2. Hominid Evolution
• Hominids family of organism that includes humans
• Earliest subgroup of primates
• First appeared between 6 and 7 million ears ago
• Has evolved several times..we can tell by looking at
fossil evidence…Skulls in particular
3. Hominid Evolution
• Today researchers believe Hominid evolution proceed by
• Adaptive radiation is a process by which a several species
evolve from single ancestral species.
4. Hominid Evolution
• Adaptations in hominid evolution
include …
• Bipedal locomotion-walking upright on 2 legs
• Large brains- specially cerebrum; Increase in
cranial capacity
• Changes in skull shape, including decrease in
size of brow ridge (section of bone above
eye)
• Decrease in jaw size and angle at which jaw
protrudes from face
• Decrease in the number of teeth
• Opposable thumbs- adapted for grasping
• Development of the ability to make and use
tools
• Development of the ability to communicate
using language
5.
6. • The earliest genus of
hominids is called
Australopithecus, meaning
"southern ape
• found in eastern Africa in
1974
• Australopithecus afarensis
– Species existed between 3
million and 4 million years
ago
– A. afarenis was shorter than
modern humans, less than
1.5 m tall
7. • Homo habilis-
– Oldest…existed 2 million years ago
– handy man.” fossils found with tools
• Homo erectus means upright human
– Existed 1.6 million years ago to about 200,000 years ago
– Taller and larger brain than Homo habilis
– Smaller teeth than Homo habilis
– Lived in groups (suggest language use) and used fire
• Homo sapiens- means wise human
– Existed about 100,000 to 200,000 years ago
– Some believe they arose directly from Homo erectus while other believe they arose from Homo
Neanderthals (who descended from Homo erectus)
– By about 40,000 years ago, H. sapiens were physically identical to modern humans
• Homo neanderthalensis - Neanderthals
–Emerged in Germany 300,000 years ago
–Lived till about 30,000 years ago
– made stone tools and lived in organized social groups and had organized societies
– Brain was similar in size to modern humans
– DNA evidence now supports this theory…modern human DNA is 99.7 % identical
to that of the Neanderthals
• Cro-Magnons appeared in Europe (shortly after, Neanderthals disappeared)
• Modern Humans –Last 10,000 years, Earth’s only hominid.
