1. When anthropologists discovered “ Lucy” in 1974, they considered her the oldest hominid of age 3. 6 million years ago.
How has the discovery of old hominid-like remains affected the “ line” of evolutionary descent? They have declared sahelanthropus to be on the line this led to gorillas, not humans.
Explain why a newer model of human ancestry is emerging.
Different species are reproducing together.
2. What problem do paleontologists have with cataloguing human remains? (I. e. the conditions of the fossils)
Few fossils are left behind
Why is there disagreement among scientists as to where to put early hominids in the model of evolution of humans?
How the earliest known hominids walked on two legs
3. According to the hypothesis of Kevin Hunt, what is one simple explanation for bipedalism in hominids? (Walking upright on two limbs instead of four limbs)
Kevin hunt said the earliest hominids became experts in getting food. They were standing up for short spells, on trees and the ground.
4. Explain the comparison between a human brain and the brain of a typical mammal of the same size.
Mammal’s brain is one-seventh as large as ours.
5. What are some advantages for an organism with a large brain?
Processing power to produce extra information so they could make better tools. 6. According to the fossil and archeology records, when did early humans first use tools?
The oldest and first tools were used 2. 5 million years ago.
What organisms besides humans may use tools? Chimpanzees and other apes.
7. Why did “ homo ergaster” not advance in human terms? Their brain didn’t work like ours. He had a medium size brain.
8. According to findings of “ expressions of a modern mind”, when do scientists believe that modern humans – Homo sapiens – first appear?
Scientists argue that the earliest species may have existed 200, 000 years ago.
9. What advantages, if any, do modern humans appear to have over Homo erectus and Neanderthals who did not survive? They have as big or bigger than human’s . excellent hunting skills which helped them survive the ice ages for years.
10. Compare the genetic material of a human with that of a chimpanzee. Humans and chimpanzees are 99. 4 percent identical
11. Describe the specific types of genes that scientists look for to determine what makes Homo sapiens distinctly “ human”.
Human mitochondrial DNA indicate all humans can look at their ancestry to members of Homo sapiens
12. What is the significance of Homo sapiens idaltu – see letter “ I”– in helping determine our closest ancestor?