ANTHROP 1AA3 Lecture Notes - Lecture 3: Homo Habilis, Olduvai Gorge, Biological Anthropology
14 Oct 2016
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C. 3. 4 mya = 1st tool makers australopithecus afarensis e. g. lucy. Affected distribution, type and mix of plant/animal life. Hominids = group of all great apes (including all hominins) Hominins = group of modern/extinct humans and immediate ancestors. Miocene (c. 23 mya) apes (restricted to africa, varied) First hominid to descend from trees and practice simple knuckle-walking (like gorilla) Pre-savannah transition - start move to ground dwelling but still living in trees. Basis of evolutionary model: a species must be in balance w environment. If things change species must adapt to survive. Late miocene fall in temp - leads to open savannah. Hominids forced down from the trees - bipedalism. As large mammals - need to eat more to survive - but no longer in forested, food-rich environment. Bipedalism - allows longer-distance movement (wider food procurement range) Tolerate heat (sweating) - advantage over other mammals (keep moving at lunchtime) Living in savannah: dry and they need water (sweating)
