Models on WHY?
• Why we became bipedal (6 hypotheses)
Efficient bipedalism as the primary form of locomotion
is seen only in hominins.
BECOMING HUMAN PART 1
• NOVA
Becoming Human review…
• Lucy and bipedalism
– Habitual vs. Obligate Bipedalism
– Ossa Coxae
– Foot as stable support
– Longer legs
– Full knee extension
Hominins (us) are Hominoids
Hominins (us) review…
• Defined by dental features, bipedal
locomotion, large brain size, and tool making
behavior
• Characteristics that developed at different
rates, called mosaic evolution
Biocultural Evolution: The Human
Capacity for Culture
• All aspects of human adaptation, including technology,
traditions, language, religion, marriage patterns, and
social roles.
• Culture is a set of learned behaviors; it is transmitted
from one generation to the next through learning
and not by biological or genetic means.
• Material culture is part of the cultural complex…
Oldowan Tool Industry
• The Oldowan is the first known
industrial complex in
prehistory. It takes its name
from Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania
• Oldowan tool use is estimated
to have begun about 2.5
million years ago (mya), lasting
to as late as 0.5 mya.
• It is thought that Oldowan
tools were produced by several
species of hominids ranging
from late Australopithecus to
early Homo.
Chopping tool
Biface tool
Dating (relative)
• Relative dating methods. These tell you that
something is older or younger than something else
– Stratigraphy- based on the law of
superposition, which states that a lower layer is
older than a higher one
– Flourine analysis, used to date remains of bone
– Biostratigraphy
– paleomagnetism
Dating (absolute)
• Absoulte dating methods
– Chronometric (Absolute) dating methods are based on
calendar years
– K/Ar, or potassium argon method used to date
materials in the 5-1 mya range
– Carbon-14 method used to date organic material
extending back to 75,000 years
– Thermoluminescence
– Uranium series dating
– Electron spin resonance (ESR)
The “Study of Old Humans”
PALEOANTHROPOLOGY
How far back?
7 – 8 million years
70% of our history resides in Africa
Extensive changes in the last 10 years
1992 3-4 million
1998 4.4
2000 6
2003 7 million
Early Hominoid – Where to
Look?
Rift Valley of East Africa
Southern Africa
3 Major Groups
Pre-australopiths
(7-4.4mya)
Australopiths
(4.2- 1 mya)
Early Homo
(2.4 – 1.4)
Lucy 3.7 –3.5 mya
Don Johanson Dicovered in Hadar in 1974
Lucy in combination w/ Leakey footprints
tell us about locomotion and stature
Lucy 40% of skeleton, one of three most
complete, Pre-100,000
Accurate Dates due to Volcanic Ash layers
Laetoli
(Ash Footprints)
Discovered in 1978
Laetoli
(Ash Footprints)
1.
Convergent Big Toe
2.
Clearly Bipedal
3.
Arch
4.
Slow Moving “Strol”
5.
Short Stride