Chapter 13

1. Chapter 13 Premodern Humans

2. Chapter Outline • When, Where and What • Premodern Humans of the Middle Pleistocene • A Review of Middle Pleistocene Evolution • Middle Pleistocene Culture

3. Chapter Outline • Neandertals: Premodern Humans of the Late Pleistocene • Culture of Neandertals • Genetic Evidence • Trends in Human Evolution: Understanding Premodern Humans • Issue: The Evolution of Language

4. The Pleistocene • The Pleistocene, often called the Ice Age, was marked by advances and retreats of massive continental glaciations. • At least 15 major and 50 minor glacial advances have been documented in Europe. • Hominids were impacted as the climate, flora, and animal life shifted. • Middle Pleistocene (780,000– 25,000 y.a.) • Upper Pleistocene (125,000–10,000 y.a.)

5. Interglacials • Climatic intervals when continental ice sheets are retreating, eventually becoming much reduced in size. • Interglacials in northern latitudes are associated with warmer temperatures, while in southern latitudes the climate becomes wetter.

6. Glaciations • Climatic intervals when continental ice sheets cover much of the northern continents. • Glaciations are associated with colder temperatures in northern latitudes and more arid conditions in southern latitudes, most notably in Africa.

7. Changing Pleistocene Environments in Africa

8. Changing Pleistocene Environments in Eurasia

9. Key Middle Pleistocene Premodern Human (H. heidelbergensis) Fossils from Africa

10. Homo heidelbergensis skull from Zambia • The Kabwe (Broken Hill) Homo heidelbergensis skull from Zambia. • Note the very heavy supraorbital torus.

11. Earliest Evidence of Homo Heidelbergensis in Africa • Bodo cranium, the earliest evidence of Homo heidelbergensis in Africa.

12. Key Middle Pleistocene Premodern Human (H. heidelbergensis) Fossils from Europe

13. Key Middle Pleistocene Premodern Human (H. heidelbergensis) Fossils from Europe

14. Steinheim Cranium • Steinheim cranium, a representative of H. heidelbergensis from Germany.

15. Fossil Discoveries of Middle Pleistocene Premodern Hominids.

16. Fossil Discoveries of Middle Pleistocene Premodern Hominids.

17. Key Middle Pleistocene Premodern Human (H. heidelbergensis) Fossils from Asia

18. Crania from China • (a) Dali skull and (b) Jinniushan skull, both from China. • These two crania are considered by some to be Asian representatives of Homo heidelbergensis.

19. Time line ofMiddle Pleistocene hominids.

20. Review of Middle Pleistocene Evolution (400,000-125,000 y.a.) • Like the erects/sapiens mix in Africa and China, fossils from Europe exhibit traits from both species. • Fossils from each continent differ, but the physical differences are not extraordinary. • There is a definite increase in brain size and a change in the shape of the skull.

21. Middle Pleistocene Tools • African and European archaics invented the Levallois technique for tool making. • Acheulian tools are associated with hand axes. • Different tool traditions coexist in some areas.

22. The Levallois Technique

23. Culture of Neandertals • Neandertals, who lived in the cultural period known as the Middle Paleolithic, are almost always associated with the Mousterian industry. • In the early part of the last glacial period, Mousterian culture extended across Europe and North Africa into the former Soviet Union, Israel, Iran, and as far east as Uzbekistan and perhaps even China.

24. Culture of Neandertals • Neandertals improved on previous prepared-core techniques by inventing a new variation. • They trimmed a flint nodule around the edges to form a disk-shaped core. • Each time they struck the edge, they produced a flake, continuing this way until the core became too small and was discarded. • They then trimmed the flakes into various forms, such as scrapers, points, and knives.

25. Morphology and Variation in Neandertal Crania

26. Krapina • (a) Lateral view showing characteristic Neandertal traits. • (b) Three quarters view.

27. Fossil Discoveries of Neandertals

28. Mousterian Tools

29. Settlements • People of the Mousterian culture lived in open sites, caves, and rock shelters. • Windbreaks of poles and skin were placed at the cave opening for protection against severe weather. • Fire was used for cooking, warmth, light, and keeping predators at bay.

30. Excavation of the Tabun Cave, Mt. Carmel, Israel

31. Shanidar 1 • Among the individuals buried at Shanidar cave is the skeleton of a one-armed, partially blind, crippled man. • He could not have hunted or gathered food on his own. • Some believe his survival is proof of Neandertal compassion and humanity

32. Subsistence • Remains of animal bones demonstrate that Neandertals were successful hunters. • Used close-proximity spears for hunting (spear thrower and bow and arrow weren’t invented until the Upper Paleolithic). • Patterns of trauma in Neandertal remains match those of contemporary rodeo performers, indicating close proximity to prey.

33. Symbolic Behavior • Prevailing consensus has been that Neandertals were capable of articulate speech. • Even if Neandertals did speak, they did not have the same language capabilities of modern Homo sapiens.

34. Burials • Neanderthals buried their dead. • Their burials included grave goods like animal bones and stone tools. • They placed the bodies of their dead in a flexed position.

35. Question • The prevailing consensus among researches is that Neandertal: • was capable of articulate speech. • probably used grunting sounds to communicate. • did not have the anatomical features required for speech. • was unable to speak.

36. Answer: a • The prevailing consensus among researches is that Neandertal was capable of articulate speech.

37. Question • Regarding deliberate burials: • Neandertals laid the deceased on their back. • Neandertals included stone tools. • Neandertals included a shroud. • it is seen in Africa before Europe.

38. Answer: b • Regarding deliberate burials Neandertals included stone tools.

39. Key Neandertal Fossil Discoveries

40. Cultural Contrasts: Neandertals and Upper Paleolithic Modern Humans

41. Cultural Contrasts: Neandertals and Upper Paleolithic Modern Humans

42. Cultural Contrasts: Neandertals and Upper Paleolithic Modern Humans

43. Cultural Contrasts: Neandertals and Upper Paleolithic Modern Humans

44. Phylogeny of genus Homo

45. Phylogeny of genus Homo

46. Three Major Evolutionary Transitions • Transition from early Homo to H. erectus. Geographically limited to Africa and occurred rapidly. • Transition of H. erectus grading into early H. sapiens. Not geographically limited, but occurred slowly and unevenly. • Transition from Archaic H. sapiens to anatomically modern H. sapiens.