...(Language studies) Archaeology (Past cultures) Evolution: Darwin, Lyell, Linneaus Genotypes, Phenotypes, Dominance, Recessive, Heterozygous, Homozygous, Punnett Squares Tt x Tt Evolutionary Theory—Four Forces --Mutation, Gene Drift, Gene Flow, Natural Selection Punctuated Equilibrium, Homologies, Analogies, Exaptations Primate traits Emphasis on sight and touch, Pair bonding, Stereoscopic vision Brain complexity, sociality Primate taxonomic terms Order (Primate), Suborders (Prosimians, Anthropoids) , Family (Hominidae),Genus (Homo, Australopicines, Species etc. Prosimian (tarsiers, lemurs) anthropoids (All monkeys and Apes) Catarrhines vs Platyrhinnes (Old Word and New World Monkeys) Dating Techniques: Absolute (Radiocarbon dating, Potassium Argon Dating, Tree-rings) Relative Dating (Stratigraphy, Seriation) Primate Evolution Paleocene, Eocene (Age of Prosimians), Oligocene (Age of Anthropoids: Aegyptopithecus), Miocene (Age of Apes Sivapithecus, Proconsul), Pliocene (Australopithecines) , Pleistocene (H. habilis, H, Erectus, Archaic Homo sapiens), Hominid chronology A. afarensis Laetoli, Hadar (3-4 MYA) A. africanus Taung, Olduvai Gorge (East and South Africa) (2-3 MYA) A. boisei East Africa A. robustus South Africa H. habilis East Africa (2.4-1.4 MYA) H. erectus Africa, Asia (Trinil River, Zhoukoudian) (1.9-.3 MYA) Archaic H. sapiens Africa, Asia, Europe (Shanidar, Terra Amata) (.3-.03 MYA) ...
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...Fossil Record Evidence of Humanity and Its Variation From the Primate The early history of humans (homo-sapiens) is a contentious and heavily debated subject in the scientific community. Exactly when and from which ancestry our species evolved is a topic of speculation that many disagree on. What most in the scientific community can almost unanimously agree on is that homo-sapiens did indeed evolve from lesser beings. There is no shortage of fossil record indicating evolution as a force in this world’s early progression. The real debate begins with when humans arrived in the fossil record themselves. The function of this essay will be to first designate which characteristics define and distinguish humans from other animals and in particular other primates. Second it will serve to discuss the earliest fossil records of humanity and their significance scientifically. These conclusions will seek to provide a viable definition for the above posed question of the evolutionary root of homo-sapiens. In order to determine when humans first began showing up in fossil records one must assign humans recognizable and unique characteristics that can distinguish them from other primates that may have been similar in appearance and structure to homo-sapiens’ early ancestors. Prior to that designation though, one must ascertain why the distinction must be made at all. Why must a clear distinction be made from other primates and not from early reptiles or other mammals? The answer lies...
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...inscriptions and movements. * Ethnology – analyzes culture, especially in regard to their historical development and the similarities and dissimilarities between them. * Linguistics – is concerned with man’s literate or non-literate and takes up interrelation between language of a certain people and various aspects of culture. EVOLUTION Charles Darwin – proposed the mechanism of natural selection to account for the evolution of species. Basic Principles of the Natural Selection 1. Every species is composed of a variety of individuals, some which are better adapted to their environment than the others. 2. Offspring inherits traits from their parents at least to some degree. 3. Since better adapted individuals generally produce more offspring over the generations than the poorer adapted, the frequency of adoptive traits increases in subsequent generations. HUMAN EVOLUTION, Humans are primates, a general group having a boreal ancestry and characterized by grasping fingers and forward facing eyes capable of binocular vision. 2 Major Lines of Descent * Prosimeans - nocturnal lower primate: a nocturnal lower primate with large eyes and...
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...Domond Biology 112 Human Origins Around six or seven million years ago in Africa, our first members of our human family the Hominidae was created in Africa. During through the six or seven million years ago, they spent much of their time in trees, like there close relatives the primates. Once the early hominids went on ground they stood and walk on two feet. That separated them and the primates. Homo sapiens evolved in Africa more than 150,000 years ago. To understand the history on how did human evolved and how they adapt to their setting. Scientist relies on evidence including fossils, artifacts, and DNA analysis. By understanding these clues and exploring the data it is clear how much we are evolved from one period to the next. In the exbiht Human Origins at the Natural History Museum fossils and DNA gave clues about the earliest members of the human family. Humans were thought to be most related to chimpanzees and bonobos. But the DNA of humans and chimpanzees is 98% the same and 2% different. Many scientists believed the 2% occurred when hominids evolved from living in trees to adapted living on the ground. DNA is considered the identifying mark of a living system such as the human evolution tree. The DNA code is complex in its basic structure. DNA is a double helix structure molecule. It’s like a long ladder and twisted into a spiral structure. DNA molecules are sugar and phosphate forms the sides of the ladder. DNA has four bases: adenine, thymine, guanine, and...
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...Chapter 22 – The Evolution of Primates Paleoanthropology the study of human evolution Primate characteristics 1. 5 digits 2. opposable thumbs or toe 3. long freely moving limbs 4. eyes in front of the head 5. relatively large brain 6. flexible hands & feet 7. nails 3 sub orders or primates 1. suborder prosimii - lemurs 2. suborder tarsiiformers- tarsiers 3. suborder anthropoidea- monkeys, apes, humans Suborder Anthropoidea 45 mya originated in asia & africa more developed cerebrum new world vs old world monkeys old world = africa and asia and europe short to no tails, nostrils downward, intensely social, ground dwellers new world = south and central america long tail, shorter thumbs or absent, aboreal, nostrils flat and open to side & social hominOIDS descended: old world monkeys 23-24 mya larger brain lack tail apes -gibbons, orangutans, gorillas, chimpanzees humans- a group composed of apes, and hominIDS (humans and their ancestors) hominids differences part 1 ape vs humans difference between apes and humans: humans: 1) complex curvature of the spine 2) shorter, broader pelvis 3) foramen magnum at base of skull 4) first toe aligned with other toe hominids differences part 2 ape vs humans human vs gorilla heads 1. human skull lacks the supraorbital ridge 2. has a pronounced chin 3. human brain is larger 4. teeth are arranged in a U shape Sahelantropus tchadensis earliest known hominid, small brain, face and teeth had many...
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...paleoanthropologist Tim White led a team in the Middle Awash area of Ethiopia in 1992-1994. During this time the first Ardipithecus ramidus was discovered. Since then, White and his team have discovered over 100 fossil specimens of Ardipithecus ramidus. It is believed that the Ardipithecus ramidus species lived about 4.4 million years ago. The Ardipithecus ramidus has some ape-like features but it also has human features as well which include smaller diamond shaped canines and some evidence of upright walking. There is a possibility that it is a descendant from an earlier species named, Ardipithecus kadabba. The fossils collected were that of a female, which is known as “Ardi”. The partial skeleton of “Ardi” is combined of both human and other primate traits. Her pelvis was shorter than other apes which indicate she could have possible been able to walk bipedally and she had a grasping big toe for moving throughout trees. Based on the skeleton, scientists have predicted the average height of “Ardi” was 3ft 11inches and her weight was approximately 110lbs. Scientists believe that the Ardipithecus ramidus species were omnivores based on the enamel of their teeth. Australopithecus anamensis was discovered in 1994. The history of this species began in the year 1965 when a research team led by Bryan Peterson from Harvard University found what appeared to be a single arm bone of an early human at a site of Kanapoi in northern Kenya. Patterson was unable to identify what species it belonged...
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...What is Anthropology??? • • • 20:41 Anthropology • Scientific Approach, OBJECTIVE • Study of Humankind- human groups • Seeks to produce useful GENERALIZATIONS about people and their BEHAVIORS • To arrive at an UNBIASED UNDERSTANDING OF HUMAN DIVERSITY • Only scientific discipline that attempts to embrace an understanding of all of humanity • Helps us understand ourselves an others Anthropology Perspectives • Holistic Approach (broadest view) o To view things in the broadest possible contest o To cover the whole scope of humanity o To provide a total or composite view o Human culture as a system, functional whole, all parts relate o Biocultural Perspective Studies both the PHYSICAL and SOCIAL EX: kuru disease (neurological disease)- disease caused by culture, transmitted by mortuary practices • Cultural Relativism o To view the beliefs and customs of other peoples within the context of their culture not one’s own o Practice of not judging other cultures based on the standards of one’s own culture o ENDOCENTRISM Group centeredness Tendency to see ones own culture as the center of everything The measure or standard against which all other lifeways are evaluated Tendency to consider ones own culture as superior or better than all others o Anthropologists must be unbiased, objective o Involves an effort to remain unbiased in ones observations o Acknowledges that cultures are DIFFERENT, but NOT RANKED o No right or wrong cultures...
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...evolved primates as a certain species of ‘cavemen’ or savages of the Golden Age, or as so respectively a ‘sapient. Whole batches of scientists like to form new ideas about the tree of life, and expect others to adapt their solutions to the equation of evolution. Deciphering these bits and pieces of our society can not only aid you in interpretation of the subject, but can form a more open, and distinguished thought of your history. Revolutions are, in fact part of human and genetic nature. It is...
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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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...for a sustained period of time is realistic. Finally, I will wrap up by delving deeper into the black monolith. I will discuss the plausibility of the technology and the initial reaction to the technology from life on Earth. The ending of this film is entirely open to interpretation, ranging from an explanation for Darwinian evolution to strictly religious thoughts of God or gods. Personally, I saw the black monolith as some sort of super-advanced alien technology that served multiple purposes. The first purpose, which was seen in the “Dawn of Man” section of the movie, was to assist in the advancement of an intelligent race. The monolith first appeared to the primates, before some of the early Homo species had arose. Shortly after contact with the monolith, one group of primates began to use a bone as a weapon. With the newly found weapons, one group was able to defend the water hole from another group. This suggests that the monolith had somehow inspired, whether through some sort of telepathic thought transmission or simply through touching it, the apes to begin using tools. The monolith had instantly advanced the primates towards further evolution. This was seen again in the closing scene of the film as well. The sole surviving astronaut, Bowman, is shown in a mysterious room. The scene keeps advancing and he keeps aging. Finally, in his deathbed, the monolith appears again. This is where the film went from weird/vague, to WEIRDER/VAGUER (probably not proper English). It...
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...Anthropology – The comparative study of human sciences and cultures. Holistic/Holism – In Anthropology an approach that considers culture, history, language, and biology essential to a complete understanding of human society. Society – A group of people who depend on one another for survival or well-being as well as the relationships among such people, including their status and roles. Culture - The learned behaviors and symbols that allow people to live in groups. The primary means by which humans adapt to their environments. The way of life characteristic of a particular human society. Ethnography – A description of a society or culture. Emic(perspective) – Examining society using concepts, categories, and distinctions that are meaningful to members of that culture. Etic(perspective) – Examining society using concepts, categories, and rules derived from science; an outsider’s perspective, which produces analyses that members of the society being studied may not find meaningful. Ethnology – The attempt to find general principles or laws that govern cultural phenomena. Cultural Anthropology – The study of human thought, meaning, and behavior that is learned rather than genetically transmitted, and that is typical of groups of people. Ethnohistory – Description of the cultural past based on written records, interviews, and archaeology. Linguistic anthropology – A branch of linguistics concerned with understanding language and its relation to culture. Historical linguistics...
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...Evolution is defined as “any process of progressive change”; and the theory is complex life forms from our time have descended from earlier ones that existed long ago (Hunt, p.29). The theory of evolution was first made popular by Charles Darwin an English Biologist, he spent a good amount of his time trying to find evidence to support his many ideas. It is believed that the human species has its origins in Africa. Scientists share the belief that a human like creature originated from the apes and over time, through many changes the final result was a group of hominids, they do however disagree on when and why the different characteristics begun begun to show themselves. It had been discovered that humans and the other primates do have some differences, for one humans have a larger brain, we walk on two legs, go through a longer periods childhood and juvenile life stages, we have the ability to speak and to form culture (Parker, p.3). Evolution occurs through a series of processes, including sexual reproduction and mutation, where some more desirable traits may be passed on to the next generation either by chance or natural selection. Natural selection played a major role in the understanding of evolution, it meant that individuals that have traits more favorable to adapting to its environment are more likely to survive and pass on those traits to their offspring. This led to the notion of “survival of the fittest”. The trait selected to move on showed up in the next generation...
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...relatives. Also, the advance in technology has enable scientists to find similarities and differences between humans and chimpanzees. DNA has revealed that Homo sapiens and chimpanzees are 98.5 to 99 percent identical. If an individual observes a chimpanzee, he or she will be surprised with the emotional, behavioral, and physical similarities one shares with the chimpanzees. The only differences between the chimpanzees and us would be running on two legs, that alone separates us. The evidence that supports the statement that chimpanzees are Human’s closest living non-human Primate Relatives are DNA and the chimpanzee’s cultural behavior. DNA studies have shown that Homo sapiens and chimpanzees share 99 percent of identical DNA. In the article, “What Makes Us Human?” Katherine S. Pollard focuses on the 1 percent of DNA that makes humans and chimpanzees different. However, the findings revealed a closer relationship between humans and chimpanzees, and explanations of how genes have mutated throughout time. Pollard reports that the human accelerated region 1 (HAR1) “might be part of a gene new to science that is active in the brain” (Pollard, 2009). The human brain is larger, more complex, and organized differently than the chimpanzees’ brain. Pollard, however, suggests that HAR1 might have the explanation to the evolution of the brain because “until human came along, HAR1 evolved extremely slowly” (Pollard, 2009). HAR1 is a gene that is expressed in a set of neurons during the...
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...Primatology is the study of primates which enables modern day humans to study and understand different primates and their adaption behaviourally and anatomically to the environment (Ember et al. 2011:86). Primatology also allows modern humans to study the behavioural and anatomical features that are distinctly human (Haviland et al. 2012:53). Homo sapiens share more than 98% of their DNA with chimpanzees and slightly less with great apes, although there is such a huge DNA shared we are not the same but there are similarities between the two. The following essay is aimed at discussing the similarities, differences and behavioural differences that are present between Homo sapiens and the present day primates. Primates are very diverse group of animals and possess features which are common within the group (Haviland et al. 2012:53). One of the common characteristics among all primates is the ability to grasp objects due to their opposable thumbs that modern primates have developed in the past year which allows more precise and powerful grip (Ember et al. 2011:88-89). Primates have well developed vision because a large portion of their brains is devoted to vision than smell, which allows than to see things better than humans and all primates give birth to live and developed young which in turn have a longer dependency period on their parents in comparison to other animals (Ember et al. 2011:89). Life expectancy of primates is very high and primates have larger brains compared to...
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...more years ago, the basicranium started evolving to a more flexed or bent position. The basicranium is the floor of the brain's case. With the basicranium flexed, the larynx (voice box) is low in the neck so we can produce more speech sounds. The basicranium is an indicator of how well an animal can articulate sounds. Other evolutionary, corporeal indications are the position and shape of the hyoid bone that anchors muscles connected to the jaw, larynx, and tongue. The Broca's area of the brain controls these muscles as they function to produce speech sounds. These, and other, adaptations like breathing control, vertebral canals larer, tongue innervations and length of the pharynx are all physical characteristics of communication. The evolution of language also enhanced human intelligence. Having the ability to communicate allowed for the uncomplicated transferring of complex ideas and allowed for teaching. Having the intelligence facilitated by language is a main quality that makes us human. When it comes to language chimpanzees, our closest living relatives communicate verbally using a variety of hoots, grunts, screams, pants, and other vocalizations....
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