in England. He is a journalist for the Journal of Human Evolution. The skull is approximately 39,000-45,000 years old. But since you can’t get an exact age using the Radiocarbon measurements this is what they are estimating the age to be. Now you know about the fossil that scientists believe but ancient humans in East Asia. Thanks for reading. I hope you learned a little about fossils...
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...Anthropology Describe LB1- LB1 was an adult of about 30, probably female. She was only about 3.3 feet (1 m) in height with a very small brain size of 417 cc. But, at her brain size she would not be able to think well enough to do basic functions, speak, organize her thoughts, and obtain food. The size of her brain meant she wasn’t a dwarf, but she wasn’t alone there are claims to be at least 8 or even 13 uncovered. LB1’s feet are long more than 60% the length of her femur, at least 10% more than with humans. She lacked a well developed arch, somewhat curved, suggesting wasn’t fast on ground, but good in trees. Her face is distinctive, no chin to speak of. Researchers have clashed over whether LB1 really does represent a species of its own, a descendant of Homo erectus or a pathological form of Homo sapiens. These specimens may represent a new hominin species, Homo floresiensis, descended from a local population of Homo erectus or from an earlier migration of a small-bodied and small-brained hominin out of Africa. Scientists found that the LB1 skull shows greater affinities to the fossil Homo sample than to pathological modern humans. Although some superficial similarities were found between LB1 and skulls of modern humans with pathologies, additional features linked LB1 exclusively with fossil Homo. Shows that LB1 is “clearly distinct from healthy modern humans and from those exhibiting hypothyroidism and Laron syndrome. The mandibles evidence suggests mandibles “share...
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...Then and Now Life, is it the same as it was millions of years ago? No, this is because of what is known as evolution. The world is forever changing. There seems to be something new discovered all the time. This maybe because the scientist have not had time to explorer everywhere and everything. However, there could also be another explanation to this, evolution. Evolution is a scientific theory that helps to explain the presences of new varieties of living things, both now, in the present as well as in the history of the earth. The theory of evolution is based on the differences and similarities that occur within living things over a period of time and among habitats. It takes in consideration the biological processes that occur of genetic drift, natural selection, gene mutations, and changes in the habitats that occur. This theory explains why in the past there may have been many different varieties of a species, but now there are far less of them. A species changes over time. It can grow bigger, smaller, develops new traits, or many other things can change in it. The evolution of a horse is an example of this. Over 50 million years ago, the horse was an animal that was about the size of today’s dog. The earlier horses were better suited for a tropical area than the plains of out west. However, because of evolution they adapted this maybe because of other animals that were predators or because of the lack of resources that were available. Horses even had multiple toes...
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...The Human Spark; Becoming Us The documentary, The Human Spark; Becoming Us, shows many possible theories to why humans achieved the spark and Neanderthals died off. Focusing on only a few of the main points; why humans received the spark and Neanderthals did not. The discovery of tools, symbolic jewelry and art, are at the forefront of changing our understanding of what the human spark was. Helping scientists to understand why modern humans had the spark and Neanderthals did not. Neanderthals and human tools were very similar except that human tools show the ability of a mind that can adapt. They can explain many reasons behind the spark, all of which show evidence of how the spark might have begun in modern human beings. Tools to make weapons and artwork are far superior in humans with no symbolic art discovered being created by Neanderthals. The hand ax was a basic tool of our ancestors. By using soft percussion process to make tools they were able to create better tools and sharper, but not specific to one task. The Neanderthals used the same toolkit year after year and possibly for thousands of generations. There tools would be used in many different ways like chopping, scraping, cutting or smashing bones and to slice meat. The use of the soft percussion technique allowed for a sharper point and more finely designed tools. That was, one of the first signs that the brain was changing. It works so well there was no drive for evolutionary change. By not having the ability...
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...The multi-regional hypothesis argues that our early hominid ancestors, including Homo ergaster and Homo heidelbergensis, migrated out of Africa and thus the evolution of modern humans took place in different parts of the world – a process termed regional continuity (Pettitt, P 2009a: 125-173) . This theory places great emphasis on the notion of steady evolutionary alterations or changes that happen in different regions and produce diverse variations of the species. Evolution of this kind is kept at a regular rate due to an amalgamation of cultural progress and ‘gene flow’ or interbreeding, thus keeping all lineages evolving at the same time (EP 2006a:70). This process is characterized as parallel evolution, which suggests a subtle morphological resemblance between populations of species who are geographically separated (EBO 2011). This idea was first postulated in 1940 by Franz Weidenreich (1873-1948), who noticed considerable similarities between the archaic Peking man fossils and modern humans from China. However, Weidenreich did not refer to his evolutionary hypothesis as the ‘multi-regional model’ - instead, he used the term ‘Polycentric’ (Wikipedia 2011). Milford Wolpoff, American Paleoanthropologist and advocate of the multi-regional hypothesis, developed Weidenriech’s theory along with Alan Thorne, allegorically suggesting that gene flow can be likened to that of individuals swimming in a pool – although they maintain their individuality, they are often influenced by...
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...Exam 4 Study Questions: 1. Write a short statement on Homo erectus. Be sure to 1) identify at least one important distinctive feature each of the head, chest and femur of H.erectus and discuss the way in which each of these structures is different from that found in modern humans; 2) discuss what the anatomy of H.erectus tells us about this species: a) diet and b) locomotor capabilities. * Head: H.erectus had a significant increase in brain size with a skull vault of about 1000 cc. This size is bigger than all the previous members of the genus Homo and similar to that of humans. * Chest: H.erectus had narrow rib cages similar to modern humans’, which indicates that H.erectus did not have complex guts like Lucy’s and was probably meat eaters. * Femur: H.erectus had extremely long femoral necks which were ever longer than humans’ which indicated that they might be even more adapted in bipedalism. * Diet and Locomotion: The anatomy of H.erectus indicates that their diet probably contained mainly meat and they are probably no longer foliovores. Like modern humans they relied on high protein, meat concentrated diet. Their means of locomotion was a kind of bipedalism probably even more efficient than modern humans’. 2. Identify what it means to be a) altricial, b) precocial and c) secondarily altricial. Then discuss the evidence that leads researchers to believe that H. erectus was secondarily altricial. * Altricial: Born helpless, the babies need time in...
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...Film Critique: Secrets of the dead: The Siphilis Enigma Student: Monica G. Villanueva Course: MDLB 4100 Immunology Submitted: November 22, 2016 In Secrets of the dead: The Syphilis Enigma, the documentary poses the question “who-gave-who” syphilis when Christopher Columbus and his crew set sail to the New World to encounter the Native Americans in 1492. Charlotte Roberts, a paleopathologist, is determined to share her theory of the existence of syphilis during pre-Columbian times after the discovery of four skeletons with “syphilis-like” bone lesions in the Hull Friary. Particularly, skeleton 1216 displayed undeniable evidence of syphilis such as holes in the palette, bone lesions in the skull, and destructive lesions on the thigh bones. Radiocarbon dating is a method used to determine the age of organic matter by using the properties of radiocarbon. Radioactive carbon in the bones of skeleton 1216 date back to 1300-1420 A.D, approximately seventy years before Columbian times. With the written records, functionality of society, business of prostitutes, and new evidence of skeleton 1216, the documentary persuades the audience that syphilis existed in Europe before the time of Columbus and the potential consideration to rewrite the history of syphilis. Although the documentary emphasized information about skeleton 1216, the bone lesions and findings on the other three skeletons were briefly mentioned. The film claims 60% of 245 skeletons recovered at the excavation site were...
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...Human beings' partnership with dogs has been thought to have originated approximately 14,000 years ago, based on fossilized remains. Recently, a sophisticated genetic analysis of 27 different populations of wolves and dogs from 67 breeds has shown that the origin of dogs is very old - perhaps 100,000 years. Researchers used analyses of mitochondrial DNA to determined that dogs are really gray wolves. They also determined that dog-ancestor-wolves originated between 60,000 and 135,000 years ago and evolved through a combination of human selective breeding and repeated crossings with wild wolves. Using the mitochondrial evidence, the researchers concluded that Coyote and other Canis species apparently have not contributed to the evolution of domesticate. The physical evidence of fossilized human and canine remains has suggested that dogs (Canis familiaris), first appeared about 14,000 years ago (Patterson, 1978), (Coren, 1994), (Bursch, 1998). Wayne and his colleagues hypothesized that dogs were really wolves (Canis lupus) in disguise. To test their theory, they collected tissue samples from 162 wolves from Europe, North America, Asia and Arabia, as well as from 140 dogs from 67 "pure breeds and 5 mixed breeds and analyzed the samples for molecular evidence of convergence or divergence (Wayne, et al. 1997). Mitochondria, and hence their DNA, are inherited through maternal ancestors. The researchers at UCLA studied the regular clock-like evolution of a particular area of...
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...My view on Neandertals before this assignment was that of what was played out in movies and commercials. The perception of them was that they are of very low intelligence and acted just like wild animals. I knew that they had a diet similar to ours in that they eat meat and fruit and vegetables and made tools for hunting but I never knew exactly to what extent. After reading the lecture and textbook on Neandertals my views have radically changed. I have never seen them as not human but now I see them more human than before. Physically they are similar to modern humans. Some of their features were adaptive to the cold climate that they had to endure. Much like the traditional artic population, the Neandertals were short and robust. Thanks to testing of the Neandertal genetic sequence for the MC1R gene it is also proven that they were blond and light completed thus allowing them to better absorb vitamin D with cloudy and overcast skies. The nose was large and projecting and they had a bump on the back of the skull much like some people still have today. They had very strong legs with sturdy bones and powerful knees. They also had robust toes that were muscular. These two features makes the Neandertal a very powerful runner for the terrain in which they lived. It would help them run faster and easier on wet or slippery ground. They also had very strong thumbs that enabled them to have very powerful grips. I would very well consider these physical characteristics human. There are...
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...Homo Erectus and Neanderthals. Two very different hominids. But are they really? Our ancestors were very versatile hominids they lived in different places and lived in different ways. They were all special in their own ways. They had similarities and differences that set them apart. They had similarities but the differences helped them survive in different ways. If they hadn’t adapted to how they lived in the future they would have lasted the same time that their ancestors have lived. The Neanderthals lived for an average lifespan 30 years. They had to have some mistake that decreased their lifespan. If the Homo Erectus had done the same there’s a chance that we might not be here right now. Their differences set the future that we live in today....
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...Question A: Where and when did homo neanderthals live? Homo Neanderthalensis fossils were found all over Europe, and near China, and in the far south of Russia. (O’Neil) A whole skeleton of an H. Neanderthalensis hominid was found in a cave in Neander Valley near Düsseldorf, Germany. (O’Neil) The Homo Neanderthalensis species lived from about 300,000 years ago until 25,000 years ago and lived alongside Homo Sapien Sapiens for as much as 20,000 years. (Mekie) Lockwood, Charles, and Chris Stringer. The Human Story: Where We Come from and How We Evolved. New York, Sterling, 2008. O'Neil, Dennis. “Evolution of Modern Humans: Neandertals.” Evolution of Modern Humans: Neandertals, Dennis O'Neil, 1 Jan. 2013, http://anthro.palomar.edu/homo2/mod_homo_2.htm. Mekie, Robin. Dawn of Man: the story of human evolution. Dorling Kindersley, 2000 Question B: How did they live?...
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...Paleo Project II: Neandertal Project The first members of our species, Homo sapiens, dates back to around 500,000 years ago with the emergence of archaic humans. Originating in Africa, these species migrated to other parts of the Old World (Lecture Week 14). The fossils discovered of archaic humans in different parts of the Old World were found to have slight differences among them. The fossils found of archaic Homo sapiens in Europe had Neandertal-like characteristics, signifying the origins of Neandertal. The Neandertal lived during a period of time that also overlapped with modern Homo sapiens. The Neandertals occupied the majority of Europe and parts of the Middle East from around 100,000 to 30,000 years ago, while modern humans date back to about 160,000 years ago (Lecture Week 14). Though the Neandertal were different than modern humans, they had similarities as well. Those similarities are numerous enough to warrant them as part of the same species. The Neandertals were not a different species from the modern humans; they were a natural variation of the species Homo sapiens. Anatomical Evidence The Neandertals had different anatomical features compared to modern humans. This includes a longer, lower braincases, larger brow ridges, wider nasal apertures, larger infra-orbital foramen, and the lack of the prominent chin present in humans (Lecture Week 15). They also had postcranial differences of having shorter, stockier bodies consisting of large muscle attachments and...
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...The Neanderthals were archaic humans and existed about 60,000 years ago. There are some surprising things about Neanderthals that can relate to homo sapiens. As in the beginning of the video they actually brought up that physical capability and extremely strength that Neanderthals had in doing the many different tasks in hunting and gathering they had. While Homo sapiens are also physical capability in many different tasks too. During the video they also brought up the importance of tool making and using tool effectively as Neanderthals built their own sharp tools by hand and with rocks. As Homo sapiens built tools too, but in more industrial ways. 2. What was scientists’ original impression of Neanderthals? The scientists’ original impression...
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...J.H Human Geography 1101 Becoming Human Response For many year there has been a worldwide controversy on the actual facts of evolution. Were we derived from ape? Did Neanderthal play an essential part if any in the culture that we have today? These are just some of the questions anthropologist and scientist have been trying to answer for ages. There are some disputable theories and some indisputable theories; you must come to a conclusion of your own. So we must take an in-depth look at the “Becoming Human” interactive documentary to arrive at our own theory and conclusion. In the beginning the documentary they takes us to Hardar, Ethiopia where the bones of the world renowned “Lucy” was discovered. With this discovery I believe this was the beginning of many more actually believing in these evolution theories. This discovery was the first to provide concrete facts that there were human like that species have walked the earth before us. Before Lucy there wasn’t one solid object or set of fossils that future findings to could be compared too. With that missing there would be a lack evidence, phases, and knowledge within the evolution theory. There are many scientists that make ape comparisons, being that they are genetically the closest species to humans. We very rarely talk about the probability cross mating, when I say cross mating I mean mating with another species in order to get these different aspects of the body. Mating with another...
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...Within this essay it will be going back four million years to the present day, into the evolution of man. It was once believed that all species on earth were the creation of God. But in 1858 Charles Darwin published his findings into the theories of the evolutionary process (Human Biology, 2008). He suggested closely related species evolved from one ancestor. Man and ape evolved from a common ancestor. Natural selection was the mechanism for evolutionary change. Over time the characteristics of the fittest species gradually changed over time through generations to survive the environment around them. Humans evolved in Africa and shared a common ancestor with chimps and apes which lived millions of years ago. This common ancestor diverged over time which formed different types of species of hominid. Homo sapiens make up today’s society, the other species of hominids became extinct. The know how of some of our early relatives is known because of fossil evidence, and our understanding of our family tree grows as new fossils are revealed. These fossils show that modern humans are part of a large human evolutionary family. Some distinctive features of H. sapiens the modern human have large brains, adapted to walk on two feet, a small or absent brow ridge and a small chin on the lower chin. Some of the hominids found that are believed to be our ancestors are Australopithecus afarensis, Homo erectus, Homo heidelbergensis, Homo neanderthalensis and Homo floresiensis. Australopithecus...
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