ANTHROP 1AA3 Lecture Notes - Lecture 10: Thumb, Laetoli, Brachiation
2 Nov 2016
School
Department
Course
Professor
Document Summary
There are approximately 190 species of non-human primates: e. g. Primates can"t be easily defined by a few traits. Patterns that have emerged that include primates: limbs and locomotion (how they move around, dentition (patterns in teeth, senses and the brain, development, origins from arboreal life. Brachiation swinging from arms through trees. Knuckle walking example of gorilla walking on knuckles. Laetoli, tanzania, c. 3. 5 3. 8 million years ago (important site: footsteps (3 different ancestral species of humans) walking on two feet; saved in volcanic ash. Hands and feet are prehensile (able to grasp stuff) Five digits on hands and feet, but some show diminished thumb and second finger (smaller than what humans have) Partially opposable thumb and most have fully divergent, partly opposable big toe. (opposable thumb is used to pick up stuff) Nails instead of claws (except some new world monkeys) Tactile pads with nerves at ends of fingers to enhance touch sense.
