ANTHROP 2E03 Lecture Notes - Lecture 10: Olduvai Gorge, Australopithecus, Transitional Fossil

• School: McMaster University
• Department: Anthropology
• Course: ANTHROP 2E03
• Professor: Andrew Wade

Document Summary

Genus homo: many early homo fossils similar to late australopithecus expected to close to divergence point. Large increased brain expansion and association of tool with toolmakers (possible. Australopithecus could have made tools: two disti(cid:374)(cid:272)t (cid:862)grades(cid:863) withi(cid:374) ge(cid:374)us, homo habilis, homo erectus. Better ability to survive resource shortage increased body size (mass and stature: more efficient bipedalism. Long distance locomotion: wider ranges, pelvic changes, caused by increase in brain size, large brained babies. Lead to changed in the mechanics of bipedalism. Discovered in 1960s by louis leakey, olduvai gorge , tanzania, dated to 1. 8mya. Complete foot with inline big toe, jaw, cranial fragments. Homo like reduced molar tooth size and facial proganthism, increased brain size (640cc) Australopithecus like long arms, short legs (cid:862)ha(cid:374)d(cid:455) (cid:373)a(cid:374)(cid:863) ide(cid:374)tified as tool(cid:373)aker due to i(cid:374)(cid:272)reased (cid:271)rai(cid:374) size. H. habilis many contain more than one taxa (ex homo redoflensis)- has been labelled a (cid:862)waste- (cid:271)asket(cid:863) ta(cid:454)o(cid:374) includes large amount of morphological variation.