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Human Evolution. BIO 1114 Oklahoma City Community College Dennis Anderson. Animal Connection. Humans share many traits with animals We are most similar to apes Same 206 bones All but 3 of 650 muscles the same DNA is 98% the same Same blood types. Albino Gorilla.
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Human Evolution BIO 1114 Oklahoma City Community College Dennis Anderson
Animal Connection • Humans share many traits with animals • We are most similar to apes • Same 206 bones • All but 3 of 650 muscles the same • DNA is 98% the same • Same blood types Albino Gorilla
Why are we so similar to apes? • Modern apes and modern man share a common ancestor who lived about 7 million years ago
Sequence of Human Evolution • Hundreds of fossils have been found • Some of the major fossils will be discussed in this presentation
Australopithecus afarensis • 3.5 million years ago • Nicknamed Lucy • Walked upright • Small brain • Skeleton human like • Feet • Pelvis • Upright stance
Comparative Anatomy Lucy Gorilla Human • Gorilla pelvis adapted for knuckle walking • Human pelvis adapted for upright walking • Lucy’s pelvis very similar to human pelvis
Knuckle Walking • Requires an elongated pelvis and long arms
Lucy’s pelvis allowed her to walk like a human instead of an ape.
Fossilized Footprints • Footprints left when a a pair of Australopithecines walked in the ash of a recently erupted volcano
Lucy Chimp Skull Anatomy • Thick brow ridges like a chimpanzee • Cranial capacity 400 cc. Chimp 350 cc. • Teeth similar to human teeth
Lucy: A Transitional Fossil • Transitional fossil shows characteristics of two kinds of animals • Represent the transition from one organism to another • Ape characteristics • Skull • Cranial capacity • Human characteristics • Walked upright • Feet • Pelvis
Australopithecus africanus • 2.8 million years ago • Cranial capacity 460 cc
Homo habilis • Cranial capacity 630 cc • Flatter face than Australopithecines • Used tools • Nicknamed handy man
Homo erectus • 1.8 million to 35,000 years ago • 1,000 cc cranial capacity • Large brow ridges • Sloping forehead • More advanced tools than H. habilis
Homo erectus • Skeleton very similar to modern man • Used fire • Traveled • Fossils found in Africa, Europe, China, Indonesia
Homo neanderthalensis • 200,000 to 25,000 years ago • Cranial capacity up to 1750 cc • Larger than modern man • No chin • Sloping forehead • Buried dead with tools and flowers
Homo sapiens • 200,000 years ago to present • Photo is a skull 35,000 years old • 1400 cc cranial capacity • Vertical forehead • Pronounced chin
Modern Homo sapiens • Small front teeth • Small brow ridges • Rounded cranium
Homo neanderthalensis Australopithecus afarensis Australopithecus africanus Homo erectus Homo habilis Common ancestor Modern apes Sequence of Human EvolutionOne of several possibilities Homo sapiens
Evolution of Skull • Cranial capacity increases for a larger brain • Face become flatter • Brow ridges become smaller • Forehead becomes higher • Chin develops
Sahelanthropus tchadensis • 6 to 7 million years ago • Flat face like Homo • Cranial capacity about the same as a chimp • Walked upright