LA6 Human Evolution-1.docx

B. There were environmental forces that contributed to the evolution of humans. These could have included food sources, predators, weather, climate, and need to hunt. Q10. One of our closest known hominid relatives, Homo neanderthalensis, is thought to have been stronger, stockier, with larger noses and on average, a greater cranium size than modern day humans. Based on what you know about evolution and natural selection, theorize why these seemingly more beneficial traits were selected for, and then discuss why you think the Neanderthal was outcompeted by humans Homo sapiens . (Hint: Neanderthals lived during last ice age and struggled as the Earth warmed). The neanderthals may not have outcompeted humans due to them being unable to survive the warming of the earth. The traits that humans had at the time may have been more beneficial for surviving in the new environmental conditions, therefore they were naturally selected for. Part 3. Relating Modern Primates to Humans Use the matrix below to construct a phylogenetic tree demonstrating the relationship between modern primates and humans. Include all noted traits on the phylogeny. Fill in the additional traits present in modern humans that evolved after the most recent common ancestor of chimpanzee and Homo sapiens . Refer to information in Ch22.7, but mostly from the lecture slides. Lemur s & Loris Tarsiers New World Monkeys Old World Monkeys Gibbons Orangutan s Gorilla s Chimpanzee s Hominid s Mammal X X X X X X X X X Dry nose X X X X X X X X Opposable thumb X X X X X X X Downwar d facing nose X X X X X X Lack of tail X X X X X

Work together to draw your completed cladogram and take a picture of the final tree and post it below on the document you turn in.

Part 5. "What does it mean to be human?" up to 3 Extra points! (Optional) Turn this in as a group or individually to your ULA. Go to: http://humanorigins.si.edu/ Explore the "What does it mean to be human?" website below to further your understanding of human development and use that information to answer the following questions. Pay attention to the hypothesis proposed by Dr. Rick Potts. and look specifically over the Human Characteristics ; Humans Change the World; and Ancient DNA and Neanderthals: Interbreeding (Links to an external site.) sections. Each of these provides a link to that page to help you answer the questions. _____B__Q1. What is the trend in human brain development and why? A. Increases because excess energy was going to waste B. Increases for storing and processing more information C. Decreases because the energy requirement was too great D. Decreases for storing and processing less information ___D__Q2. Which hominids lived during the Turning Point period in which humans began farming and herding? A. H. erectus, H. floresiensis , H. neanderthalensis , and H. sapiens B. H. erectus, H. floresiensis, H. neanderthalensis, H. heidelbergensis, and H. sapiens C. H. floresiensis, H. neanderthalensis, and H. sapiens D. Only modern H. sapiens developed the ability for herding animals and farming. ___C___Q3. What hypothesis introduced by Rick Potts supports the hypothesis that hominids migrated from Africa were able to live in many different environments around the globe? A. The instability hypothesis which states that environmental instability shaped human evolution. B. The environmental hypothesis which states that environmental stability shaped human evolution C. The variability selection hypothesis which states that environmental instability shaped human evolution. D. The adaptation hypothesis which states that environmental instability shaped human evolution. ___A___Q4. The earliest stone toolmaking dates back to 2.6 mya (million years ago). Some of the earliest tools made by these hominin species includes: A. Hammerstones, stone cores, and sharp stone flakes B. Spears and scrapers C. Bone needles and harpoon points D. None of these _AE_Q5. Choose which of the choices below represent genes that came from Neanderthal DNA. Select all that are correct.