University of Iowa Human Origins
Final Study Guide Latest Updated
Taung Child (small brain, brain endocast, dental development; bipedality suggestion by
foramen magnum) - ANS-Discovered by Raymond Dart; first early hominin found in
Africa and first human genus different than ours; small brain but clear evidence of
bipedal behavior and good example of mosaic evolution
Australopithecus africanus (Raymond Dart in South Africa) (2-3 mya) (gracile) - ANS-
Found by Raymond Dart in 1924, higher forehead, larger crania capacity, less
pronounced brow ridge, smaller canines, large molars
Australopithecus - ANS-Clear biped when terrestrial
Australopithecus - ANS-Large male body size and low female body size=high sexual
dimorphism
Loss of canine sectorial complex - ANS-Purely human characteristic
Robust - ANS-molarized (big) premolars and small incisors
Australopithecus afarensis major sites - ANS-Hadar (Ethiopia), Dikika (Ethiopia), Laetoli
Australopith cranial features - ANS-Large cranial capacity, higher forehead, less
pronounced brow ridge, smaller canines, large molars
Gigantopithecus - ANS-Sister species to Pongo and Sivapithecus; largest ape to ever
life; vegetative diet and much like gorillas
Darwin's major contribution to evolutionary theory - ANS-Predicted earliest human
ancestors were from Africa and suggested natural selection was a key evolutionary
force while adding emphasis
Cladistics - ANS-Use of shared derives traits
Why do apes lack tails? - ANS-Because of derived traits
Organic Evolution - ANS-the changes in allele frequency within a population
C14 dating range effectiveness - ANS-calibrated using dendrochronology over the last
10 kya; very effective
, Mitosis - ANS-Start with 46 single chromosomes, replication, now have 46 doubte
chromosomes, cell division, left with two daughter cells of 46 single
Variation - ANS-Driving mechanism, occurs through recombination and deals with
morphology, genetics, behavior, adaptation/race, and microevolution
Cladogram - ANS-An image that develops a polarity of traits
Phylogeny - ANS-A cladogram with a time element
Genetic Drift (within one population) - ANS-Think of Old Order Amish colony that
descended from a few people that cause non representative traits of a larger population
Parsimonious Explanation - ANS-explains that most data has redundant variables and
therefore we only need a select number of measurements, not all of them
In robust clade... - ANS-...Paranthropus robustus
Postcanine megadontia - ANS-Exists in Paranthropus boisei and causes a dietary
specialization
Taung - ANS-Where John Robinson (apprentice to Robert Broom) coined the terms
"robust" and "gracile"; home of THE CHILD
Laetoli - ANS-Where Mary Leakey discovered footprints preserved in volcanic ash in
1976 and is located 45 km south of Olduvai Gorge
Sterkfontein - ANS-Where limestone was mined and miners became original founders
on hominins
Hadar - ANS-Where Don Johnson and Tim White led a team that discovered many new
hominid specimens and is in the Afar triangle in Ethiopia where ancient lake sediments
preserved complete specimens
Oldowan Tool Complex (Mode 1) - ANS-Discovered in Olduvai Gorge, used horn core,
bone point, chopper (round cobble with several flakes removed)
Homo erectus locomotion - ANS-Full commitment to bipedalism but had arboreal traits
"Handy man" - ANS-Nickname for Homo HABILIS; viewed as major hominin prime
mover; first signs of hand morphology and encephalization and tooth size reduction
Pliocene - ANS-Epoch from 5.33-2.58 million years
Plesitocene - ANS-Between the Pliocene and Holocene Epochs, 2.58 may-11.7 kya
Final Study Guide Latest Updated
Taung Child (small brain, brain endocast, dental development; bipedality suggestion by
foramen magnum) - ANS-Discovered by Raymond Dart; first early hominin found in
Africa and first human genus different than ours; small brain but clear evidence of
bipedal behavior and good example of mosaic evolution
Australopithecus africanus (Raymond Dart in South Africa) (2-3 mya) (gracile) - ANS-
Found by Raymond Dart in 1924, higher forehead, larger crania capacity, less
pronounced brow ridge, smaller canines, large molars
Australopithecus - ANS-Clear biped when terrestrial
Australopithecus - ANS-Large male body size and low female body size=high sexual
dimorphism
Loss of canine sectorial complex - ANS-Purely human characteristic
Robust - ANS-molarized (big) premolars and small incisors
Australopithecus afarensis major sites - ANS-Hadar (Ethiopia), Dikika (Ethiopia), Laetoli
Australopith cranial features - ANS-Large cranial capacity, higher forehead, less
pronounced brow ridge, smaller canines, large molars
Gigantopithecus - ANS-Sister species to Pongo and Sivapithecus; largest ape to ever
life; vegetative diet and much like gorillas
Darwin's major contribution to evolutionary theory - ANS-Predicted earliest human
ancestors were from Africa and suggested natural selection was a key evolutionary
force while adding emphasis
Cladistics - ANS-Use of shared derives traits
Why do apes lack tails? - ANS-Because of derived traits
Organic Evolution - ANS-the changes in allele frequency within a population
C14 dating range effectiveness - ANS-calibrated using dendrochronology over the last
10 kya; very effective
, Mitosis - ANS-Start with 46 single chromosomes, replication, now have 46 doubte
chromosomes, cell division, left with two daughter cells of 46 single
Variation - ANS-Driving mechanism, occurs through recombination and deals with
morphology, genetics, behavior, adaptation/race, and microevolution
Cladogram - ANS-An image that develops a polarity of traits
Phylogeny - ANS-A cladogram with a time element
Genetic Drift (within one population) - ANS-Think of Old Order Amish colony that
descended from a few people that cause non representative traits of a larger population
Parsimonious Explanation - ANS-explains that most data has redundant variables and
therefore we only need a select number of measurements, not all of them
In robust clade... - ANS-...Paranthropus robustus
Postcanine megadontia - ANS-Exists in Paranthropus boisei and causes a dietary
specialization
Taung - ANS-Where John Robinson (apprentice to Robert Broom) coined the terms
"robust" and "gracile"; home of THE CHILD
Laetoli - ANS-Where Mary Leakey discovered footprints preserved in volcanic ash in
1976 and is located 45 km south of Olduvai Gorge
Sterkfontein - ANS-Where limestone was mined and miners became original founders
on hominins
Hadar - ANS-Where Don Johnson and Tim White led a team that discovered many new
hominid specimens and is in the Afar triangle in Ethiopia where ancient lake sediments
preserved complete specimens
Oldowan Tool Complex (Mode 1) - ANS-Discovered in Olduvai Gorge, used horn core,
bone point, chopper (round cobble with several flakes removed)
Homo erectus locomotion - ANS-Full commitment to bipedalism but had arboreal traits
"Handy man" - ANS-Nickname for Homo HABILIS; viewed as major hominin prime
mover; first signs of hand morphology and encephalization and tooth size reduction
Pliocene - ANS-Epoch from 5.33-2.58 million years
Plesitocene - ANS-Between the Pliocene and Holocene Epochs, 2.58 may-11.7 kya
