Unit 2 Anthropology Notes
Unit 2 Anthropology Notes
Unit 2 Anthropology Notes
• Macroevolution
– Genetic changes over long periods of time with
environmental isolation means genetic changes
that lead to new species
– Hominin Evolution
• Microevolution
– genetic changes over short times with no environmental isolation or speciation
– Human Variation
• Inseparable processes
Emergence of the Human Species
• Explaining how primate evolution happened
– Describing speciation
• Using observed shared adaptations
– Assign fossils to a taxon (like species) by
• Homologies
as opposed to
• Analogies
Dating Techniques
• Two ways to give fossils and speciation dates
1) Relative Dating
– stratigraphy
• the earth sediments/layers on the
bottom are older than those on top
Dating Techniques
• Two ways to give fossils and speciation dates
2) Absolute Dating
– molecular MtDNA dating
• Counting mutations
Dating Techniques
• Two ways to give fossils and speciation dates
2) Absolute Dating
– radiometric techniques
• measuring loss of unstable radioactive isotopes
Origins of the Human Species
– Human Taxonomy
• Primates, Anthropoids, Catarrhines, Hominoids, Hominids, Hominins,
Humans, Recent Humans, AMHs
Primates
• Primatology
– Study of nonhuman primates
• past and present
1. Meteorite!!
→ mass extinction
→ extreme environmental change
– Pierolapithecus Catalaunicus
• Potential common ancestor of Hominids
• 13 million y.a.
Apes
• Gorillas
– Mostly terrestrial
– Large (400 pounds)
– Social organization
– 2 species
• Eastern
– Mountain and Lowland
• Western
– Lowland and Cross River
Connecting Humans and non-Human
Apes: The Miocene Links
• “Toumai”
– Dates to time period when humans and chimps diverged
– 6 to 7 mya
Apes
• Chimpanzees
– Two species
• 1) Common Chimpanzees
– Social organization
• Hierarchical
Apes
• Chimpanzees
– Two species
• 1) Common Chimpanzees
• 2) Bonobos
– Social organization
• Less hierarchical
• Little conflict
Apes
• Hominoidea superfamily - Apes
– Terrestrial
– Social organization
• very complex…..
Hominin Evolution
• Hominins = tribe of Bipedal Primates
– Three genera
– Eleven species
• Ardipithecus ramidus
– 5.5 - 4.4 mya
Why bipedalism?
• Late Miocene (6-7 mya)
– Environmental change
• Humid rainforests
• Dispersed woodlands
• Savannah growth
• grassland movement?
– see predators
– carry items
– reduce solar radiation
Why bipedalism?
• Late Miocene (6-7 mya)
– Environmental change
• Humid rainforests
• Dispersed woodlands
• Savannah growth
• General Adaptability!
– Ardipithecus woodland habitat
Australopithecines
• 3 evolutionary paths of Early Hominins
– Marked by
• increasing bipedalism
• changes in teeth and jaw
– 2) Language
– 3) General adaptability
Increasing mobility adaptation?
First time out of Africa • H. erectus first hominin outside
Africa
– more efficient bipedalism
– more complex behavior
• more advanced tools
• first use of fire?
– changing diets and behavior?
Homo floresiensis – aka “Hobbits”
a population of H. erectus in Indonesia evolved into:
• Homo floresiensis
– 700,000 ya to 50,000 ya
– small cranial capacity ~ 370 cm3
– small gracile bodies ~ 1 meter
– tool users
Later Hominins
One population of H. erectus in East Africa evolved into
something else, 800,000 ya to present
• Species or subspecies?
– H. heidelbergensis or archaic H. sapiens
– H. sapiens or H. sapiens sapiens (AMH)
– H. neanderthalensis or H. sapiens neanderthalensis
– Others
– marked by
• full bipedalism
• increasing cranial capacity
• explosion of material culture
Later Hominins
One population of H. erectus in East Africa evolved into:
• Homo heidelbergensis
– 800,000 ya to 100,000 ya
– marked by
• full bipedalism
• Increased cranial capacity
~1135 cm3
• complex material culture
– Subsistence behavior
Species replacement?
Out of Africa again • Small groups of hominin people
spread?
– erectus supplanted by heidelbergensis
– Mostly….maybe….or gene flow?
Later Hominins
One population of H. heidelbergensis in E. Africa evolved into :
• Homo sapiens
– 200,000 ya to present
– Larger Cranial Capacity
• ~1350 cm3
• Loss of browridge
• Prominent forehead
– Distinctive chin
Later Hominins
One population of H. heidelbergensis in E. Africa evolved into :
• Homo sapiens
– 200,000 ya to present
– Larger Cranial Capacity
• Changing Behavior
– Subsistence
• great variety of stone tools
– Symbolic and Abstract thinking
Models of Migration and Change
Out of Africa once again • Three Out of Africa Models
1. Multiregionalism Model
– All hominin species connected
through gene flow. Spread of
genes led to new species
everywhere.
(Remember, your group receives extra credit for your verbal responses)
Other Kinds of Hominins?
other populations of the Homo genus evolving?:
• H. or A. naledi?
– Has a mixture of traits
– 250,000 ya
Other Kinds of Humans?
other populations of the Homo genus evolving?:
• Denisovans?
– Southern Siberia
• 400,000 ya to 45,000 ya
– H. denisova? H. sapiens denisova?;
– Drinking milk
• Lactose tolerance
– Northern Europe
– Eastern Africa
Human Variation
• High altitudes
– Andes
• more efficient blood
• low birth weights
– Himalayas
• increased capillaries
• altered placentas
Human Variation
• Facial Features
– Thomson’s Nose rule
• Large long nose = cold weather
• Short flat nose = warm weather
– Teeth
• Large teeth = grittier food
• Small teeth = softer food
Human Variation
– hot climates
• more body surface
– cold climates
• less body surface
Human Variation
• Skin color
– determined by amount of Melanin
– is relative to proximity to equator
Race and History
• Origins of Race as Scientific Categories
– Johann Friedreich Blumenbach (1795)
• Caucasoid - white
• Mongoloid - yellow
• Malayan - brown
• Negroid - black
• American - red
Race, History, and Anthropology
• Anthropology has helped to
– define race as a biological category
• Justification for
– Slavery
– World War II Holocaust
– Segregation
– South African apartheid
– etc.
• Carleton Coon 1962
• animal domestication
– opportunistic
• earliest – dogs?
– intentional
• mobile food source
Earliest Domestication
• The Old World Middle East
– 11,000 – 8000 ya
• Wheat, Barley, Sheep, Goats,
Cattle, Pigs
– Resulted in
• Higher food yields
• Larger populations
• Greater management needs
Rise of Civilization:
Social and Cultural Change
• Fourth cultural milestone;
– Long shift toward Civilization
• a complex society with an extensive social hierarchy
Rise of Civilization:
Social and Cultural Change
• Fourth cultural milestone;
– Process for social complexity
• 1) Shifting from small Neolithic villages
– Egalitarian farming villages
» no large social differences
↓
– Ranked agricultural communities
» larger populations
» inherited social differences
Rise of Civilization:
Social and Cultural Change
• Fourth cultural milestone;
– Process for social complexity
• 2) Shifting from ranked societies
↓
– to Early State societies
» larger populations
» larger social hierarchies
» NO earlier antecedents
In class group discussion #4
• Open up the assignment in elc and choose one person to be Discussion Leader
• At top of your elc assignment write your names and last 4 digits of 81#
• Pseudoarchaeology
1. What are the different 'alternative' or 'fantastic' (not counting the ones in the
videos you watched) that you all came up with? You know they are not science,
but what is the connection between phenomena they describe and the observable
evidence of causation?
2. What are the larger social, cultural, and potential economic impacts of these kind
of explanations? What effects do they have on indigenous, native, or oppressed
groups? What economic advantages are there for those who promote them and
how do they economically disadvantage others?
3. Given these issues, who owns or should control the narrative about our shared
cultural past?
(Remember, your group receives extra credit for your verbal responses)
Rise of Civilization:
Social and Cultural Change
• Fourth cultural milestone; Unequal access to power
– Process for increasing social complexity and prestige
• 2) Shift from ranked societies
↓ Social differences based on
– to Early State societies activities and economics
» larger populations
» larger social hierarchies
Making a living doing
» NO earlier antecedents
something other
– See development of: than producing food
• Social Inequality
• Social Stratification
• Specialists
Why the rise of complex societies?
• Fourth cultural milestone;
– Process for increasing social complexity
• Multiple
MultipleExplanations
Explanations
–
– Hydraulic
HydraulicSystems
Systems
– Long distance trade
– Long distance trade
– Population, War, Circumscription
–
– Population, War,
Religion and Charismatic leaders
Circumscription
– Religion and Charismatic
leaders
Why the rise of complex societies?
• Fourth cultural milestone;
– Process for increasing social complexity
1) regional territory
2) agricultural economies
3) tribute and taxation
4) stratified
5) building programs
6) record-keeping systems
Earliest Development of
States
• Middle East
– Fertile Crescent, Mesopotamia
– First Complex Societies
• 7000 ya – ranked societies
• 6000 ya – state organization
• Central America
– New World, Mexico
– First complex societies
• 4000 ya – ranked societies
• 3200 ya – state organization
Harappan Civilization in the
Indus Valley
• Large river valley
– highlands, desert, and ocean
• Domestication - 9000 ya
• Sedentism - 5500 ya
– farming wheat
– herding
– foraging
Harrappan Civilization:
Development of large population
centers
• around 5000 ya?
– The settling of Mohenjo-Daro
began
Harrappan Civilization:
Development of large population
centers
• by 4500 ya • large public structures
– Mohenjo-Daro was a full city • organized neighborhoods
• large public bathing facility
• public toilets, sewers, and
house bathrooms
– main sewage lines
Harrappan Civilization:
Development of large population
centers
• by 4500 ya
– Mohenjo-Daro was a full city
• Invented a wheel
Harrappan Civilization:
Development of large population
centers
• by 4500 ya
– Mohenjo-Daro was a full city