Kimbrough_Pre Lab Footsteps in Time Spring.docx

pdf

School

University of Kansas *

*We aren’t endorsed by this school

Course

102

Subject

Biology

Date

Feb 20, 2024

Type

pdf

Pages

Uploaded by PresidentExplorationHippopotamus35

Pre Lab-Activity BIOL 102 Pre-Lab Activity Tracing Footsteps in Time Learning Objectives ● Explain how current biometric data of a species can be used to estimate traits of extinct species. ● Explain how anatomical features and the fossil record are used to support the theory of evolution. ● Create a scatter plot and a “best fit line” Question: ● Can we use a human’s foot length to predict the height of modern humans? ● Can we predict the height of ancient hominids using the relationship between foot length and height of modern humans? Summary: ● In this lab, you will study the relationship between foot length and height of modern humans. Applying this relationship to footprints left by ancient hominids, we will estimate their height. Can we accurately predict their height or have modern humans evolved and the relationship between foot length and height changed? Materials Needed for Lab Ruler Calculator / Computer Photographic diagram of Laetoli Footprints (Appendix) Source Foot Steps in Time. Evolution & the Nature of Science Institutes) www.indiana.edu/~ensiweb Masao, T. et al. 2016. New footprints from Laetoli (Tanzania) provide evidence for marked body size variation in early hominins. eLife 2016;5:e19568. 1 Pre-Lab Activity Tracing Footsteps in Time Spring 2024-1

Pre Lab-Activity BIOL 102 Background An important goal in paleoanthropology with regards to hominin evolution is documenting body size variation. It is a common belief that body size is a fundamental property of an organism and impacts its behavior, life history, anatomy, and ecology. As such, paleontologists commonly try to estimate the body size associated with the fossils they have found to compare them with living species. Estimating body size from a fossil seems like a straightforward process, however there are many aspects that make this process difficult. Are modern humans the best predictors of body size in early bipedal hominins? The Human Lineage This is a select few of the species in the evolution of humans. Australopithecus afarensis: one of the earliest human species. Lived approximately 3.85-2.95 million years ago. Homo habilis: one of the earliest members of the Homo species. Lived approximately 2.4 million to 1.4 million years ago. Homo erectus: earliest known human to possess longer arms and legs. Lived approximately 1.89 million to 143,000 years ago. Homo neanderthalensis: disappeared nearly 40, 000 years ago. Homo sapiens: (this is us) developed 300,000 years ago. 2 Pre-Lab Activity Tracing Footsteps in Time Spring 2024-1

Pre Lab-Activity BIOL 102 Source: https://www.britannica.com/science/human-evolution#/media/1/275670/141800 While it may be difficult to estimate body size, due to the limited number of fossils for each species, fossil footprints are extremely useful tools in the paleontological record. Their physical features can help identify their makers but can also be used to infer biological information. How did the track-maker move? What was the foot shape? How large was the track-maker? How fast was it going? Footprints of hominins (namely the group to which humans and our ancestors belong) are rare. Nearly all the hominin footprints discovered so far are attributed to species of the genus Homo , to which modern humans belong. The only exceptions are footprints that were discovered in the 1970’s by Mary Leakey’s expedition team in Laetoli, in northern Tanzania. Laetoli is a well-known paleontological locality where the earliest hominin footprints in the world (3.66 million years old) are located. These footprints have provided evidence for understanding the members of the early hominin species Australopithecus afarensis (Figure 2) and the environment in which they lived. Mary Leakey’s team discovered the tracks of three bipedal hominin individuals (G1, G2, and G3 footprints are shown in Figure 1). These footprints have provided evidence for understanding the members of the early hominin species Australopithecus afarensis (Figure 1) and the environment in which they lived. 3 Pre-Lab Activity Tracing Footsteps in Time Spring 2024-1

Your preview ends here

Eager to read complete document? Join bartleby learn and gain access to the full version

Access to all documents
Unlimited textbook solutions
24/7 expert homework help

Pre Lab-Activity BIOL 102 Years after Leakey’s team discovered the footprints in Tanzania, another group uncovered footprints near Lake Turkana in Illeret, Kenya between 2007 and 2014. This team uncovered two trails of footprints that are estimated to be 1.5 million years old and most likely belong to the species Homo erectus . The footprints are shown in Figure 3. From these images, it is difficult to see how the foot shape has changed, but there are few differences to note. The Turkana prints are more modern than the Laetoli prints; the Turkana prints show a modern stride in which the weight shifts from the heel to the ball of the foot then the toes. There is also evidence of a pronounced arch. 4 Pre-Lab Activity Tracing Footsteps in Time Spring 2024-1

Pre Lab-Activity BIOL 102 Using Allometry to Predict Height The extent to which body shape and size varied between different members of the Au. Afarensis – for example between males and females – has been the subject of a long debate. Based on the skeletal remains found so far in East Africa, some researchers believe that hominins only varied moderately, as in modern humans, while others believe that hominins vary greatly from modern humans. Our ability to investigate this important issue depends on the possibility of evaluating the body size and proportions of extinct creatures. Estimates are largely inferred from known relationships between the metric data in living species, such as bone length and stature. Scientists have also used information from single-footprints or trails of footprints to estimate body height. This method of scaling one body part in proportion to another is called allometry. By collecting measurements of foot length, femur length or other bone lengths and height measurements from many people, scientists can predict the height of an individual from any of those measurements. An example of the correlation between Height and Femur length is shown in Figure 4. To generate the data in Figure 4, scientists collected the height and femur length of many people. In this example, the independent variable is femur length, and the dependent variable is height. Using the collected data, they then created a scatter plot and applied a trendline or “best-fit” line to the data. We can see that there is a positive correlation between femur length and height, the longer the femur length, the taller the individual. We could also use this information to estimate the height of an unknown individual if we knew the femur length. To estimate the height of a person with a femur length of 30 cm we would follow the steps as outlined next to Figure 4. We would estimate the height of the individual to be approximately 183cm. Figure 4. Plot of Femur Length to Predict Height of People 5 Pre-Lab Activity Tracing Footsteps in Time Spring 2024-1

Pre Lab-Activity BIOL 102 Hypothesis Development: In this lab, we are being asked to address two questions; the first question is can we use foot length to predict height of modern humans. To answer this question, we will collect foot length and height data from a large sample of people. The hypotheses that we will test for this first question are given below. Once we have established if we can use foot length to predict height, we will then answer the second question; can we accurately predict the height of ancient hominins or have modern humans evolved and the relationship between foot length and height changed? To answer this question, we will use foot length measurements obtained from fossils, determine a predicted height and compare our results with published or accepted heights for each foot length. Lab Procedure Step 1. Prepare for the project. a) Read the entire Lab Procedure before you begin. b) Read the Assignment Exit Ticket. Step 2. Measuring Foot Length. a) Foot length will be measured as the length of the right foot in centimeters. b) Right Foot Length: distance from the back of the heel to the toe tip (without shoes). c) Record data in Table 1. Foot length and height of individuals Step 3. Measuring Height 6 Pre-Lab Activity Tracing Footsteps in Time Spring 2024-1

Your preview ends here

Eager to read complete document? Join bartleby learn and gain access to the full version

Access to all documents
Unlimited textbook solutions
24/7 expert homework help

Pre Lab-Activity BIOL 102 a) Height will be measured in centimeters b) Measure height as the distance from the floor to the top of the head (without shoes) c) Record data in Table 1. Foot length and height of individuals Step 4. Repeat procedure collecting data for 5 individuals. Conversion 2.54 cm = 1 inch (or use Google; search terms conversion ft to cm will pull up a conversion tool). Assignment – Exit Ticket Directions: 1. Complete Data Table and Experimental Questions. 2. Submit completed assignment in Canvas; Name, Date and Student ID Name: Ben Kimbrough Date: Feb 4 2024 Student ID: 3014821 Data Table – Foot length and Height **Conversion 2.54 cm = 1 inch (or use Google; search terms conversion ft to cm will pull up a conversion tool). Table 1. Foot length and Height of Individuals Individual Foot Length (cm) Height (cm) 1. Braden 27.5 175.26 2. Jacob 29 180.34 3. Creighton 30.3 187.96 4. Josh 28.7 182.88 7 Pre-Lab Activity Tracing Footsteps in Time Spring 2024-1

Pre Lab-Activity BIOL 102 5. Austin 28.7 185.42 Experimental Questions After reading the procedure and collecting your data, answer these questions. 1. What trend (if any) do you see in your data in the table? Is it a positive or negative correlation? There is a positive correlation in my data. As the foot length is bigger, the height is taller. 2. What is the independent variable in this experiment? The independent variable in this experiment is the foot length 3. What is the dependent variable in this experiment? The dependent variable in this experiment is the height in cm 8 Pre-Lab Activity Tracing Footsteps in Time Spring 2024-1

Related Documents

03-07_task (2).docx

SamaraLab2020.pdf

5 - Spring 2022 Digestion & Enzymes_ Fat Emulsion & Lipids - Fillable Form.pdf

annotated-Pre Lab Tracking Influenza Fall 2023-1.docx.pdf

Kimbrough_Lab Activity Inherited Traits PKU.docx.pdf

Kimbrough_Lab Activity Scientific Method Skittles.docx.pdf

Kimbrough_Pre Lab Scientific Method Skittles .docx.pdf

Kimbrough_Lab Activity Footsteps in Time Spring.docx.pdf

MLS460 Immunology_Lab Assignment 1.pdf

bio final questions .docx

50 min version Activity - Darwin's Finches Natural Selection.docx

Kami Export - Week_8a_Eukaryotic_Gene_Expression_v2.pdf

Recommended textbooks for you

Biology (MindTap Course List)

Biology

ISBN:9781337392938

Author:Eldra Solomon, Charles Martin, Diana W. Martin, Linda R. Berg

Publisher:Cengage Learning

Biology: The Dynamic Science (MindTap Course List)

Biology

ISBN:9781305389892

Author:Peter J. Russell, Paul E. Hertz, Beverly McMillan

Publisher:Cengage Learning

Human Heredity: Principles and Issues (MindTap Co...

Biology

ISBN:9781305251052

Author:Michael Cummings

Publisher:Cengage Learning

Biology: The Unity and Diversity of Life (MindTap...

Biology

ISBN:9781305073951

Author:Cecie Starr, Ralph Taggart, Christine Evers, Lisa Starr

Publisher:Cengage Learning

Biology 2e

Biology

ISBN:9781947172517

Author:Matthew Douglas, Jung Choi, Mary Ann Clark

Publisher:OpenStax

Biology: The Unity and Diversity of Life (MindTap...

Biology

ISBN:9781337408332

Author:Cecie Starr, Ralph Taggart, Christine Evers, Lisa Starr

Publisher:Cengage Learning

SEE MORE TEXTBOOKS

Recommended textbooks for you

Biology (MindTap Course List)
Biology
ISBN:9781337392938
Author:Eldra Solomon, Charles Martin, Diana W. Martin, Linda R. Berg
Publisher:Cengage Learning
Biology: The Dynamic Science (MindTap Course List)
Biology
ISBN:9781305389892
Author:Peter J. Russell, Paul E. Hertz, Beverly McMillan
Publisher:Cengage Learning
Human Heredity: Principles and Issues (MindTap Co...
Biology
ISBN:9781305251052
Author:Michael Cummings
Publisher:Cengage Learning
Biology: The Unity and Diversity of Life (MindTap...
Biology
ISBN:9781305073951
Author:Cecie Starr, Ralph Taggart, Christine Evers, Lisa Starr
Publisher:Cengage Learning
Biology 2e
Biology
ISBN:9781947172517
Author:Matthew Douglas, Jung Choi, Mary Ann Clark
Publisher:OpenStax
Biology: The Unity and Diversity of Life (MindTap...
Biology
ISBN:9781337408332
Author:Cecie Starr, Ralph Taggart, Christine Evers, Lisa Starr
Publisher:Cengage Learning