Chapter 11: The Origins and Evolution of Early Homo

a small brain

a large chewing complex

a large face and large jaws

short legs relative to arms

an early taxon of the genus Homo

a late taxon of genus Homo

a descendant of Homo Erectus

actually an Australopithecine

longer legs and shorter arms

a more abducted big toe

loss of arches of the foot

decreased body height

long-distance hunting and walking

controlled use of fire for cooking

production of symbolic material culture

migration outside of Africa to Asia and Europe

a high-fiber diet of fruits and vegetables

a high-fiber diet of grasses and seeds

a high-protein diet of raw meat

a high-protein diet of cooked meat

changing the species name for humans, temporarily, from Homo sapiens to Pithecanthropus sapiens.

the search for early human remains in the East African Rift Valley.

Charles Darwin’s inspiration to change his theory of human origins.

Eugene Dubois’s inspiration to search for the earliest human ancestors in Asia.

several hominins, including but not limited to Homo erectus, Homo habilis, and various Australopithecine species, were alive at overlapping time periods, just as earlier periods saw several species of Australopithecine alive at once

the great diversity of hominins known from earlier periods was quickly trimmed down so only Homo erectus existed, alone, for most of that time.

there were two species of early hominin, Homo habilis living in Africa and Homo erectus living in Asia.

there was one widespread species of hominin, Homo erectus, with so much variation that early anthropologists thought there were several species existing side by side.

3–1 mya.

2.5–0.5 mya.

1.8 mya–300,000 yBP.

1.2 mya–800,000 yBP.

only skull fragments, so it was not known if Pithecanthropus erectus was bipedal.

only leg and other body fragments, so it was not known if Pithecanthropus erectus had a human-size brain.

a molar, a partial skull, and a femur, which indicated that Pithecanthropus erectus walked only partially upright, but had a human-size brain.

a molar, a partial skull, and a femur, which indicated that Pithecanthropus erectus walked much like a modern human but had a brain intermediate in size between a modern human and a typical nonhuman ape.

a smaller brain.

larger teeth

a bigger sagittal keel.

a larger brain

Homo habilis shows a reduction in the size of the face relative to the brain case.

Homo erectus shows a reduction in the size of the face relative to the brain case.

Homo habilis generally has a greater brain capacity than Homo erectus.

Homo erectus generally has a smaller brain capacity than Homo habilis.

is always less than 1,000 cc.

is always more than 800 cc

ranges from 650 cc to 1,200 cc.

ranges from 900 cc to 1,200 cc.

increased reliance on material culture

apparent increased intelligence.

reliance on unchanging environments.

increased reliance on material culture and apparent increased intelligence.

Asian; African

European; African

African; Asian

African; European

small with robust bones.

tall with robust bones.

gracile.

small with thin bones.

erectus.

sapiens.

neanderthalensis

habilis.

smaller face.

bigger brain.

rounder and larger skull.

smaller face; bigger brain; and a rounder, larger skull.

first to Europe, then across Asia, reaching southeast Asia last.

from Asia to Europe, then Africa.

from Asia to Africa, then Europe.

from Africa to western Asia, then southeast Asia, and later to east Asia and Europe.

Louis Leakey

Richard Leakey

Eugène Dubois.

Ernst Haeckel.

both forms of Homo erectus.

often considered the same species and immediately ancestral to Homo sapiens.

often combined into one species, which is called Homo habilis.

often combined into one species, which is called Australopithecus robustus.

shorter arms and longer legs than those of earlier hominids.

retention of an australopithecine-like body plan

longer legs than later hominids.

a mix of arboreal and bipedal adaptations.

long legs and opposable toes.

double arches and an adducted big toe.

long arms.

a foramen magnum at the back of the skull.

long legs and opposable toes.

double arches and an adducted big toe.

long arms.

a foramen magnum at the back of the skull.

Ardipithecus.

Paranthropus.

Australopithecus.

Homo habilis.