The Origins Evolution and Dispersal of Modern People

The Origins, Evolution, and Dispersal of Modern People Chapter 11

What Makes a Modern Human? • Modern refers to anatomical traits, such as • • • High, vertical forehead Round skull Small browridges Small face Small teeth Chin • Archaic (Human Ancestors) have • • Larger brow ridges Larger face and teeth Wider nose No chin

“Archaic” Homo sapiens • AKA Archaic humans: • hominins found in Africa, Europe, and Asia from 600, 000 -30, 000 years ago • They are different from Homo erectus and similar to, but not quite, Homo sapiens

“Archaic” Homo sapiens • Include: • Homo heidelbergensis • Homo neanderthalensis

The Origin of Modern Homo sapiens • There are two main hypotheses on how and where we emerged • 1. Out Of Africa/Replacement: • Humans first evolved in Africa about 200, 000 years ago • Migrated around the world and wiped out all other species • Humans are the only ones left • Humans “replaced” all other species

The Origin of Modern Homo sapiens • 2. Multiregional: • There were different regions of origins of humans • We cannot pinpoint one area • Migration and gene flow merged the different species into one final species: humans • Humans are a collection of all hominin gene pools

Evidence • Older fossils are found in Africa • (200, 000 years vs 130, 000 in Europe) • African fossils are older, showing they are the original • Using mt. DNA, we have traced our genetic background to Africa, about 200, 000 years ago • No “hybrid” species that show gene flow • Africa has more genetic diversity than the rest of the world • These all support which hypothesis?

Archaic Homo sapiens • So, Archaic Homo sapiens or Archaid humans mean our ancestors that had human trends • Large brain • Small teeth • Tool use • Cultural behaviors • Include: • H. Hedelbergensis • H. Neanderthalensis

Archaic Homo sapiens • • H. heidelbergensis Known in Europe Example is the Atapuerca skull Used front teeth as tools, so they are worn smooth • Probably from making clothing

Archaic Homo sapiens • Levallois tool technique: • Middle Paleolithic • More complex than H. erectus

Archaic Homo sapiens • First burial • Known from body found with pink handaxe • This tool was not functional, it was symbolic

Neanderthals • Migrated to Europe and Middle East • Unique anatomy: • Long, barrel-shaped skull • Occipital bun: knot on base of skull for extra neck muscle • Large nasal opening (cold environment) • Short and stocky (cold environment)

Neanderthals • Neanderthals are thought to be un-intelligent • Why? • First fossils discovered were hunched over and had large brow ridges. People though this showed the stupid, grunting “caveman. ” However, the skeleton was just an old man with arthritis • They actually have huge brains, speech, and are very intelligent

Examples • Amud Neanderthal: • Israel, 55, 000 -40, 000 ybp • Complete skeleton • Huge brain (1, 740 cc!!) • Shanidar: • Iraq, 45, 000 ybp • Broken bones and arthritis • Front teeth very worn (used as tools, probably to help make clothing) • Arm possibly amputated (see picture) • Krapina: • Croatia, 32, 000 ybp • Cut marks on bone show cannibalism

Neanderthal bodies • Walked with bent-knee • Could talk, pretty much just like us • Nasal opening helped warm the freezing air in the environment • Short, stocky body also helped trap warmth (Bergmann’s and Allen’s Rules) • Very robust and muscular • More muscular than humans • Larger brain than humans

Neanderthal Human

Neanderthal Tools and Hunting • Mousterian Tools: • Also Middle Paleolithic • Complex • Hafted tools (put a stone point on a stick to make a spear)

Neanderthal Tools and Hunting • Big Game Hunters: • Specialized in large animals • Meat made up almost all of their diet • Hunted by running up to animals and spearing them…dangerous • Skeletons have tons of fractures

Neanderthal Culture • Neanderthals also buried their dead • Purposely dug pits • Bodies placed in position • Remains of high levels of pollen (flowers put in pits)

Neanderthal Culture • Language • Connected to intelligence • Neanderthals have huge brains • Connected to culture through learning and teaching • Cannot hunt or make spears without communication • They did have complex language

Early Modern Homo sapiens • During this time humans spread out into extreme environments, including the arctic • Relied on technology and strategies • Cultural evidence: cave paintings and sculptures • Advanced tool techniques • Many types of materials • Made projectiles • Upper Paleolithic

Early Modern Humans • Average brain size is 1, 450 cc (much smaller than Neanderthals) • Modern traits: • Forehead, small brow ridges, and chin • Best example is Cro-Magnon Man, from Europe • 30, 000 -25, 000 ybp

Are We Related? • Using mt. DNA, no similarities were found between Neanderthals and modern humans • So, scientists thought that humans and Neanderthals did not interbreed • BUT, new evidence from the Neanderthal genome shows up to 4% similarity with humans, so did interbred • More evidence supports Out of Africa than Multiregional, but some aspects of both are correct, so people suggest a third model be made

Humans Migrate • After 50, 000 ybp, people migrated to Indonesia and Australia • One fossil species found is Homo floresiensis: • 18, 000 ybp but very small body and brain (400 cc) • Nicknamed “The Hobbit” • Where does he fit?

floresiensis Human

Humans Migrate • Hypotheses include: • Genetic mutation • Retarded growth and development • but made stone tools, so they were intelligent • Evidence suggests similarity to H. erectus, so possible group of erectus that got stuck on Indonesian islands. • Genetic drift, Founder Effect

Humans Migrate • By 15, 000 ybp, humans migrated to the Americas via the Bering Strait • Earliest people are called Paleoindians are used Clovis and Folsom tools • They hunted megafauna, or large animals • The success of human lies a lot with the development of projectile tools. We could stand back safely and hunt, unlike Neanderthals • The emergence of modern humans coincides with the extinction of 50 genera of large animal