Bipedalism
Walking upright on two feet
Non-honing chewing
Small canine teeth that do not sharpen when we close our mouth.
Darwin's hunting hypothesis
Suggests that hominids were bipedal because it freed their hands to carry weapons.
Rodman and McHenry's Patchy forest hypothesis
Bipedalism arose in areas where forests were fragmented and food resources also became scattered. As forests fragmented, bipedalism freed the hands to pick up food allowing for both tree and ground food resources to be exploited.
Oven Lovejoy's provisioning hypothesis
Freeing the hands was important in allowing males to assist females more efficiently in procuring food, which turned into sexual competition among males for females.
Pre-australopithecines
Lived 7-4 mya. They had a number of primitive attributes, and in some respects were more apelike than humanlike. They represent the first recognizable ancestors of the lineage leading to humans. Fossils of their remains have been found in north-central an
Sahelanthropus tchadensis
The earliest pre-australopithecine (7-6 mya) species found in central Africa (Djurab Desert, Chad) with possible evidence of bipedalism (because of position of foramen magnum art the base of the skull) and the canine-premolar chewing complex was nonhoning
Orrorin tugenensis
Dating to around 6 mya, the fossils of this hominid was found in the Tugen Hills, on the western side of Kenya's Lake Turkana. Based on the femur fossils found they were able to determine that these animals were bipedal and could also determine by looking
Ardipithecus ramidus "Ardi" (know the scientists associated with this find)
(4.4 mya) A later pre-australopithecus species from the late Miocene to the early Pliocene; shows evidence of both bipedalism and arboreal activity but no indication of the primitive perihoning complex. The American physical anthropologist Tim White and h
Australopithecus aethiopicus
(2.5 mya) An early robust australopithecine from East Africa, with the hallmark physical traits of large teeth, large face, and massive muscle attachments. Key Features: Skull and teeth found, small brain (410cc) Massive posterior teeth, robust skull with
Australopithecus afarensis "Lucy" (know the scientists associated with this find)
(3.6-3 mya) found in four main sites: Laetoli, in Tanzania, and Hadar, Korsi Dora, and Dikika, and in Ethiopia. "Lucy" stood about 3.5 feet and had somewhat short legs relative to the length of the arms and body trunk. However the male stood about 5-5.5 f
Australopithecus africanus
A gracile australopithecine from South Africa that was contemporaneous with A. aethiopicus, A. garhi, and A. boisei and was likely ancestral to A. robustus. Key Features: Small brain (450cc), moderate size teeth, equal-size cusps on third premolar, phalan
Australopithecus anamensis
The oldest australipithecine species (4 mya) and is thought to be the likely ancestor to A. afarensis. It was found In the eastern and southern ends of Lake Turkana, Kenya. The creature was broadly similar in physical appearance to Ardipithecus, enough to
Australopithecus boisei
Formerly known as Zinjanthropus Boisei; a later robust australopithecine from East Africa that was contemporaneous with A. robustus and A. africanus andhad the robust cranial traits, including large teeth, large face, and heavy muscle attachments. Key Fea
Australopithecus garhi
Fossils Found from 2.5 mya, in Bouri, Ethiopia. Key Features: Skull, Teeth, postcrania found. Small brain (450cc) Equal-size cusps on third molar. Teeth larger than in earlier A. afarensis, and the ratio of upper arm length to upper leg length more humanl
Australopithecus robustus
A robust australopithecine from South Africa that may have descended from A. afarensis, was contemporaneous with A. boisei, and had the robust cranial traits of large teeth, large face, and heavy muscle attachments. Key Features: Small brain (530cc), mass
Australopithecus sediba
A late species of australopithecine from South Africa that may have descended from A. africanus, was a contemporary of A. robustus, and expresses anatomical features found in Australopithecus and Homo. Key Features: Small brain (420cc), relatively small t
Oldowan tool complex (time period and who used these tools)
This is a term used to refer to the earliest stone tool industry. 2.6 - 1.7 mya. The Australopithecus garhi, Homo habilis and Homo ergaster used this tool complex. Also the Homo erectus used this complex but later refined it into what's known as the Acheu
Lumpers vs. Splitters
A Lumper is those who lump fossils into the same genus or species, while Splitters are those who tend to see all new fossils as a new species.