MAJOR PHASES IN HOMININ EVOLUTION
the drastic environmental changes presented powerful selection pressures
many plants and animals became extinct
hominins survived mainly as nature selected for survival variants with bipedalism and larger brains
the Tribe Hominini (humans and fossil hominis) and African apes separated 6 mya
dinosaurs died out 65 mya
Earth was formed 4 600 mya
the universe was born 14 bya
the main genera of Tribe Hominini:
Ardipithecus -- from Ethiopia
Australopithecus -- from east and south Africa
Homo -- from in and out of Africa
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(A) ARDIPITHECUS
, bipedalism is evident in this genus -- it is the earliest major trait of hominins
-Ardipithecus ramidus (5.8 - 4.4 mya)
one of the earliest examples of a common ancestor
it lived in in north-east Ethiopia
Diagnostic features
height is 1.2m and weight is 50kg
brain case is small (350 cc)
long arms and fingers
foramen magnum is more forward the African apes
could walk upright
divergent big toe
skull has brow ridges and lower face projects
ape-like teeth
smaller molars and canines
_____________________________________________________________________________________
the drastic environmental changes presented powerful selection pressures
many plants and animals became extinct
hominins survived mainly as nature selected for survival variants with bipedalism and larger brains
the Tribe Hominini (humans and fossil hominis) and African apes separated 6 mya
dinosaurs died out 65 mya
Earth was formed 4 600 mya
the universe was born 14 bya
the main genera of Tribe Hominini:
Ardipithecus -- from Ethiopia
Australopithecus -- from east and south Africa
Homo -- from in and out of Africa
_________________________________________________________________________________
(A) ARDIPITHECUS
, bipedalism is evident in this genus -- it is the earliest major trait of hominins
-Ardipithecus ramidus (5.8 - 4.4 mya)
one of the earliest examples of a common ancestor
it lived in in north-east Ethiopia
Diagnostic features
height is 1.2m and weight is 50kg
brain case is small (350 cc)
long arms and fingers
foramen magnum is more forward the African apes
could walk upright
divergent big toe
skull has brow ridges and lower face projects
ape-like teeth
smaller molars and canines
_____________________________________________________________________________________
