TERM 3
MEMORANDUM ASSIGNMENT: HOMINID EVOLUTION
1.1 Characteristics we share with other African apes
1. Upright posture 
2. Large brains/skulls compared to their body mass 
3. Eyes in front/binocular vision/stereoscopic vision 
4. Eyes with cones/colour vision 
5. Freely rotating arms 
6. Long upper arms 
7. Only two teats 
8. Elbow joints allowing rotation of forearm 
9. Sexual dimorphism/distinct differences between male and female 
10 Opposable thumbs which work in opposite direction to their fingers 
11. Flat nails instead of claws/bare finger tips 
12/13 Olfactory brain centres reduced/reduced sense of smell 
12/13 Parts of the brain that process information from the hands and eyes are enlarged 
(13)
1.2
Feature
Humans (Homo sapiens)
African apes
Cranium (1)
Larger cranium / brain 
Smaller cranium / brain 
Face (2)
Flat face 
Sloping face 
Forehead (3)
Less sloping forehead 
More sloping forehead 
Brow ridges (4)
Brow ridges are not as
pronounced 
Brow ridges pronounced 
Canines (5)
Smaller canines 
Larger canines 
Chin (6)
Lower jaw has a well-developed
chin 
Lower jaw has poorly developed
chin 
Jaws (7)
Less protruding jaws / less
prognathous 
More protruding jaws / more
prognathous 
Spaces between
Teeth (8)
Smaller spaces between the
teeth 
Larger spaces between the
teeth 
Foramen
magnum (9)
Foramen magnum forward / at
bottom of skull 
Foramen magnum at the back of
the skull 
(18)
1.3.1 A – Homo sapiens / human
B – Gorilla gorilla / gorilla
C – Australopithecus africanus (Taung child)
(3)
1.3.2
Skull A
Skull B
Flat forehead
Sloping forehead
Brow ridge reduced / absent
Pronounced brow ridge
Well-developed chin
No chin
Non-prognathous
jaw
/
non-protruding Prognathous/protruding jaw
Poorly developed canines
Large canines
Flat face
Sloping face
Large cranium
Small cranium
(any 3x2)
1.3.3
1.3.4
1.3.5
1.3.6
B
Canines are large
Homo sapiens / human AND Australopithecus africanus (Taung child)
B, C, A
(6)
(1)
(2)
(2)
(3)
1.3.7 It has features of the skull that are intermediate between that of skulls A and B
e.g. jaw protruded more than in skull A but less than in skull B and face
slopes less than in skull B but more than in skull A
(3)
(20)
1.4.1 Length of cranium 
Long legs 
A modern pelvis 
Walked like humans 
Small teeth 
Human-like hands 
1.4 2. Primitive brow ridge 
Small brain 
Conical shape upper ribcage 
Small teeth 
1.4.3. It is a new species  with a mixture of characteristics of earlier species of
ape-men like Australopithecus africanus and more recent ancestors
of modern humans.  It seems to be a transitional form. 
1.4.4. To preserve them  and to prevent people from touching them 
1.5
1.5.1 Australopithecus africanus
1.5.2 Taung child, Mrs Ples, Little foot
1.5.3 About 3 million years ago, a hominid which was part ape and
part human  (Australopithecus africanus) , occupied the
Gauteng Highveld. This ape man may have been one of the ancestors
of modern man, Homo sapiens. 
 Fossils show that one of the earliest known members of the
modern human family, Homo habilis, lived in the Cradle
about 2 million years ago. 
(6)
(4)
(3)
(2)
(15)
(2)
(3)
 Homo habilis appears to have given rise to Homo erectus 
and fossils of Homo erectus have been found at Sterkfontein
and Swartkrans sites on the Cradle. The fossil record also
shows that Homo erectus was able to make use of fire as long
as 1.2 million years ago. 
 Homo erectus probably lived together with another form of
ape man, Paranthropus robustus,  a flatter faced creature
with big teeth. Parantropus robustus also had the ability to
make tools. 
 By one million years ago, ape men were all extinct. 
(10)
(15)
1.6
Scientist
Fossil
Place of discovery
1 Michael Brunet
Raymond Dart
Robert Broom
8 Mary Leacky
11. Ron Clarke
Toumai
3 Taung child
5 Mrs Ples
Laetoli footprints
12. Little Foot
14 Prof. Lee
Berger
Karabo
2 Chad
Sterkfontein caves
6 North west
9 Tanzania
13.Sterkfontein
caves
15 . Sterkfontein
caves 
Year
of
discovery
2001
4. 1924
7 1947
10 1978
1994
2008
(15)
1.7
2,5
Million years ago (MYA)
2,0
1,5
1,0
0,5
0,0
Homo habilis
Homo erectus
Homo sapiens
neandertalensis
Homo sapiens
sapiens
(4)
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