EarlyEarly HominidsHominids

TheThe FossilFossil RecordRecord TwoTwo StoriesStories toto Tell:Tell: „ 1.1. HowHow hominidshominids evolvedevolved „ 2.2. HowHow interpretationsinterpretations changechange ‹InsightInsight intointo processprocess ‹PastPast && futurefuture changeschanges ‹InteractingInteracting elements...elements... InterplayInterplay ofof ThreeThree ElementsElements

„ “Hard” evidence ‹ Fossils ‹ Archeological associations Explanation ‹ Dates „ Reconstructions ‹ Anatomy ‹ Behavior ‹ Phylogeny Reconstruction Evidence „ Explanatory Frames ‹ Why did it happen? ‹ What does it mean? MutualMutual InfluenceInfluence WhereWhere toto start?start?

SouthSouth Africa,Africa, 19241924 TaungTaung ChildChild

Raymond Dart, 1924 Taung, South Africa

Why did Dart call it a Hominid? TaungTaung ChildChild

Raymond Dart, 1924 Taung, South Africa Australopithecus africanus 2.5 mya Four-year old with an ape-sized brain, humanlike small canines, and foramen magnum shifted forward NeanderthalNeanderthal HomoHomo sapienssapiens neanderthalensis neanderthalensis NeanderNeander Valley,Valley, Germany, Germany, 18561856

„ Age: 40-50,000 Significance: First human fossil acknowledged as such, and first specimen of Neanderthal. First dismissed as a freak, but Doctor J. C. Fuhlrott speculated that it was an ancient human. TrinilTrinil 1:1: “Java“Java Man”Man” HomoHomo erectuserectus

„ Eugene Dubois, 1891 „ Trinil, Java, Indonesia „ Age: 500,000 yrs Significance: The Java hominid, originally classified as Pithecanthropus erectus, was the controversial “missing link” of its day. Since then, many other specimens of erectus have been found, including several in Java (e.g., Sangiran 4, shown). OppositionOpposition toto TaungTaung „ PrejudicePrejudice againstagainst AfricaAfrica „ PiltdownPiltdown ManMan „ JavaJava findsfinds ‹ English ‹ Big brain „ ““BrainBrain FirstFirst”” theorytheory ScientificScientific ObjectionObjection

„ TaungTaung specimenspecimen waswas youngyoung „ YoungYoung hominoidshominoids moremore similarsimilar thanthan adultsadults „ IsIs itit aa mattermatter ofof age?age? „ HowHow toto resolve?resolve? SouthSouth Africa,Africa, 1940’s:1940’s: AustralopithecusAustralopithecus comescomes ofof ageage

„ AdultAdult specimensspecimens similarsimilar toto TaungTaung „ AdultsAdults skullsskulls showshow hominidhominid traitstraits ‹ Small canines ‹ Anterior placement of foramen magnum „ PostcranialPostcranial bonesbones confirmconfirm hominidhominid statusstatus ‹ Pelvis, spine, and long Chimp Australopithecus Human bones STSSTS 5,5, “Mrs.“Mrs. Ples” Ples” AustralopithecusAustralopithecus africanus africanus

„ Robert Broom and John Robinson, 1947

„ Sterkfontein, S. Africa

„ Age, 2.3-2.8 million years

„ Cranial capacity, 450 cc

„ An adult A. africanus; may actually be a male. TwoTwo KindsKinds ofof AustralopithecusAustralopithecus

„ HowHow areare theythey different?different?

„ GracileGracile vsvs.. robustrobust

„ TeethTeeth andand JawsJaws

„ SagittalSagittal crestcrest

„ ZygomaticZygomatic archarch

„ Why??Why?? SwartkransSwartkrans 4848 AustralopithecusAustralopithecus robustusrobustus

(With Swartkrans 23 mandible)

„ Robert Broom, 1950 „ Swartkrans, S. Africa „ Age: 1.5-2 my „ Cranial capacity: 500 cc.? „ Significance: Classic South African robustus 1950’s:1950’s: AustralopithecusAustralopithecus acceptedaccepted

TwoTwo kinds:kinds: „ GracileGracile HumanHuman AncestorAncestor „ RobustRobust VegetarianVegetarian deaddead endend SouthSouth AfricanAfrican cavecave deposits:deposits: ConfusingConfusing stratigraphy,stratigraphy, poorpoor datesdates NextNext……

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