WHO WAS AUSTRALOPITHECINE?
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Identified by Raymond Dart in South Africa – TAUNG CHILD
Dart learned of a partial cranium in 1924
Australopithecus africanus (gracile)
Determined it was biped due to placement of foramen magnum
Had ape-sized Brain
Human-like jaws
Today we know of seven species of
Australopithecus
Found in a variety of locations in Africa
From the Pliocene epoch (5 million to 1.6
million years ago)
Louis & Mary Leakey
Searched for fossils in Olduvai Gorge,
Lake Victoria & Kenya
Expanded knowledge of human origins
Gave Jane Goodall her start
“Lucy” Australopithecus afarensis found in
1974 in Ethiopia
Sexually dimorphic
Brain size ~ 420 ccs.
“First Family” found in Ethiopia also
Afar Region – dated about 3.6 million
years ago
■ Gracile
- 4 – 2.3 mya
- Lucy (3.3-2.6 mya)
- found in E & S Africa
- ape from waist up
- human from waist down
- males 1.5 x larger than females
- cranial capacity 310-510 ccs
- bipedal, tree climbing +
■ Robustus
- 2.5 – 1.0 mya
- thick bones for size
- markings where bones attached
- skull thicker
- up to 530 cc cranial capacity
- sagittal crest
- really powerful jaws
- Broom & M. Leakey
WHY BIPEDALISM?
Advantages
- adapt to changing climate
- Needed strong selective
pressure to develop
- heat stress theory
- transport foods safely
- holding infants
- gather food twice as fast
- travel far w/o tiring
- spot predators far away
- see sources of food & water
Disadvantages
- more visible to predators
- exposes soft underbelly
- cannot change running
direction instantly
- not very fast at running
- lower back problems
- hernias, hemorrhoids
- circulatory problems
- serious consequences if
foot/leg injury
WHAT WERE THE CHARACTERISTICS OF HOMO HABILIS?
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Discovered by Leakeys at Olduvai Gorge in Kenya
Found with identifiable stone tools dated approx 2 mya - Oldowan
Habilis lived during Lower Paloeolithic or first part of Old Stone Age
Nicknamed “Handy man”
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650-750 ccs cranial capacity, better information-processing capability
Almost modern looking hands & feet, handedness suggested
Brain asymmetry moving towards modern human
Tooth size reduced, body similar to gracile Australopithecine
Scavenged for meat since had tools
Probably planned ahead, cooperation, ?language
Growth of manual dexterity and fine manipulation
WHAT WERE THE CHARACTERISTICS OF HOMO ERECTUS?
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Found in Africa, Asia, Europe, Java
Discovered by Eugene DuBois
First time physical differences seen
~12 y/o male skeleton most complete find, dated to ~ 1.6 mya
600-1225 ccs cranial capacity, low vault cranium, near-modern development
of the brain, particularly in speech area
Brain asymmetrical, handedness, massive brow ridges
Sloping forehead, receding chin, face, teeth, jaws smaller than Habilis
Sexual dimorphism decreased from earlier bipeds
Erectus in Europe about 800,000 yrs ago, China 700-800,000 ya
Tool finds in Indonesia in 800,000 ya indicate water travel
Height closer to 5’ 3”
Heavily muscled, but had Human-like body
proportions
WHAT KIND OF CULTURE DID HOMO
ERECTUS HAVE?
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Acheulean Tools – sharper points,
HAND AXE Acheulian, ca. 450,000 BP
More cutting edge surface,
England Site was apparently a hunting
More standardized
or trapping camp. found deer, bison,
Diverse tools
elephant, horse and rhinoceros remains,
Used fire ~ 1.3-1 mya – protection,
chopping tools, including the pearwarmth, cooking
shaped hand-axe above
Improved planning ability, greater use
of natural resources
Evidence of hearths, shelter, can infer clothing
Ability to organize hunts ~ 400,000 ya
Oldest rock carvings found in a cave in India
Used red ochre
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Acheulian hand axe
Rock art in one of the shelters, cattle and other
animals. Note the elephant with human figure
(dancing or in ritual motion) over its head. India