Anthropology:

Human Evolution and Adaptations

Evolutionary Theory

Charles Darwin 1809-1882

Published Origin of the Species (1859)

Galapagos Islands – observed different species of finches

Controversial !

Evolution

Evolution refers to change over time, or transformation over time.

Evolution assumes that all natural forms arose from their ancestors and adapted over time to their environments.

There are numerous ways in which evolution occurs, the most noted are Natural Selection and Adaptation.

Darwin’s Theory – Natural Selection

1. Heritability: Organisms inherit characteristics from their parents

2. Variation: there is a lot of variation (characteristics that are not similar) within a species

3. Environmental Fitness: Those traits that allow an individual to survive to reproductive age – to pass on to offspring

Darwin’s Finches

An example of Variation

Peppered Moth UK – example of natural selection

White and Black moths (Variation)

Food source for birds

Before Industrial Rev. most moths – white - better camouflaged against white lichen (Enviromental Fitness)

Industrial Rev – coal dust turned environment black, now black moths better camouflaged. Black moths now surviving to reproduce and pass their colour to next generation (Heritability)

Now, most moths are black (natural selection)

Key Concepts in Evolution

Adaptation Variation Natural Selection –

– random genetic mutations occur within an organism's genetic code, the beneficial mutations are preserved because they aid survival

Survival of the Fittest – – only the necessary characteristics survive – and the

species who acquire those characteristics will remain and reproduce

Artificial Selection

Human breeders have produced dramatic changes in domestic animal populations by selecting individuals to breed.

Breeders eliminate undesirable traits gradually over time.

Examples?

Evolution – Evidence

Physical Anthropologists Look at:

1. Fossil, bone, stone remains (using dating techniques)2. Microscopic analysis – pollen, scratches on

bone3. Experiments – flake stone techniques

Human Evolution

Hominids

Human Evolution

Primate - Large-brained, mostly tree-dwelling mammals with three-dimensional color vision and grasping hands. Humans are primates.

Hominid: is any member of the biological family Hominidae (the "great apes"), including the humans, chimps, bonobos, gorillas and orangutans

The oldest hominids belong to the genus Australopithecus:

Australopithecus afarensis Australopithecus africanus (example) Australopithecus robustus Australopithecus boisei

Australopithecus afarensis

Our most ancient ancestor is Australopithecus afarensis. They lived roughly 4 - 2.75 million years ago. " Lucy" is the skeleton remains of an Australopithecus afarensis which has made us aware of this species.

Reconstructed replica of the skull of “Lucy,” found by anthropologist Donald Johanson in 1974 at Hadar, Ethiopia.

Hominids - The Human Lineage

Homo Habilis Homo Erectus (example) Neanderthals Cro-Magnons Homo Sapiens

Homo Erectus

They inhabited the regions of southeastern and eastern Asia until approximately 300 000 years ago.

Europe, India, China and Indonesia have all yielded evidence of Homo erectus.

– "Turkana Boy" was an African discovery, which shows that Homo erectus had a similar body size to humans. The period that this boy lived in was 1.6 million years ago. Homo erectus, according to some studies, made use of fire and occupied caves.

Discoveries of Hominid Remains

Documentaries:

http://www.pbs.org/wnet/humanspark/episodes/program-two-so-human-so-chimp/video-full-episode/407/

http://www.pbs.org/wnet/humanspark/episodes/program-one-becoming-us/video-full-episode/395/

http://video.pbs.org/video/1312522241/