Study of Human Evolution and Fossil Record in Anthropology - Exam 3 | ANTH 1001, Study notes of Introduction to Cultural Anthropology

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Anthropology 1001: Exam 3 Notes Paleoanthropology & the Fossil Record 11/1/10 Paleoanthropology: study of human evolution & the Fossil Record  Hominids & Hominins o Hominid  general term for the family Hominidae  Ape or Human o Hominin  general term for the tribes Hominini  Definitely in human line/ not an ape (according to potential changes in Primate Taxonomic Chart)  Goals : o (1) Be able to identify Hominid & Hominin species in the Fossil Record (FR) o (2) Establish fossils’ relationships to each other & to modern humans o (3) Try to gain insight into the paleospecies’ behavior  Multidisciplinary : (Paleoanthropology is multidisciplinary) o Geology (helps put fossils in context & dating) o Archaeology (helps identify material remains from FR) o Zooarchaeology archaeologist who studies animal remains o Taphonomist studies what happens to an organism after it dies  The Big 3 : (what separates humans from apes) o ** did NOT happen simultaneously o (1) Culture: biggest difference btw humans & apes  Apes have type of culture, but very different from human  Evidence of rituals/art/etc.  Happens late in the FR o (2) Brain Size:  Humans are more encephalized than apes  Evidence of increases in brain size in the FR & the changes that go w/ it  Gradual increase that happens through time o (3) Bipedality:  Humans obligate bipeds (always walk on 2 ft)  Evidence shows up @ different/random times in FR  Skeletal Adaptations for Bipedality :  Skull : o Foramen magnum : hole in bottom of skull  Biped : positioned in center of skull  Quadruped : positioned in back of skull  Spinal Curvature : o Biped: S-shaped spine; quadruped: straighter spine  Pelvis Shape (ilia winged part): o Biped: rounded pelvis; anterior-posterior ilia (front-back direction) o Quadruped: pelvisflatter; Iliamedial lateral  Femur : o Bicondylar Angle : (supports weight in center when walking)  Biped: positions femur directly underneath the center of pelvis  Quadruped: straight femur (no bicondylar angle) o Neck Length (of femur): (correlates w/ bicondylar angle)  Biped longer; quadruped: shorter  Feet : o Articulation of big toe: whether it’s straight (biped) or to the side (quad.) o Arch (helps stabilize balance & shock absorption) biped; quadnone  Hypothesis for Bipedality :  Freeing the hands: o Carrying objects o Eating o Hunting/ Gathering o Privisioning idea that social change accompanied by locomotion change such that there were smaller family units w/ males providing for family  Better view of open country (advantageous: detect predators/find food/etc.)  Energy Efficiency / (“Patchy Forest”) o Due to loss of forest, animals needed to travel further to get food & bipeds burn less energy than quadrupeds when traveling long distances Paleoanthropology  East Africa vs. South Africa o East Africa :  Geology: rift valleycomplex geological & seismic activity (earthquakes & volcanoes)  Dating: ideal for radioactive/ chronometric dating (due to volcanic rock)  Fossils are very well preserved, many petrified through petrifaction o South Africa :  Geology: lots of limestone, quarrying activities, & underground caves  Breccia  cement-like substance composed of pebbles/soil/sand/etc. that is found in underground caves  Fossils become embedded in the breccia; breccia hinders studying of the fossil record b/c it’s extremely hard to excavate  Dating: done by relative means (biostratigraphy, etc.) Terms  Post-orbital Constriction (“POC”) referring to constriction of the skull behind the eye orbits (view from top of skull); POC lessens over time in evolution  Supra-orbital torus (“SOT”)brow ridge; enlarged/ thickened part of bone above the eye orbits (view from side of skull); not found in modern humans  Prognathism/ Orthognathism o Prognathism  referring to the anterior projection of the maxilla (how far the upper jaw projects outward; primitive traitlessens over time)  Cranium small brained, lrg POC, lrg sagittal crest, lrg nuchal crest, pronounced prognathism, wide cheekbones, u-shaped dentition w/ big teeth  Post-cranial 4-4 ½ ft small bodied o Interpretation  Paranthropus proposed genus for the ‘robust’ group of fossils  “Gracile” & “Robust” groups o 2 groupings of Australopithecus genus  Proposed genus for the “robust” group: “Paranthropus” o P. aethiopicus o P. boisei o P. robustus Australopiethecine Subsistence  Diet Foragers (searching daily for food) o Suggested that the robust groups may have had a more specialized diet Early Homo  Homo habilis o Geography  Africa (E & S) o Dated  2.4-1.6 mya o Traits  Size of brain & shape of skull is different  Cranium20% increase in brain size (630-800cc’s), POC is less, rounded skull that lacks the sagittal crest & nuchal crest, SOT is reduced, reduced prognathism, dentition ranges from u- shaped to parabolic (hominin-like), teeth are reduced in size  Post-cranial slightly taller, more modern-like, definite bipeds o Interpretation  considered to be the 1st toolmakers (found w/ stone tools); definitely human o H. rudolfensis ? proposed species change for the older, larger fossils in the genus Homo Habilene Subsistence  Diet Foragers / Scavengers (ate meat off of already dead animals, NOT considered ‘hunters’) Tool Traditions  Oldowan Industry Oldest Stone Tools o Dates *2.6-1.5 mya o Traits simple: core, flakes  Flakes the pieces that come off of the core o Attibuted to H. habilis/ rudolfensis  Possibly even A. garhi Homo  Homo erectus o Geography  Africa o Dated  1.8 mya – 400 kya*(other species?) o **Traits**   Significant increase in brain size (750-1250 cc’s average= 900 cc’s)  More rounded skull  Less POC  Less prognathism  Torus “nuchal region” is more angled  Decrease in size of teeth  Parabolic dentition (human-like)  Very large SOT  Slanted forehead (ape-like)  Have Sagittal Keels (gradual sloping in the center of skull; not a crest)  Widest part of skull is towards the bottom of back  Significant increase in height (5 ft and over)  Modern limb proportions (longer lower limbs & shorter upper limbs)  modern-looking post-cranial skeleton o Interpretation  hunters that migrated o Fossil WT1500  Homo erectus/ ergaster  Geography  Africa  Dated  1.6 mya  Significant b/c of how complete it is  Important: male young teen  Homo erectus Migration o 1st recognized fossil species outside of Africa  Homo erectus Subsistence o Diet hunters / gatherers  Implications possible language & social structure o Earliest controlled use of fire attributed to homo erectus  Evidence for controlled fire found 500 kya  Cook w/ it, keep warm, deters predators  Debate: 1 species or 2 ? (Homo erectus/ ergaster) o African fossils “Homo ergaster”  Tend to be older (1.8 mya- 800 kya)  Less robust in muscle attachments & size o Asian fossils “Homo erectus”  Tend to be more recent  Tend to be more robust (thicker bones, SOT, etc.) Tool Traditions  Acheulian Industry  o Dated 1.8 mya- 200 kya o “Hand ax” large, tear-dropped shaped bi-facially flaked rock (found in early Acheulian) o Associated w/ homo erectus o Site Olorgesaille (O-lor-ga-sigh-lee)  Significance  b/c thousands of hand axes found along w/ animals fossils  Interpretation  3 different ideas: butchering site, tool manufacturing site, or trash site Middle Pleistocene  “Muddle in the Middle”  Dated  800- 127 kya  Some fossils deemed Homo erectus/ ergaster or homo antecessor?  “Early Archaic H. sapiens” o Official name Homo heidelbergensis Homo  Homo heidelbergensis o Geography o Dated 800-127 kya o Traits More consistently modern-looking  Cranial Brain-size increased significantly (ave. 1200 cc’s), expansion of skull, minimal POC, tall height of vault, more rounded posterior skull, orthagnothic, smaller teeth, widest part of skull is closer to the top. o Interpretation Homo heidelbergensis Tool Use & Subsistence  Acheulian Industry o Smaller, more complex o Can deduce functionality  Awls pointed end to punch holes in things  Scrapers scraping things, such as animal hide  Burins pointed, believed to be used for carving/ engraving o Regional diversity (in materials being used)  Schoningen, German found 3 wooden spears  Interpretation earliest example of non-stone tools  Dated 380,000-4,000 ya  Diet hunters & gatherers  Site Terra Amata o 380-450 kya o Found more than 10,000 artifacts/ tools/ animal bones o Interpretation found evidence for shelters (oval-shaped w/ post holes & fire pits) Summary of Trends from Australopithecus to Homo heidelbergensis  (1) Bipedality  (2) Brain Size Increases o 400 cc’s to 1390 cc’s  Virchow overrode king’s opinion  Moldova steppes of Russia o Lived in huts, lived in caves & rock shelters in other areas o Evidence of controlled fire usage found fire pits o Great hunters (more sophisticated than homo erectus)  More diverse tool kit  Cave bear Drachenlock, Switzerlock o Found remains of giant cave bears buried by neandertals  Possibly important: coming-of-age ritual/ other ritual  Krapina  site in Eastern Europe o Assoc. w/ cannibalism  Found many different bones that were deliberately broken in such a way to possibly get bone marrow  La Ferrassie  o Deliberate burial site, Family cemetery  8 different individuals found  1 had stone across top of grave: may be a marker  Shanindar I site in Iraq o Found deliberate burials  Found 1 ind. 40-50 yrs of age who was handicapped (deformed foot & arm)  Indicates the elderly man had been cared for  May indicate belief in afterlife  Summary o Lrg cranial capacity o Lived in tundra o Fire use o Diverse tool kit o Lived until 35 kya o Suggests 1-4 % of human genes come from neandertal  DNA may have been contaminated Anatomically Modern Humans  AMH o Traits consistent traits, unlike heidelbergensis  Skull: lrg brain(less than neandertals), more rounded skull, no occipital bun, more consistently vertical forehead, tall height of skull, orthagnothic, diff. nasal area, definite anterior pointed chin, no retro molar space, reduced SOT  Post-cranial: taller than neandertals, narrower/thinner in chest, modern limb proportions  Theories on the Origins of AMH  o I.) Complete Replacement (Out of Africa, Recent Africa Origin)  States that around 200kya modern humans (“MH”) evolved in a speciation event (something happened where a new species evolved). This group moved out of Africa to the rest of the Old World, & b/c they were better adapted, they completely replaced all of the other species they encountered (others died out, no gene flow).  o II.) Regional Continuity (Multiregional Evolution)  Recognizes that homo species were human, even when they didn’t have the compilation of traits attributed to MH  States that the last major speciation event occurred 1.8mya (mutation/natural selection/adaptations?) & produced homo erectus  Homo erectus migrated to diff parts of Old World, common selective pressures & gene flow btw pops. resulted in Homo sapiens  o Fossil Evidence supports idea of influx of pop.(1) & supports idea of gene flow (2)  Earliest fossils come from Africa  Overlap: 2 distinct group lived @ same time  Some fossils show mixed features, appear to be transitional form  Genetic Evidence generally indicates neandertals are a separate group o III.) “Compromise” Models (Assimilation, Partial Replacement)  Suggest that fossil evidence & genetic evidence supports migration of AMHs from Africa from 150-200kya, and, depending on what area they settled in, the AMHs either interbred w/ other species or completely replaced them  AMH Culture o Upper Paleolithic Tool Industries (referring to AMH Culture)  TrendTools become even smaller & more complex  Composite tools  made of multiple parts  Atlatl  spear thrower (generally a wooden rod w/ a hook on it extends throwing arm so you can throw harder & farther) o Evidence of Culture  Carvings, possible rituals, paintings, Venus figurines Homo  Homo floresiensis  “Hobbits” o Geography o Dated 18,000 o Traits  CranialSmall-bodied (3 ft.), brains 1/3 the size of modern human brains, diff. shaped brain, skull is shaped much like homo erectus  Post-cranial modern morphology, except for arms & feet. Arms longer than legs & large feet w/o opposable toes o Interpretation evidence of culture: found w/ stone tools & evidence of fire (group hunting/lang.?)  Ideas of Interpretation  I.) “Diseased human” MH evolved approx. 200kya moved from Africa to Old World MH replaced other species, no gene flow Homo erectus evolved around 1.8mya H. erectus migrated to OW & had diff. pops. common selective pressures & gene flow btw pops resulted in H. sapiens o Microcephaly: genetic disorder that causes brain & skull to be underdeveloped o Problem: disorder does not affect post-cranial body  II.) Island Shrinking o Modern humans that adapted to life on island & shrunk in size o Problem: 1st & only example of humans shrinking; do not have a close resemblance to homo erectus (proposed ancestor)  III.) Descendant of earlier group o Possibility that they’re descendants of homo habilis / austrelopithecines neither left Africa New World Expansion  Pleistocene period “Ice Age” o Large ice sheets where AMH could walk over to migrate  Beringia  land/ice bridge btw far Eastern Asia (Russia) & far Western N. America (Alaska) o Estimated that Beringia was exposed 2 times more recent time is when MH migrated over it New World Ecology  Occupied areas w/ many large mammals (mega-fawna “big animals”)  Rancho La Brea o Tar pit site w/ incredible fossil preservation that’s yielded millions of fossils of plants, animals, & other life-forms; helped reconstruct environment for Western half of country o Mega-fauna Wolf; Ground Sloth (over 6 ft); Mammoths, Mastadons; Saber-tooth cat; Bison; condors, Vultures, Terratorns Earliest New World Inhabitants  Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) o Federal law created to protect Native American cemeteries/graves & other prehistoric sites that are located on public lands, provided a way to return artifacts & skeletal remains that had already been collected if they were housed in federally-funded institutions o Recipients had to show a relation to the group in order to retrieve artifacts/remains o Site Kennewick  Referring to skeletal remains found in Washington State off banks of Columbia River.  When it was dated 8,000 y.o. & 5 diff Native American groups claimed them as ancestors, scientists contested the claims to the burial & they fought over remains for 8 years.  2004, courts ruled in favor of scientists & Native Americans had NAGPRA changed to allows them to claim any prehistoric remains on federal land/institutions  Significance : Kennewick led to controversies & NAGPRA Amendment allowing all Native American groups to claim any prehistoric remains found on federal land/institutions, halts all studying of prehistoric culture in US. Earliest new World Inhabitants  “Paleo-Indians” o Hunter-gatherers: hunted mega-fauna, small animals