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Early hominids

Early hominids. A.africanus A.robustus/A. boisei H.habilis. SA dating techniques. Chronometric techniques not possible in SA Correlate with Plio-pleistocene fauna at the East African sites Breccia Secondary deposits: Bob Brain South African sites: 4.4 – 1.5 mya.

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Early hominids

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  1. Early hominids A.africanus A.robustus/A. boisei H.habilis

  2. SA dating techniques • Chronometric techniques not possible in SA • Correlate with Plio-pleistocene fauna at the East African sites • Breccia • Secondary deposits: Bob Brain • South African sites: 4.4 – 1.5 mya

  3. Australopithecus africanus • 3.6 to 1.4 mya (South Africa) • 410 – 533 cc • Increased cranial capacity • Reduction in face and tooth size • No semi-sectorial premolar, no canine diastema • Descendants: Homo and Robust australopithecines

  4. Little foot (3.6 to 4.4 mya) • Sterkfontein Cave • Ron Clarke & team - 1998 • Evidence of hominid locomotion

  5. Taung child – 2.0 mya • Raymond Dart -1924 • Child between 3 – 4 years of age

  6. Mr (s). Ples (Sterkfontein)

  7. Mr (s) Ples (2.5 mya)

  8. "Robust"australopithecines • 2.5 mya climate changes and becomes more dry/ savannah • Robust forms are seen in both East and South Africa • ‘Robust’ refers to cranial architecture while body size is the same as a. africanus

  9. A. robustus • 2.0 to 1.5 mya • Cranial capacity: 587 cc • Robust masticatory apparatus • Grinding of hard foods: seeds, tubers etc • No descendants? contemporaneous with h. habilis

  10. Swartkrans – 1.5 mya

  11. Mr. Ples (2.5 mya) Swartkrans (1.5 mya)

  12. A. boisei • Hyper-robust hominids: East Africa: 2.3 to 1.0 mya • Zinjanthropus : 1.75 mya (Olduvai) • 60% size of a. aethiopicus • No descendants, contemporaneous with H.habilis • More specialized diet than a. robustus

  13. Genus: Homo • 2.3 to 1.5 mya • Increase in brain size • Posterior teeth decrease in size • Elongated thumb, shortened fingers, precision grip (tool development) • Visible anterior nasal spine • Short cranial base, foramen magnum more anteriorly placed.

  14. Homo habilis • Olduvai Gorge, Koobi Fora, South Africa • 631 - 775 cm3 • Oldowan tool makers • Immediate use • Cores, crude flakes, hammerstones • Ancestors: a. africanus • Descendants: other early h.sapiens and h. erectus

  15. A. robustus & H. habilis 1:2 • Sexual dimorphism used to assess taxonomic classifications • Dental measurements (MD/BL) for 1st molars • Modern humans and Vervets: • MD/BL ratio low in males (1.06 to 1.09) and high in females (1.11 to 1.14)

  16. A. robustus & H. habilis 2:2 • A. robustus MD/BL ratio 1.08 ± 0.06 • Early homo MD/BL ratio 1.13 ± 0.07 • This suggests that some species assigned to A. robustus and early homo are conspecific

  17. Summary 1:2 • Pre-Australopithecines (7.0 to 4.4 mya) • Sahelanthropus, Orrorin and Ardipithecus • bipedal • primitive dentition • Australopithecines (4.2 to 3.2 mya) • A. afarensis, A.africanus • Small brain, large teeth, and bipedal

  18. Summary 2:2 • Australopithecines (derived) 2.5 to 1.4 mya • "robust" australopithecines (paranthropus) • Facial architecture • Early Homo (2.4 to 1.8 mya) • Decrease in dentition • Greater encephalization

  19. Generalizations • From the earliest hominids to homo habilis • Efficient bipeds • Increase in brain size relative to body size • Decrease in tooth size • Increase in the manipulation of tools

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