Biological Anthropology

1. Biological Anthropology The Early Hominids

2. Ardipithecus ramidus Australopithecus afarensis Australopithecus africanus Australopithecus boisei Australopithecus robustus Homo habilis Homo erectus Homo sapiens Hominid Species

3. Ardipithecus ramidus A revolutionary find Why “revolutionary”? Let’s see what we know before her…

4. Australopithecus afarensis • 1973 – “Johanson’s knee” • First suggestion of bipedalism

5. Figure 11.13

6. Australopithecus afarensis • 1974 – “Lucy” • 47 out of 207 bones

7. Australopithecus afarensis • 1975 – “First Family” • Over 200 fragments from at least 13 individuals

8. Australopithecus afarensis • 1978 – Laetoli footprints • 3.6 my BP (K/Ar) • Clear bipedalism

9. Australopithecus afarensis • Fully bipedal, but… • Arms longer than legs • 3.5 – 4.0 ft tall

10. Figure 11.08

11. Figure 06.06

12. Australopithecus afarensis Cranial capacity: 375-425 cc

13. Australopithecus afarensis • Rounded dental arcade (not parabolic) • app. 33% have large canine with diastema • Simian shelf present

14. Figure 11.10a

15. Australopithecus afarensis • Ca. (circa) 4-3 my BP • Found only in East Africa • No known culture

16. Australopithecus africanus • First find made in 1924 by quarryman M. de Bruyn • Cleaned and identified by Raymond Dart

17. Australopithecus africanus • Dental evidence indicated a juvenile age • “Taung child”

18. Australopithecus africanus • Finds in Southern and Eastern Africa • Dates between app. 3.0-2.0 my BP

19. A. africanus: bipedalism • Full biped • Pelvis smaller & upright • Parallel toes • Developed arch in foot

20. A. africanus: dentition • No large canines • No diastema • Simian shelf • V-shape jaw

21. A. africanus: cranial capacity • 400 – 600 cc

22. Osteodontokeratic culture • osteo = bone • donto = teeth • keratic = hair, horn • Postulated by Raymond Dart as early culture of Australopithecus africanus • May be the culture of all Australopithecus species

23. Australopithecus boisei Australopithecus robustus • Two very different types of hominids

24. boisei East Africa (Olduvai!) robustus South Africa Where were they found?

25. boisei ca. 2.5 – 1.0 my BP robustus ca. 2.5 – 1.0 my BP What are their dates?

26. boisei mean ca. 510 cc robustus mean ca. 510 cc Cranial capacity

27. Bipedalism • Human-like bipedalism • Smaller in stature

28. dentition • Huge jaw • Small incisors & canines • Large premolars & molars • Parabolic dental arcade • Simian shelf

29. Chewing apparatus • Sagittal crest • No diastema

30. Gracile A. afarensis A. africanus Robust A. boisei A. robustus “Dietary Hypothesis”suggests two groups

32. Dietary Hypothesis Graciles Omnivorous diet Robusts High fiber diet

33. Figure 05.34a

34. “Ardi”Ardipithecus ramidus a 4.4 million year old relative?

35. Found in Eastern Africa • First fossils discovered in 1992 • Includes a partial skeleton • And remains of at least 35 other individuals

36. An unexpected mix of traits…

37. Ardipithecuslocomotion hands and arms indicate she could climb like a chimp, but walked on her palms (not knuckles) Chimp skeleton A. afarensis skeleton rigid feetare more like anOld World monkey’sthan an apes Ardi legs and pelvis indicate that she could move on two legs like a biped

38. Ardipithecuscranial capacity • 300 – 350 cc • reconstruction based on CT scans of fossil fragments

39. Ardipithecusdentition Modern human Modern chimp Ardi’s canines are blunt – like a humans A move away from multi-male, multi-female mating patterns?

40. Why is Ardi so“revolutionary”? • Our earliest ancestor may not have looked like a modern chimp • Ardi undermines the “savanna hypothesis”

41. Ardipithecusdentition Modern human Modern chimp The wear patterns and isotope analysis of teeth suggest a varied vegetarian diet