Download - Lab10 Early Hominins Reference Slides
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Sahelanthropus tchadensis
Age: 7.0 6.0 myaDistribution: Chad (central Africa)
Parts: 1 cranium, 1 partial mandible,
several teeth
Remarks: Hominid status disputed
- moderate-sized canine
- small premolars and molars
- moderate enamel thickness
- ape-sized brain
- somewhat forward placement
of foramen magnum
Hominin status disputed
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Orrorin tugenensis
Age: 6 5.5 mya (6.05 5.66)Distribution: Kenya
Parts: isolated teeth, 2 femora, 1 humerus, 1 phalanx
Remarks: femur reported to show features indicative
of bipedal progression
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Orrorin tugenensis
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Chimp Ardipithecus Australo.
ramidus afarensis
Deciduous 3rd lower premolar
Ardipithecus ramidus & A. kadaba
Age: kadaba: 5.8 5.2 myaramidus: 4.4 4.0 mya
Distribution: Ethiopia
Parts: various cranial, teeth, some postcrania,
including unpublished partial skeleton
Remarks: Very ape-like:
- moderate-sized canines
- unicuspid P3, chimp-like dp3- intermediate enamel thickness
- strong elbow suggesting climbing
Hominid traits:
- incisiform canine
- no honing facet on P3- forward placement of foramen
magnum
partial skeleton
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Ardipithecus kadabba
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Ardipithecus ramidus
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Australopithecus anamensis
Age: 4.3 3.8 myaDistribution: Kenya, ?Ethiopia
Parts: 1 cranial frag., 1 mandible,
isolated teeth,1 tibia,
several other long bones
Remarks:
Ape-like features:
- moderate-sized canines
- nearly unicuspid P3- strong humerus & radius
suggesting climbing
Hominid traits:
- thick enamel
- large, broad molars
- tibia indicates bipedalism
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Australopithecus anamensis
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LucyA.L. 288
Australopithecus afarensis
Age: 3.9 3.0 myaDistribution: Ethiopia (Hadar, Middle Awash, etc.)
Tanzania (Laetoli), Kenya
Parts: numerous cranial and postcranial
Remarks:
Ape-like features:
- moderate-sized canines with diastema
- large incisors, with U-shaped arcade
- prognathic face
- ape-sized brain
- retains climbing features of arms & hands
Hominid traits:
- clearly bipedal
- large molars with thick enamel
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Australopithecus africanus
Age: 3.4 2.4 mya
Distribution: South Africa (Taung,
Sterkfontein, Makapansgat)
Parts: numerous cranial and postcranial
Remarks:
Ape-like traits:
- small cranial capacity
- moderate prognathism
- some arboreal features
Human-like traits:
- small C, large P & M
- no diastema
- bipedal
STS 71 (Sterkfontein)AlsoFacial pillars
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Australopithecus sediba
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Australopithecus sediba
Age: 1.95 1.8 mya
Distribution: South Africa (Malapa)
Parts: Two partial skeletons (crania, mandibles,
limb bones, etc.)
Remarks:
- gracile bone structure
- mosaic of primitive and derived traits
- teeth and mandible like South African early Homo and Au. africanus
- flexible lumbar spine, similar to Homo
ergaster from East Africa
- forelimbs retain morphology for extensive
climbing and suspensory abilities
- bipedal, but walked differently from other Australopithecus species
Australopithecus africanus
Age: 3.4 2.4 mya
Distribution: South Africa (Taung,
Sterkfontein, Makapansgat)
Parts: numerous cranial and postcranial
Remarks:
Ape-like traits:
- small cranial capacity
- moderate prognathism
- some arboreal features
Human-like traits:
- small C, large P & M
- no diastema
- bipedal
STS 71 (Sterkfontein)
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Australopithecus robustus
Age: 1.9 1.2 myaDistribution: South Africa
(Swartkrans and Kromdraai)
Parts: numerous crania and postcrania
Remarks:
Megadont chewing machine:
- sagittal crest for large temporalis
- robust, forward-placed zygomatic
for large masseter muscle
- reduced prognathism
- small C & I
- molarized premolars- megadont molars
- hyper-thick enamel
ape-sized brain
bipedal
Paranthropus
AlsoFacial pillars
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Australopithecus boisei
Age: 2.3 1.2 myaDistribution: Tanzania, Kenya, Ethiopia
Parts: numerous cranial and postcranial
Remarks:
Hyper-megadont chewing machine
(enhanced features seen in A. robustus)sagittal crest
robust
zygomatic
facial pillarsmegadont Ps & Ms
Paranthropus
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Homo habilis
Age: 2.5 1.6Distribution: Tanzania (Olduvai Gorge),
Kenya (East Turkana), South Africa
(Sterkfontein, Swartkrans)
Parts: few crania, mandibles, postcrania
Remarks:
- earliest Homo
- probable maker of earliest
stone tools
- compared to australopithecines:
- relative large incisors
- smaller Ps & Ms
- no hyper-chewing traits
- cranial capacity up to 50%
larger
O.H. 65 Olduvai Gorge
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Homo habilis
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Mary Leakeys Stone Tool Types for the Oldowan Industry
various utilized flakes (1 3)
bifacial chopper scraper
discoid
proto-handaxe
unifacial chopper
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Conchoidal Fracture Features on Flaked-Stone Artifacts
Core Flake Ventral Face of Flake
striking platform
bulb of
percussion
ripples
negative flake scarhammerstone impact
on edge of core
Small object impact on a pane of glass
produces a full Hertzian cone
Impact on edge produces a half cone
sharp
cutting
edges
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Sequential Flaking of a Core Produces a Chopping Edge
negative flake scars