ANTH 101 Lecture Notes - Lecture 2: Megantereon, Homotherium, Pachycrocuta

• School: University of San Diego
• Department: Anthropology Courses
• Course: ANTH 101
• Professor: Jennifer Parkinson

Document Summary

Major transitions in the evolution of genus homo. Dedicated bipedalism, larger brain, modern body proportions. High quality diet is closely linked with brain size increase throughout human evolution. Increase in brain size -> more complex foraging behavior -> increased diet quality -> increase in brain size (loops) Wild tubers eaten by kung san (s. africa) Look at the microscopic wear pattern on the cutting edge of the stone tool. Defined by cut marks on bones, butchering marks. Safer, waiting in the bushes until everyone"s done. Rage of damage to boimes in experimental studies. Wouldn"t have to bring meat to attraemore carnimo. Keeps carvrioners away and keep tools there. Big brains take a lot of energy -> meat is a quality food. Found in a chamber named dinaledi (chamber of stars) (rising star cave) Braincase is rounded and looks like genus homo. Hand is semi modern, fingers = short, stubby. First discovered in 1891 by e. dubois in indonesia.