ANT201H5 Chapter Notes - Chapter 2: Sahelanthropus, Hominidae, Bipedalism
Document Summary
Hominins: all members of the human lineage following its split from our last common ancestor with bonobos and chimpanzees. The fossil record showed a transition between african apes and later hominins. Small brain size: 360 cc (chimp: 320 to 480 cc) Dentition: smaller than extant great apes, larger and pointier than in humans. The fossil record showed a transition between african apes. Evidence for bipedalism but retained capabilities in climbing. A short cranial base and a foramen magnum (hole in which the spinal cord enters the cranium. It is intermediate between that of a quadrupedal ape and that of a bipedal hominin. Cheekbones less flared and more robust than later hominins. The pelvis and hip (illium are short and broad) show that it could walk upright. An opposable big toe like chimpanzees, which could have aided in tree climbing. The early hominin radiation (4 to 2 mya) A diversity of hominin species which displayed the following:
