Topic: Human evolution1 ((The following is a mix of “objectives” and “learning activities”. I do NOT use all of these but I
want the aarows in my quiver. I do try to use these to write exam questions.)
Bloom’s Taxonomy
Deeper Learning Principles
Factual
Conceptual
Procedural
Metacognitive
Remember
Understand
Descriptions of
species
Models of human
spread
Description of other
primates
Hominins,
hominoids,
primates
Two theorys of
human spread
Bipedalism origin
Distinguish between
hominins hominoids
primates
Differentiate
between the two
hypotheses
How are
fossil
hominids
classified
Develop a
pneumonic for
remembering
human species
Draw flow
chart of steps
comparing
them
Active
Develop meiotic
pathway for a
polyploid (not a
diploid)
Social
Interview, design, …
Explain the
evolution of
bipedalism
Apply
Construct a timeline
of human evolution
Classify traits as
derived or
ancestral
Test flow
chart of steps
by appliying
it to xxxx.
Decide whether
following steps
is helpful to
you
Contextual
Classify hominins
according to
species definition
Analyze
Compare your
timeline to your
neighbors
Predict alternative
outcomes
Compare cancer
mitosis to mitosis
of new species
Evaluate
Critique your
neighbors/recommend
changes
Appraise the
phylogenetic
species concept
Identify
major steps
and sub-steps
and illustrate
Engaged
Ownership
Create
Link to adaptative radiation
Genetic bottleneck
Speciation – heilderburgensis – common ancestor to nethanderthal and sapiens (ecological isolation)
Learning outcomes
Evaluate hypothesis of Homo spread
Know how bipedalism evolved
Implications of bipedalism
Critique the “evolution progression” based on its science
Understand the relationship between brain size and body size
Predict when humans lost body hair and starting wearing clothes using the concept of coevolution
Construct a timeline of human evoltuion including bipedalism, brain size, and tool use.
Place human evolution in evolutionary history
Provide examples of human evolution
Understand that the field is constantly changing – consequently – ususally don’t see trees, see more
timelines.
Compare representations of human evolution
Link human evolution to adaptive radiation
Link human evoltuion to genetic bottleneck
Link humn evoltuion to gradualism or punctuated equilibrium
Topics specific to human evolution: bipedalism, big brains, tool use, hairless, clothes, who sprend when
and how?
Bipedalism:
Come up with a list of potential hypotheses
Evaluate list given what is known about WHEN and WHERE bipedalism evolved.
Remember and distinguish among the known “species” of hominins
Remember and distinguish among the classifications of primates
Compare and contrast the two major theories regarding how and when Homo sapiens left africa
Organize known facts about evolution into a cladogram
Compare cladograms to other students first; identify differences and defend own method
Evaluate cladograms based on accuracy and ease of interpretation
Compare cladograms to known representations – decide which one yours most closely resem
Relate human evolutionary information to species concepts
Evaluate “family tree”s
Activities
Give a pre and post quiz about human evolutionDid we evolve from monkeys/chimps? Yes/No explain.
Are humans still evolving?
Humans are too complex to have evolved/
Activity:
Give facts about each of the species
Have them organize the facts into a chart
Have them use the chart to make a proposed phylogeny
Compare phylogenies to other teams
Critique other teams phylogenies
Resources:
http://www.jqjacobs.net/anthro/paleo/bipedalism.html
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090810162005.htm
http://rsif.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/9/69/707
http://www.sciencemag.org/content/333/6048/1421.full.
http://www.becominghuman.org/
Watch video of the live event below! (also at YouTube.com)
Sanga Gupta (1:11.40)- become less efficient, become less = de-evolve (progressive)
Possible test questions
Cognative levels to test from this unit (determined by using the grid above and distributing the “cells”
among the 3 units that will be on this exam)
apply conceptual (experiment)
analyze procedural
(differentiate)
evaluate procedural (conclude)
evaluate conceptual (assess)
understand conceptual
(interpret)
understand factual (summarize)
1. Mitochondrial eve supports which hypothesis of spread and why.
2. Which explanation is correct regarding this figure (linear evolution of humans)
3. What situation would be analogous to using the lice to answer the question of hair loss and
clothes wearing in humans.
4. The fused wrist bone thing found in chimps, humans, and lemurs is an example of a
_____________ (cross to phylogeny)
a. Monophyletic trait
b. Ancestral trait
c. Polyphyletic trait
d. Paraphyletic trait
Richard Leaky says bipedalism is the beginning of the story of becoming human – bonding required
once we became bipedal because losing a leg requires empathy.
Don Johanson- thinking symbolically is the key to being human.
Species concepts
Homo heidelbergensis is believed to be a common ancestor to Homo sapiens and Homo neanderthal…
Homo sapiens and Homo neanderthals both lived in Europe at the same time. Homo neanderthals have
massive teeth and recent research suggests that they ate grasses. Based on their teeth, Homo sapiens ate
primarily meat. Suggest a species concept and suggest a plausible evolutionary scenario for their
speciation process.