html5-img
1 / 21

Hominid Evolution

Hominid Evolution. Monkeys. Hominins are organisms that is more closely related to a human than a chimpanzee Chimps are our closest relative of the primates There is a large amount of confusion about their origin To understand where we came from we have to understand where they came from.

farhani
Download Presentation

Hominid Evolution

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Hominid Evolution

  2. Monkeys • Hominins are organisms that is more closely related to a human than a chimpanzee • Chimps are our closest relative of the primates • There is a large amount of confusion about their origin • To understand where we came from we have to understand where they came from

  3. Monkeys • Humans are a member of the order primates • This means we have opposable thumbs, flexible hips and shoulders, forward facing eyes and increased sensory processing abilities • Primates are generally found in the tropical or sub tropical regions of Asia, Africa or South America

  4. Monkeys • A common misconception is that humans evolved from monkeys • Monkeys are their own branch in the order of primates • Old World monkeys (Asia and Africa) were the first to evolve • They do not have a prehensile tail and their nostrils open downward

  5. Monkeys • New World monkeys are found in the Americas and probably came on logs and debris • NWM have prehensile tails, wide set nostrils and are all tree dwelling

  6. Apes • The remaining primates are “Apes” • Lesser Apes are gibbons and Siamangs  • These are classified as hylobatidae • These are smaller, have more slender limbs and have less sexual dimorphism than their other ape counterparts

  7. Apes • Great Apes are classified as the sub order homininea • These include orangutans, gorillas, chimps and humans • These all lack tails, large brain size compared to body size, have broad flat faces and a socialized culture

  8. Apes • http://www.animalplanet.com/tv-shows/animal-planet-presents/videos/almost-human-chimps-human-tools.htm

  9. Hominins • There have been 20 species of hominins that have been discovered through evolutionary history • Each and every one has been more related to humans than chimps

  10. Hominins • Since hominins only appeared 7 million years ago, there were several periods where several hominin organisms appeared at once on the earth • However many of those species died out • Around one million years ago there was only the homo genus left

  11. The Starting Lineup • There were many discoveries along the line to understanding human evolution • There are several different genus and species that are well researched or particularly important

  12. The Starting Lineup • The Australopithecusgenus is a genus of extinct bipedal organisms with a smaller brain • Evidence that they were bipedal comes from their hip joints, their spinal chord position and limb position

  13. The Starting Lineup • The genus homo is a collection of great apes that are characterized by the evolution of larger brains • Brain size relative to body size can be an indicator of intelligence • However it does matter how the brain is developed and shaped

  14. The Major Players • Australopithecus afarensis appeared roughly 4 million years ago • They had small brains, a protruding face and walked upright • Probably lived in small social groups like modern apes • Most famous fossil is “Lucy”

  15. The Major Players • Homo habilisstands for “handy man” • Appeared around 2.2 million years ago • Small brain size (510cc – 690cc) • Well known for mastering a set of stone tools that allowed them to be more successful in their environment • Thought to be a scavenger instead of a hunter

  16. The Major Players • Homo erectus means “upright man” • Appeared around 1.9 million years ago • Much larger brain size than habilis(940cc avg) • Thought to be a hunter that used tools to help • Evidence of the use of fire, however no evidence of cooking • First evidence of leaving Africa

  17. The Major Players • Homo neanderthalensis had a massive brain size (1600cc avg) • However it was structured differently than ours • .3% difference in DNA (that is two times larger than the largest human gap) • Ranged from Europe to Central Asia • Possible cause of many or modern traits • Probably driven extinct by modern humans

  18. Major Players • Homo sapiens means “thinking man” • Brain size averages 1350cc • Characterized by a large brain and a complex social environment • Amazing ability to alter their ability to alter the environment

  19. Frontal Lobe • The large and complex frontal lobe is theorized to be on of the major reasons for the survival of homo sapiens • It is the center that allows us to have complex thought, metacognition and complex planning • This allows Homo sapiens to have the ability to live in many different environments

  20. Frontal Lobe • Many studies have been done on people with damaged frontal lobes • The most famous is Phineas Gage • He damaged his frontal lobe while working on a train track • Later his doctors reported he had difficulty keeping plans, use very profane language, and had little ability to balance his “intellectual faculties and animal propensities”

More Related