THE EVOLUTION OF HUMANS

Humans:                                                   Superfamily Hominoidea
                               Family Hylobatidae                      Family Hominidae                              Family Pongidae
                                       Gibbons                                                Humans                                 Chimpanzees
                                                                                                                                                  Gorillas
                                                                                                                                                   Orangutans

Origins

•   Early apes (ancestors to Hominoids)=Africa, 20 m.y.a (Mc).

 To Europe & Asia = 15 m.y.a. (Gigantopithecus early ape)
•   Mc/Plio= first hominids (subfamily)= Australopithecines

Australopithecines
"Lucy":          Australopithecus afarensis (Range   4 to 2.3 m.y.a.
                      Arboreal but bipedal on the ground
                      broader pelvis
                      chimp like face, slightly larger brain

Emergence of Humans
Fun article: The Pliocene Pussycat Theory
First Homo:         2.4 m.y.a. (from autralopithecines)
                            Larger brain, intelligent to survive among predators
                            manufactured tools = Homo habilis.
                            Oldowan culture

Homo erectus: 1.6 to 300,000 y.a.
                          First out of Africa: Peking Man and Java Man
                          smaller brain than modern humans
                          Tools, fire, hunters
                          Acheulian culture

Homo neanderthalensis, our cousin: 100,000 to 35,000 y.a.
                          Shared a common ancestor with Homo sapiens (us) 500,000 y.a.
                          larger brain, more massive bodies than modern humans
                          Hunters (spears), social structure, religion?
                          Cave dwellers  - Stone Spears: Mousterian culture

Homo sapiens:  appeared 150,000 y.a. (DNA evidence), tools in rocks 100,000 y. old.
                         In Europe 33,000 y.a.   Neanderthals disappeared  & 3,000 y. later Homo sapiens takes over?
                         Did they interbreed?
                         Did they compete?
                         Cro-Magnon evolved into Neolithic culture
                                          Developed abstract communication. Cave paintings.
                                          Ability to modify the environment.

Neogene Climate Change and the Pleistocene Glaciation

Climate Change recorded by                     O-18 isotope in foraminifera
                                                                  Terrestrial floras
                                                                  temperature drops around 3 mya
 

•   Full glaciation 2.5 mya

 Glacial minimum 125,000 y.a.
 Glacial Maxima (Wisconsin  stage) 35,000 to 15,000 y.a.
•  consequences
•       deserts expanded
•       pluvial lakes
•       fragmented rainforests   isolated populations
•       Sea level lowered   Bering land bridge =>    migration of species

 
•   First humans entered America from Siberia through the Bering land bridge.

 
•   they are the ancestors to most of the native American population.

 
•   Clovis culture 11,000 y.a. Able hunters of large game.

 
•   Pleistocene extinction of large mammals coincident with the arrival of humans in South America, North America and Australia.