Why Did Man Become Bipedal?
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Homo Erectus Infancy and Childhood the Turning Point in the Evolution of Behavioral Development in Hominids
10 Homo erectus Infancy and Childhood The Turning Point in the Evolution of Behavioral Development in Hominids Sue Taylor Parker In man, attachment is mediated by several different sorts of behaviour of which the most obvious are crying and calling, babbling and smiling, clinging, non-nutritional sucking, and locomotion as used in approach, following and seeking. —John Bowlby, Attachment The evolution of hominid behavioral ontogeny can be recon - structed using two lines of evidence: first, comparative neontological data on the behavior and development of living hominoid species (humans and the great apes), and second, comparative paleontolog- ical and archaeological evidence associated with fossil hominids. (Although behavior rarely fossilizes, it can leave significant traces.) 1 In this chapter I focus on paleontological and neontological evi - dence relevant to modeling the evolution of the following hominid adaptations: (1) bipedal locomotion and stance; (2) tool use and tool making; (3) subsistence patterns; (4) growth and development and other life history patterns; (5) childbirth; (6) childhood and child care; and (7) cognition and cognitive development. In each case I present a cladistic model for the origins of the characters in question. 2 Specifically, I review pertinent data on the following widely recog - nized hominid genera and species: Australopithecus species (A. afarensis , A. africanus , and A. robustus [Paranthropus robustus]) , early Homo species (Australopithecus gahri , Homo habilis , and Homo rudolfensis) , and Middle Pleistocene Homo species (Homo erectus , Homo ergaster , and others), which I am calling erectines . Copyrighted Material www.sarpress.org 279 S UE TAYLOR PARKER Table 10.1 Estimated Body Weights and Geological Ages of Fossil Hominids _______________________________________________________________________ Species Geologic Age Male Weight Female Weight (MYA) (kg) (kg) _______________________________________________________________________ A. -
Neither Chimpanzee Nor Human, Ardipithecus Reveals the Surprising Ancestry of Both Tim D
SPECIAL FEATURE: PERSPECTIVE PERSPECTIVE SPECIAL FEATURE: Neither chimpanzee nor human, Ardipithecus reveals the surprising ancestry of both Tim D. Whitea,1, C. Owen Lovejoyb, Berhane Asfawc, Joshua P. Carlsona, and Gen Suwad,1 aDepartment of Integrative Biology, Human Evolution Research Center, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720; bDepartment of Anthropology, School of Biomedical Sciences, Kent State University, Kent, OH 44242–0001; cRift Valley Research Service, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia; and dThe University Museum, The University of Tokyo, Hongo, Bunkyo-ku Tokyo 113-0033, Japan Edited by Neil H. Shubin, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, and approved September 10, 2014 (received for review April 25, 2014) Australopithecus fossils were regularly interpreted during the late 20th century in a framework that used living African apes, especially chimpanzees, as proxies for the immediate ancestors of the human clade. Such projection is now largely nullified by the discovery of Ardipithecus. In the context of accumulating evidence from genetics, developmental biology, anatomy, ecology, biogeography, and geology, Ardipithecus alters perspectives on how our earliest hominid ancestors—and our closest living relatives—evolved. human evolution | Australopithecus | hominid | Ethiopia “...the stock whence two or more species have chimpanzees, can serve as adequate repre- (5). Indeed, a widely used textbook still pro- sprung, need in no respect be intermediate sentations of the ancestral past. claims that, “Overall, Au. afarensis seems very between those species.” much like a missing link between the living Background T. H. Huxley, 1860 (1) Africanapesandlaterhomininsinitsdental, ’ Darwin s human evolution scenario attemp- cranial, and skeletal morphology” (6). Charles Darwin famously suggested that ted to explain hominid tool use, bipedality, Australopithecus can no longer be legiti- Africa was humanity’s most probable birth enlarged brains, and reduced canine teeth (2). -
Mechanics of Bipedalism: an Exploration of Skeletal Morphology and Force Plate Anaylsis Erin Forse May 04, 2007 a Senior Thesis
MECHANICS OF BIPEDALISM: AN EXPLORATION OF SKELETAL MORPHOLOGY AND FORCE PLATE ANAYLSIS ERIN FORSE MAY 04, 2007 A SENIOR THESIS SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF BACHELOR OF ARTS IN ARCHAEOLOGICAL STUDIES UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN- LA CROSSE Abstract There are several theories on how humans learned to walk, and while these all address the adaptations needed for walking, none adequately describes how our early ancestors developed the mechanism to walk. Our earliest recognizable relatives, the australopithecines, have several variations on a theme: walking upright. There are varied changes as australopithecines approach the genus Homo. These changes occurred in the spine, legs, pelvis, and feet, and changes are also in the cranium, arms and hands, but these are features that may have occurred simultaneously with bipedalism. Several analyses of Australopithecus afarensis, specifically specimen A.L. 288-1 ("Lucy"), have shown that the skeletal changes are intermediate between apes and humans. Force plate analyses are used to determine if the gait pattern of humans resembles that of apes, and if it is a likely development pattern. The results of both these analyses will give insight into how modern humans developed bipedalism. Introduction Bipedalism is classified as movement of the post-cranial body in a vertical position, with the lower limbs shifting as an inverted pendulum, progressing forward. Simply, it is upright walking. Several theories have addressed why bipedalism evolved in hominids, with some unlikely ideas taking hold throughout the history of the issue. Other theories are more likely, but all lack the same characteristic: answering how bipedalism developed. -
Verhaegen M. the Aquatic Ape Evolves
HUMAN EVOLUTION Vol. 28 n.3-4 (237-266) - 2013 Verhaegen M. The Aquatic Ape Evolves: Common Miscon- Study Center for Anthropology, ceptions and Unproven Assumptions About Mechelbaan 338, 2580 Putte, the So-Called Aquatic Ape Hypothesis Belgium E-mail: [email protected] While some paleo-anthropologists remain skeptical, data from diverse biological and anthropological disciplines leave little doubt that human ancestors were at some point in our past semi- aquatic: wading, swimming and/or diving in shallow waters in search of waterside or aquatic foods. However, the exact sce- nario — how, where and when these semi-aquatic adaptations happened, how profound they were, and how they fit into the KEY WORDS: human evolution, hominid fossil record — is still disputed, even among anthro- Littoral theory, Aquarboreal pologists who assume some semi-aquatic adaptations. theory, aquatic ape, AAT, Here, I argue that the most intense phase(s) of semi-aquatic Archaic Homo, Homo erectus, adaptation in human ancestry occurred when populations be- Neanderthal, bipedalism, speech longing to the genus Homo adapted to slow and shallow littoral origins, Alister Hardy, Elaine diving for sessile foods such as shellfish during part(s) of the Morgan, comparative biology, Pleistocene epoch (Ice Ages), possibly along African or South- pachyosteosclerosis. Asian coasts. Introduction The term aquatic ape gives an incorrect impression of our semi-aquatic ancestors. Better terms are in my opinion the coastal dispersal model (Munro, 2010) or the littoral theory of human evolution, but although littoral seems to be a more appropriate biologi- cal term here than aquatic, throughout this paper I will use the well-known and common- ly used term AAH as shorthand for all sorts of waterside and semi-aquatic hypotheses. -
Bipedal Hominins
INTRODUCTION Although captive chimpanzees, bonobos and other great apes have acquired some of the features of There is fairly general agreement that language is a language, including the use of symbols to denote uniquely human accomplishment. Although other objects or actions, they have not displayed species communicate in diverse ways, human anything like recursive syntax, or indeed any language has properties that stand out as special. degree of generativity beyond the occasional 4 The most obvious of these is generativity -the ability combining of symbols in pairs. To quote Pinker, to construct a potentially infinite variety of they simply don’t “get it.” This suggests that the sentences, conveying an infinite variety of common ancestor of humans and chimpanzee was meanings. Animal communication is by contrast almost certainly bereft of anything we might stereotyped and restricted to particular situations, consider to be true language. Human language and typically conveys emotional rather than must therefore have evolved its distinctive propositional information. The generativity of characteristics over the past 6 million years. Some language was noted by Descartes as one of the have claimed that this occurred in a single step, characteristics separating humans from other and recently -perhaps as recently as 170,000 years species, and has also been emphasized more ago, coincident with the emergence of our own recently by Chomsky, as in the following often- species. This is sometimes referred to as the “big quoted passage: bang” theory of language evolution. For example, Bickerton5 asserted that “… true language, via the “The unboundedness of human speech, as an emergence of syntax, was a catastrophic event, expression of limitless thought, is an entirely occurring within the first few generations of Homo different matter (from animal communication), sapiens sapiens (p. -
Student Worksheet: Hall of Human Origins Virtual Tour
Hall of Human Origins GRADES 9–12 Student Worksheet: Hall of Human Origins Virtual Tour 1. Locate the three skeletons at the entrance to the hall (Page 5). On the far left is a chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes), in the center is a modern human (Homo sapiens), and on the far right is an extinct species called Neanderthals (Homo neanderthalensis). The human and the Neanderthal share many features related to bipedalism (walking on two legs). a. Compare the human and the chimpanzee. What similarities do you see? What differences do you see? Similarities: Differences: b. Compare the human and the Neanderthal. What similarities do you see? What differences do you see? Similarities: Differences: 1 Hall of Human Origins GRADES 9–12 Student Worksheet: Hall of Human Origins Virtual Tour 2. Based on your observations, which species do you think is more closely related to modern humans (Homo sapiens)? Explain your answer. 3. Observe the Family Tree (Page 6) . You should see several skulls organized from oldest (bottom) to most recent (top). This type of tree allows scientists to demonstrate evolutionary relationships among species. Displayed here are several species of early humans (also called hominins). On the top right is the skull of a modern human (Homo sapiens). As you look from the oldest species (bottom) to the most recent species (top) what changes do you notice in the shape of the skull? 4. Observe the diorama of Australopithecus afarensis. (Page 7) You should see a male and a female walking arm in arm. This is a hominin species that existed between 4 million and 3 million years ago. -
Re-Interpreting the Evidence for Bipedality in Homo Floresiensis
Research Letters South African Journal of Science 103, September/October 2007 409 bipedalism’, and, on this basis, concluded that Homo habilis Re-interpreting the evidence should be excluded from the genus. More recent analyses of the approximately 6-million-year-old Orrorin tugenensis fossils have, for bipedality in Homo however, found this species’ femur to be morphologically more like that of modern humans than australopithecines,4 which led floresiensis 5 Pickford et al. to conclude that Orrorin was a habitual biped. If this deduction is correct, the story of the evolution of bipedalism ‡ Maria B. Blaszczyk* and Christopher L. Vaughan* and its place in classificatory schemes is likely to change. The unveiling in October 2004 of the remains of a pygmy-sized hominin recovered from a cave on the island of Flores, Indonesia, has sparked an intense series of debates, and the issue of how to 6–9 The unveiling in October 2004 of the remains of a pygmy-sized classify the specimen is one of the major controversies. In 10 hominin recovered from a cave on the island of Flores, Indonesia, describing the skeleton, catalogued as LB1, Brown et al. diag- sparked an intense series of debates within the palaeoanthro- nosed it to be a new species of Homo, and thus gave it the name pology community. The discoverers diagnosed it to be a new Homo floresiensis. Although many experts support the taxonomic species of Homo, which they called Homo floresiensis, and they decision of Brown and his colleagues, others have challenged 8 interpreted the postcranial morphology as being ‘consistent with their interpretation and offered alternative theories. -
Uncorrected Pre-Publication Proof
Proof 校樣 No:___1____ Chapter No: City University of Hong Kong Press 13 Book Title: East Flows the Great River: Festschrift in Honor of Prof. William S-Y. Wang’s 80th Birthday .................................................................................................................... Chapter name: Searching for Language Origins ...................................................... .......... Scheduled publication date: 2013 ................................................................... Notes : ......................................................................................................................... ......................................................................................................................... 修改者 文字修改 圖版修改 備 註 (Remarks) 完成日期 完成日期 Edited by Text edited on Illustrations edited on • Fig 13.1, 13.2, 13.3 Too low‐res for printing. Pls provide us with hi‐res image files (300 dpi or above in jpg, tiff format). Note that pls don’t attach the images in word doc, but send us separate image files. Wonder if the abstract can cut down a bit, as together with the footnote, the page is a bit out of pageboundary. Tks. 13 Searching for Language Origins1 P. Thomas Schoenemann Indiana University Abstract Because language is one of the defining characteristics of the human condition, the origin of language constitutes one of the central and critical questions surrounding the evolution of our species. Principles of behavioral evolution derived from evolutionary biology place various constraints on the likely -
THE EVOLUTION of BIPEDALISM > Lesson Overview - Intermediate & Advanced
STEP BY STEP: THE EVOLUTION OF BIPEDALISM Lesson Overview - Intermediate & Advanced > Overview: Bipedalism is a defining characteristic of modern humans that evolved over millions of years. Therefore, identifying evidence for bipedalism in the fossil record can help determine what selective pressures may have affected human evolution. This lesson examines the significance of bipedalism, anatomical adaptations exhibited by hominins, and discusses possible climatic influences on bipedal evolution. Students should have a basic understanding of osteology (i.e. skeletal anatomy). Objectives: To understand the significance of identifying bipedal evidence within the fossil record. To learn the morphological adaptations associated with bipedalism. To become familiar with the environmental and behavioral pressures that may have affected bipedal locomotion. Outline: A. Introduction to Bipedalism B. Anatomical Evidence for Bipedalism C. Fossil and Geologic Evidence D. Conclusions E. Activity: Bipedalism Features Chart F. Activity: Brain vs. Bipedalism G. Review Questions H. References I. Answer Key Strategy: You will identify the fossil evidence for the evolution of bipedalism You will hypothesize about the evolutionary pressures affecting bipedal behavior You will familiarize yourself with the adaptations necessary for habitual, or obligate bipedalism. Required Materials: Pen, pencil, digital calipers (or ruler), life-size cast of human cranium (if available), copies of attached sections A-H of this lesson. Expected classroom hours: 2 hrs (Assigning reading as homework will decrease classroom hours). Suggested Supplemental Lessons or Resources: On the Track of Prehistoric Humans Human Evolution: Genera Australopithecus and Parathropus Who is Lucy? eFossils Lesson eSkeletons.org eFossils.org or eLucy.org Glossary Page 1 of 27 © eFOSSILS 2012 Last revised 23 January 2012 STEP BY STEP: THE EVOLUTION OF BIPEDALISM A. -
Teacher's Guide for Virtual Field Trip to the Spitzer Hall of Human Origins
Anne and Bernard Spitzer Hall of Human Origins GRADES 9–12 Virtual Field Trip Teacher’s Guide OVERVIEW Common Core State Standards: W.9-10.2, W.11-12.1, W.11-12.2, RI.11-12.4, Welcome to a virtual field trip to the Anne and Bernard Spitzer Hall RI.11-12.7 of Human Origins. This activity is designed for high school students to explore how the human lineage has evolved over time. New York State Science Core Curriculum: LS4.A Evidence of Common Ancestry and Diversity This activity is modular to give teachers flexibility in how they assign components to their students. The Virtual Hall Tour and Student Next Generation Science Standards: Investigation are the core assignments. The extension activities are LS4.A Evidence of Common Ancestry meant to provide opportunities for deeper student engagement. and Diversity Instructional Modalities CORE ACTIVITY This activity was designed for both synchronous or asynchronous Virtual Hall Tour and Student Investigation instruction. Students will use Google Arts and Culture to take a virtual tour For synchronous instruction, we recommend a platform that allows of the Anne and Bernard Spitzer Hall of Human Origins starting both for whole class discussion and for with the three skeletons at the entrance. Ask students to explore students to interact in small groups. the hall and find: For asynchronous discussion, we – The model of the Australopithecus afarensis couple provide suggestions for teachers to walking arm-in-arm provide additional video support for the – Four dioramas of hominins over time activities and for students to share their work with each other. -
Anatomy, Evolution of Human Aurélien Mounier
Anatomy, Evolution of Human Aurélien Mounier To cite this version: Aurélien Mounier. Anatomy, Evolution of Human. The International Encyclopedia of Anthropology, Wiley, 2019, 9781118924396. 10.1002/9781118924396.wbiea1765. hal-02407580 HAL Id: hal-02407580 https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-02407580 Submitted on 12 Dec 2019 HAL is a multi-disciplinary open access L’archive ouverte pluridisciplinaire HAL, est archive for the deposit and dissemination of sci- destinée au dépôt et à la diffusion de documents entific research documents, whether they are pub- scientifiques de niveau recherche, publiés ou non, lished or not. The documents may come from émanant des établissements d’enseignement et de teaching and research institutions in France or recherche français ou étrangers, des laboratoires abroad, or from public or private research centers. publics ou privés. Anatomy, Evolution of Human Mounier Aurélien To cite this version: Mounier Aurélien. Anatomy, Evolution of Human. John Wiley & Sons, Ltd, 2019, 10.1002/9781118924396.wbiea1765. hal-02407580 HAL Id: hal-02407580 https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-02407580 Submitted on 12 Dec 2019 HAL is a multi-disciplinary open access L’archive ouverte pluridisciplinaire HAL, est archive for the deposit and dissemination of sci- destinée au dépôt et à la diffusion de documents entific research documents, whether they are pub- scientifiques de niveau recherche, publiés ou non, lished or not. The documents may come from émanant des établissements d’enseignement et de teaching and research institutions in France or recherche français ou étrangers, des laboratoires abroad, or from public or private research centers. publics ou privés. Trim Size: 170mm x 244mm k Callan wbiea1765.tex V1 - 09/19/2017 10:09 A.M. -
The Evolutionary Origin of Language Reconsidered
Breaking Down the Barriers, 1-19 2013-1-050-001-000341-1 The Evolutionary Origin of Language Reconsidered Charles N. Li (李 訥) University of California, Santa Barbara There are markers and processes in hominid’s evolution and cognitive capability that are relevant to the emergence of language. After a long process of creation and concatenation of symbolic signals in their speech, grammatical structures emerged shortly, in a swift, graded and ongoing manner. This dynamic process defies any attempt to impose on it a non-arbitrary discrete marker as the point of origin of language. Key words: emergence of human language, language origin, human evolution, symbolic signals, gesturing, animal communication, grammatical principles, Foxp2 1. Introduction Throughout history, humans have been fascinated with origins: The origin of the universe, the origin of the earth, the origin of life, the origin of human, the origin of language. Unlike the origins of the universe, the earth, life and human, which are consigned to scientific investigation, the origin of language has attracted a good amount of speculations. The earliest one on record comes from the Old Testament, where we learn that a vengeful God punished the people of Babylon for their vanity and disobedience by creating a great diversity of languages. By the 21st century, a new round of speculations on the origin of language and other complex human behavior has prompted the evolutionary biologist, Richard Lewontin, to sound an alarm in an AAAS meeting (Feb., 2008), that research on the evolution of hominid cognition is akin to ‘paleofantasy’. There is no fossil record of human cognition, observed Mr.