Fossils of the family Hominidae

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Fossils of the family Hominidae
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• Australopithecus afarensis
• 3.9-3my
• 375-550 cc
• Chimp-like skull with human-like teeth
• post cranial skeletal structure more
• human-like
• Bipedal
• Africa

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Junvenile Specimen
Lucy
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• Australopithecus africanus
• 3-2 my
• Very much like A. afarensis, but larger body
• and brain size.
• 420-500cc
• jaw parabolic
• Bipedal
• Africa

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Australopithecus africanus
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• Homo habilis handy man
• 2.4-1.5 my
• 500-800cc
• Brain shape more human than Australopithecus
• Face projects less than Australopithecus
• Post cranial very human-like
• First evidence of tool use
• Africa

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Oldwalan tools
Homo habilis
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• Homo erectus
• 1.8my to 300,000
• Face still protrudes, thick eyebrows, no chin
• 750-1225cc
• Post cranialhuman
• Evidence they used fire
• Africa, Asia, and Europe
• Tools more sophisticated than H. habilis

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Homo erectus
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H. erectus tools Acheulean handaxes
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• Homo sapiens neaderthalensis
• 230,000-30,000 yrs
• 1450cc
• Protruding jaw and receding forhead
• mid-facial protrusion
• Post cranial human-like and heavy
• First evidence of burials
• Tools more sophisticated than H. erectus
• Evidence of medical care
• Europe and Middle East

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Homo sapiens neanderthanlensis
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Tools by H. sapiens Mousterian Tools
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• Homo sapiens Modern
• 1350cc
• 195,000 yrs ago-today
• Cro-Magnon 40,000 yrs tools become
• more sophisticated, made out of a variety
• of materials such as bone, wood and antlers
• First carved figures of animals and people
• 20,000 yrs first cave paintings
• Over the last 100,000 yrs jaws and teeth
• have reduced and the skeletal structure has
• become less robust.
• 10,000 yrs Agriculture

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Homo sapiens Cro-Magnon
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Needle made of bone
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As cranial size became larger, females with
wider hips are more likely to survive
child birth however, there is a limit to the
width of hips and staying bipedal. Thus
babies who are born more immature are favored.
Homo erectus
Homo sapiens Cro-Magnon
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Cave Painting Lascaux France
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Websites Time Space Chart Summary of Hominid
Line Hominid Species