EVOLUTION SESSION 2

HUMAN
EVOLUTION
Source: [Link]
Our place in the animal kingdom
Kingdom Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Mammals

Order: Primates

Family: Hominidae

Genus : Homo

Species : sapiens
Our place in the animal kingdom
• Interpret evolutionary trends using phylogenetic trees and cladograms
A SIMPLIFIED SUMMARY OF THE HISTORY OF HOMINIDS

Homo
Homo sapiens
Homo erectus
habilis

Australopithecus A. robustus
afarensis

A
Chimpanzee

5 4 3 2 1 0

Time (million years)

 Similarities between Homo sapiens and other primates
12. OLFACTORY BRAIN 13. PARTS OF THE BRAIN THAT PROCESS
CENTRES REDUCED/REDUCED INFORMATION FROM THE HANDS AND EYES ARE
SENSE OF SMELL
ENLARGED
LARGE BRAINS/SKULLS COMPARED TO
11. EYES WITH THEIR BODY MASS
CONES /COLOUR
VISION EYES IN FRONT/BINOCULAR
VISION/STEREOSCOPIC VISION
10. TWO MAMMARY
GLANDS ONLY FREELY ROTATING ARMS
LONG UPPER ARMS

ELBOW JOINTS
ALLOWING ROTATION
OF FOREARM

FLAT NAILS INSTEAD

OF CLAWS/BARE
FINGER TIPS
ROTATE HANDS AT
9. SEXUAL LEAST 180º
UPRIGHT OPPOSABLE THUMBS WHICH
DIMORPHISM/DISTINCT POSTURE WORK IN OPPOSITE
DIFFERENCES BETWEEN MALE DIRECTION TO THEIR
AND FEMALE FINGERS

Source: Understanding Life Sciences Grade 12

 HUMANS VS APES
1. Bipedalism (foramen magnum, spine and
pelvic girdle)
• Position of foramen magnum
More forward(central), indicates bipedalism (number 4 below)
More to the back indicates quadruped (number 1)

Source: [Link]
 HUMANS VS APES
• Spine (proof of bipedalism)

Source: [Link]

Gorilla Human
C curve spine S curve spine
quadruped bipedalism
 HUMANS VS APES
Fossil evidence
• Pelvic girdle :

Gorilla- narrow Human – bowl shaped

• Why bipedalism is important:

• HANDS BECOME FREE FOR CARRYING FOOD, TOOLS, BABIES
• MOVEMENT MORE EFFICIENT
• BETTER VIEW OF SURROUNDINGS
• FASTER COOLING OF BODY
• DISPLAY OF MALE SE ORGANS FOR COURTSHIP BEHAVIOUR
 HUMANS VS APES

2. Brain size

[Link]

3. Palate shape

[Link]
 HUMANS VS APES
Cra
nia
l ri
dg
e
3. Dentition Bro
w
rid
ge

4. Prognathous
5. Cranial ridges
6. Brow ridges Source: [Link]

Source: [Link]
REAL GORRILA SKELETON
Cranial ridge

Brow ridge

Large canine

Narrow pelvis
 Characteristics that make us different
Homo sapiens Other primates
Larger cranium/brain
cranium Smaller craniumcranium
/brain

Flat Face /Forehead slope less Foreheads slope backwards

backwards Face sloping Face sloping

Foramen magnum in forward position/ Foramen magnum towards the back of

Foramen
bottom of the skull magnum the skull Foramen magnum
Lower jaw has a well
chindeveloped chin Lower jaw has poorly
chin developed chin
Less protruding jaws
prognathous More protruding jaws/prognathous
prognathous
Smaller canines canines Larger canines canines
Smaller spaces between the teeth Larger spaces between the teeth
Spaces between teeth Spaces between teeth
Brow ridges areBrow
not ridge
pronounced Brow ridges pronounced
Brow ridge
Jaws with teeth on a gentle/round Jaws with teeth in a
curve Palate shape Palate shape
rectangular/U shape
 QUESTION
Study the following diagram of skeletons and skulls and answer the questions that follow:
Skeletons: A B C

Skulls: 1 2 3

1. Which skull (1, 2 or 3) belongs to:

a)Skeleton A; b)Skeleton B ; c)Skeleton C (3)
2. Explain your answer in QUESTION 1 (c). (2)
3. Tabulate THREE visible differences between skulls 1 and 2 that represent trends in human
evolution. (7)
 Answers
1. (a) A = 3 √ (1)
(b) B = 1 √ (1)
(c) C = 2 √ (1)
[Link] primitive features of a longer pelvis √/ longer arms/ opposable toe
correspond with the features of a primitive skull showing a
small brain√/large canines, pronounced eye brow ridges,
bigger spaces between teeth (2)

3. SKULL 1 / Homo SKULL 2 / Ardipithecus

Cranium is larger in relation to the skull √ Cranium smaller in relation to the skull
√
Flat face √ non prognathous Sloping face √ prognathous
Prominent chin √ No chin √
Canines poorly developed √/smaller teeth Canines well developed √/ larger teeth
No gaps between teeth √ Gaps between teeth √
Less prominent eye brow ridges√ More prominent eye brow ridges√
Small or no cranial ridge√ Cranial ridge present√
QUESTIONS
ANSWERS
 QUESTION
THE DIAGRAM BELOW SHOWS A PHYLOGENETIC TREE BASED ON DNA SIMILARITIES. THE
PERCENTAGE NEXT TO EACH BRANCH SHOWS THE AMOUNT OF DIFFERENCE IN THE GENOME
(DNA NUCLEOTIDE SEQUENCE) OF THE TWO RELEVANT GROUPS.

[Link] the diagram, determine how long ago the chimpanzees split from the line to humans. (2)
2. Which organism is most closely related to humans? (1)
[Link] the DNA similarity between the genome of the chimpanzee and the human. (2)
 ANSWERS
1. 5P mya ✓ (1)
2. Chimpanzee ✓ (1)
3. 98,6 ✓% ✓ (2)
 Human Evolution

[Link]
EVIDENCE FOR COMMON ANCESTORS
FOSSIL EVIDENCE

Source: [Link]
Important fossil sites in Africa
 ARDIPITHECUS
• Ardipithecus ramidus -(Ardi)
• 4-5 million years ago in Eastern Africa Ethiopia.(middle Awash river valley)
• Discovered by Tim White in 1994
• Small brain 300-350cm3
• More prognathism- pointed face poorly developed chin
• Grasping big toe (swing from branch to branch on trees)
• Skeleton adapted for bipedalism as well.

[Link]
[Link]
cies/ardipithecus-ramidus
 AUSTRALOPITHECUS
• Australopithecus anamensis
• 4.2 -3.9 million years ago in Eastern Africa- Kenya
• found by Allia Bay

[Link]
[Link]
 AUSTRALOPITHECUS
• Australopithecus afarensis (Lucy)
• 4-2.7 million years ago in Ethiopia
• Discovered by Johanson
• Brain capacity 375-550cm3(ml is the same as cm3 )
• Pronounced brow ridge - Sloping forehead
• Flat nose, no chin [Link]
• Fully bipedal- foramen magnum forward Australopithecus_afarensis

• Canines large and pointed

• Long arms
• No cranial ridge

[Link] [Link]
+5.+Australopithecus+afarensis
 AUSTRALOPITHECUS
• Australopithecus africanus
• 3.2-2.6 million years ago
• Less sloping forehead,
• Human like teeth, flatter face
• Brain size 650-800cm3
[Link]
• Foramen magnum in forward position – bipedal
• Taung child –2.6-2.8 million years, discovered by Robert Dart in Taung
1924
• Mrs Ples – 2.6 million years discovered by Raymond Broom in
Sterkfontein in 1947
• Little Foot- 3.9-4.2 million years ago
discovered by Ron Clarke in
Sterkfontein caves

[Link] [Link]
Australopithecus +6.+Australopithecus+africanus
 AUSTRALOPITHECUS
• Australopithecus sediba
• 1.95 million years ago
• Characteristics of both apes and humans
• Near caves in Malapa in Cradle of Humankind SA
• Discovered by Lee Burger and Brett Eloff
• Brain size 420-450ml
• Bipedal, with long arms

[Link] [Link]
 HOMO
• Homo habilis (handy man)
• 2.2-1.6 mya in Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania
• Discovered by Mary and Louis Leakey in 1960
• Less pronounced brow ridges
• More human like teeth
• Flatter face
• Brain size 650ml
• Less prognathous
• Long arms
[Link] [Link]
 HOMO
• Homo Erectus
• 2- 0.4 million years ago, Indonesia & Swartkrans
• Brain size 900cm3
• Massive jaws, huge molars, short canines
• Prognathous
• No chin
• Thick brow ridges, no cranial ridge
• Developed tools, weapons and fire, cooked food

Source: [Link]
 HOMO
• Homo neanderthalensis
• 200 000 -30 000 years ago in Europe
• Brain size 1500cm3
• Thick brow ridge
• Nose broad and large
• Short and muscular
• Buried their dead, controlled fire

[Link] [Link]
 HOMO
• Homo sapiens
• 200 000 years ago
• Florisbad man found by Dreyer in 1932 in Free State
• Also Makapansgat in Limpopo, Border Cave in KZN, Blombos Cave in
Western Cape
• Brain size 1200-1800ml
• Flat face, chin
• Small teeth
• Gently curved palate
• Round skull
• Bipedal
• Short arms
 GENETIC EVIDENCE
• Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA)
Mothers’ ovum containing mitochondrion is fertilised by the
sperm cell’s nucleus to form the zygote. Fathers mitochondria
not part of zygote.

-Simpler than nuDNA

-Used to study ancestry of
females
-Mutations takes place
faster in mtDNA
 GENETIC EVIDENCE
• DNA from Y chromosome
(NOT EXAMINABLE)
• Y chromosome is much smaller than X-chromosome.
• Major part does not cross over with X chromosome. Source; [Link]
• Most of Y chromosome DNA passed from
father to son without being mixed with
mother’s nucleotides
• Spencer and Wells traced the lineage of
every man alive to common ancestor who
lived in east Africa 60000 years ago.
• They used mutant nucleotides on
Y chromosomal DNA as markers.
Cultural evidence and tool making
• Using stone tools with cutting and sawing –
improved human nutrition
• Development of stone tools became more
sophisticated as hominins evolved.
• Tools requires planning and thought.
• Cave paintings evidence for symbolic thought

Source:
[Link]
 QUESTION
• Study the phylogenetic tree below which shows a possible representation of human
evolution. The solid lines represent the origin and extinction of the species. The skulls
are not representative of the species and are not drawn to scale.

[Link] the ancestral species in the

evolutionary process, as shown in the
phylogenetic tree. (1)

[Link] many million years ago did

Paranthropus boisei first appear? (1)

[Link] to the phylogenetic tree,

which species was the first to use simple
stone tools? (1)

4. Name THREE species represented that

used simple stone tools and fire. (3)
 ANSWERS
1. Australopithecus afarensis ✓

2. 2 ✓ mya

3. Homo rudolfensis ✓

4. Homo heidelbergensis ✓; Homo erectus ✓;

Homo sapiens ✓
source: [Link]
OUT OF AFRICA HYPOTHESIS
 OUT OF AFRICA HYPOTHESIS
Fossil Evidence:
• Ardipithecus fossil were found in Africa ONLY , nowhere else
in the world
• Australopithecus fossils found in Africa only (Karabo,
Littlefoot, Taung child and Mrs Ples)
• Oldest fossils of australopithecines, Homo habilis and other
bipedal organisms were found in Africa
• Oldest fossils of Homo erectus were found in Africa, followed
by Asia and the youngest fossils of Homo erectus were found
in Europe.
Genetic Evidence:
• Analysis of mutations in mtDNA trace oldest female ancestor
to East Africa
 s
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o
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Ho
 QUESTIONS
Study the table below, which indicates some of the hominid fossils found in different
parts of the world.
SPECIES AREA WHERE IT PERIOD OF EXISTENCE
WAS FOUND
Australopithecus afarensis Eastern Africa 3,4–2,8 mya
Australopithecus africanus Southern Africa 2,1–2,8 mya
Australopithecus sediba Southern Africa 2,0–1,9 mya
Homo habilis Sub-Saharan (Africa) 2,3–1,4 mya
Homo erectus Africa, Europe, Asia 1,5–0,2 mya
Homo heidelbergensis Europe, China 0,6–0,35 mya
Homo neanderthalensis Europe, Western Asia 0,35–0,03 mya
Homo sapiens Worldwide 0,2 mya–present

1. Explain why the information in the table

supports the 'Out of Africa' hypothesis. (2)
2 Describe how the analysis of mitochondrial
DNA is used to support the 'Out of Africa'
hypothesis. (3)
(5)
 ANSWERS
1. The oldest fossils of human ancestors were only found
in Africa. ✓ ✓ (2)

2. - Mitochondrial DNA is passed down from mother to child ✓

– Mutations on the mitochondrial DNA ✓
– were traced to an ancestral female that existed in Africa ✓

(3)