HUMAN
EVOLUTION
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By: M.SAIDI
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EVOLUTION
Introduction (content of this
slide)
Evidence of common ancestors
for living hominids including
humans
Out of Africa hypothesis
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CLASSIFICATION OF HUMANS
Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Chordata How scientific names
are written:
Class Mammalia
Genus species
Order Primates
Homo sapiens
Family Hominidae
Note: it should be
Genus Homo underlined
Species Homo sapiens
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LINE OF DESCENT OF HUMAN
Pan troglodytes Homo
Homo sapiens
Present neanderthalensis
Homo erectus
Paranthropus Paranthropus
Time (millions of years ago)
robustus boisei Homo habilis
Australopithecus
garhi Australopithecus
Paranthropus africanus
aethiopicusus
Australopithecus afarensis
Ardipithecus ramidus Australopithecus anamensis
Click here
Phylogenetic trees
So I can ex
plain this tr
ee
Hominin ancestor
Characteristics that humans share
with the African apes
1.Upright posture
2.Large brains/skulls compared to
their body mass
3.Eyes in front/binocular
vision/stereoscopic vision
4.Eyes with cones/colour vision
5.Freely rotating arms
6.Long upper arms
7.Only two teats
8.Elbow joints allowing rotation of
forearm
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9.Sexual dimorphism/distinct differences
between male and female
10.Opposable thumbs which work in opposite
direction to their fingers
11.Flat nails instead of claws/bare finger tips
12. reduced sense of smell
DIFFERENCES: HUMANS AND APES BRAIN SIZE
Cranium- part of the skull
Small
Large which encloses the brain.
Humans have a larger
brain/more brain cells to
body size compared to
apes, Which suggests
HUMAN APE greater intelligence
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HUMAN SKULL APE SKULL
Sloping face
Foramen
magnum
Foramen backwards
magnum
forward
differences between the apes and humans
HUMANS (HOMO SAPIENS) AFRICAN APES
Larger cranium Smaller cranium
Flat face Sloping face
Brow ridges are not as
Brow ridges pronounced
pronounced
Smaller canines Larger canines
Less protruding jaws/less- More protruding
prognathous jaws/more prognathous
Foramen magnum
Foramen magnum forward
backwards
More curved spine Less curved spine
(S-shaped spine) (C-shaped spine)
Short, wide pelvis Long, narrow pelvis
Small and semi-circular Long and rectangular
palates palates
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BIPEDALISIM ThunderEDUC
Walking on two legs/limbs
FACTORS THAT CAUSE BIDEPALISM
(1) Foramen magnum
It moved to a more forward position
- to allow the spinal cord to enter
vertically
(2) Pelvic girdle
is short and wide/broad
- to support the upper body weight
(3) Spine
is more curved/S shaped
- to absorb shock/allow flexible
BIPEDALISM QUADRAPEDALISM
Foramen magnum Foramen magnum
forward backwards
More curved spine Less curved spine
(S-shaped spine) (C-shaped spine)
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Advantages of bipedalism
Free hands to pick or carry food, to use tools
and handle weapons
Standing upright, with eyes higher off the
ground, gives a better, wider view of
surroundings, to see predators/preys.
Movement becomes easier and more energy-
efficient
Reduces the body’s exposure to sunlight
when in an open area.
It raises the body away from the hot ground.
The male sex organ is readily displayed.
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Question from DBE paper
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Three lines of Evidence used for a
common ancestor of all hominids
1.Fossil evidence
–transitional species
2.Genetic evidence
- mt DNA
3.Cultural evidence
– tool making
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1. FOSSIL EVIDENCE
Whats is a transitional species/ fossil?
Is the one that shows intermediate
characteristics between two genera/species
OR
Is the one with characteristics common to both
the ancestor species and the species that
follows
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Important fossil
sites in Africa
South Africa
Kenya
Tanzania
Ethiopia
Chad
FOSSIL EVIDENCE
Scientific name Common Who discovered Where it was
name discovered
Ardipithecus ramidus Ardi Tim White Ethiopia
Australopithecus Lucy Johanson Ethiopia
afarensis
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Taung child Raymond Dart Taung
Australopithecus Mrs Ples Robert Broom Sterkfontein
africanus
Little Foot- Ron Clarke Sterkfontein
Australopithecus Karabo Lee Burger & Malapa in Cradle of
sediba Brett Eloff Humankind SA
Homo
Homo erectus
habilis Upright man
Handy man Eugene
Mary Dubois
and Louis Indonesia &
Olduvai Gorge,
Swartkrans
Leakey Tanzania
Homo sapiens wise man Tim White Makapansgat in
Limpopo
Border Cave in KZN
Blombos Cave in the
Western Cape
NOTE: Australopithecus sediba (Karabo) is a transitional species/ fossil
2. Genetic evidence: mitochondrial DNA
Mitochondrial DNA
Is inherited only from the
maternal line
Analysis of mutations on
this mitochondrial DNA
shows that the oldest female
ancestor were located in
Africa
and that all humans
descended from
her/mitochondrial Eve
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3.Cultural evidence and tool making
Using stone tools with cutting and sawing –
improved human nutrition
Development of stone tools became more
sophisticated as hominins evolved
Tools requires planning and thought
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Out of Africa hypothesis and evidence for
African origins of modern humans
This hypothesis states that modern human
originated from Africa and migrated to the
rest of world.
EVIDENCE TO SUPPORT THIS HYPOTHESIS
1.Fossilevidence
2.Genetic evidence (mt DNA)
3.Cultural evidence (tool making)
NOTE: we have already explained.
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1.Fossil evidence:
Fossils of Ardipithecus were found ONLY in
Africa.
Fossils of Australopithecus eg (Karabo,
Littlefoot, Taung child and Mrs Ples) and
Homo habilis were found ONLY in Africa
The oldest fossils of Homo erectus and
Homo sapiens have been found in Africa
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2.Genetic evidence:
Mitochondrial DNA (mt DNA)
Is inherited only from the maternal
line
Analysis of mutations on this
mitochondrial DNA
shows that the oldest female ancestor
were located in Africa
and that all humans descended from
her/mitochondrial Eve
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3.Cultural evidence
Using stone tools with cutting and sawing –
improved human nutrition
Development of stone tools became more
sophisticated as hominins evolved
Tools requires planning and thought.
The earliest hominids to use simple tools known
as Oldowan stone tools, were Homo habilis.
Homo erectus developed more advanced tools
that included sharpened stones placed on
wooden handles, like an axe.
From this point, tools progressed to knives and
blades used by the Neanderthals used for
hunting and protection. ThunderEDUC
PHYLOGENETIC TREES:
is a schematic form that shows the evolutionary
relationships within a set of organisms or
groups of organisms.
Note: you just need to understand how to apply
these trees
A SIMPLIFIED SUMMARY OF THE HISTORY OF HOMINIDS
Sample 1 Homo
sapiens
Homo
Homo erectus
habilis
Australopithecus A. robustus
afarensis
B
A
Chimpanzee
5 4 3 2 1
0
Time (million years) ThunderEDUC
Sample 2
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Sample 3
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Sample 4
Lets use sample 4 for sample questions
Sample 4
These will help
What is the name of diagram above
How many genera are shown in the diagram
What is the common ancestor of homo
sapiens and homo erectus
What is the common ancestor of all species
Give two pairs of species that competed for
resources
which species first used tools
Which species first walked on two legs
How many mya did Australopithecus
africanus appeared
When did Homo Habilis become extinct
How many my did Australopithecus africanus
existed
How does brain size show evolution trend
Give one example of transitional fossil
How does dentition show the diet of the
species.
DBE 2019 MAY/JUN ThunderEDUC
MEMO
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1.5.1 Name the family to which all these species belong.
1.5.2 What is the largest cranial capacity (in cm3 ) of
Australopithecus africanus?
1.5.3 When did Homo habilis become extinct?
1.5.4 Name TWO Australopithecus fossils found in South Africa.
1.5.5 Which of the organisms represented above has the greatest
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By: M.Saidi
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