website: www.VagabondGeology.com

Week 2: into Africa

Week 1: beginning in East Africa

Ancient Pathways Ancient Pathways Ancient PeoplesAncient Peoples

website: www.VagabondGeology.com

Week 3: into EuropeWeek 4: into Asia

Week 2: into Africa

Week 1: beginning in East Africa

Week 6: into Americas Week 5: across Beringia

SESSION 2SESSION 2

- Stone Age Timeline- Stone Age Timeline- Ages of Human Development- Ages of Human Development- South Africa- South Africa

Across AfricaAcross Africa

Week 1Week 1 TANZANIATANZANIA- Laetoli Site- Laetoli Site- Oldupai Gorge- Oldupai Gorge

this weekthis week

SOUTH AFRICASOUTH AFRICA- Cradle of HumankindCradle of Humankind

Homo Genus sapiens

The Stone Age: 2.5 million to 4000 YBP (years before present)

2.5 MILLION

2 MILLION

Australopithecus

1.4 MILLION

Paranthropus

3.5M – footprin

ts

300,000 YBP

EARLY STONE AGE – stone tools, fire

2.5M – ‘Little Foot’, ‘M

s Ples’

1.8M – ‘Nutcracker M

an’

1.7M – ‘Handy M

an’

our family tree .

our family tree .

. . .. . .

homo

Week 1Week 1 TANZANIATANZANIA - Laetoli Site- Laetoli Site - Oldupai Gorge- Oldupai Gorge

this this weekweek SOUTH SOUTH AFRICAAFRICA

The Stone Age: 2.5 million to 4000 YBP (years before present)

Australopithecus

ParanthropusParanthropus

Homo

‘Nutcracker Man’ (boisei)

STONE AGE

STONE AGE

4,000 YBP

2.5M YBP

homo

this this weekweek SOUTH SOUTH AFRICAAFRICA- Cradle of - Cradle of HumankindHumankind

The Stone Age: 2.5 million to 4000 YBP (years before present)

2.5 million YBP

Australopithecus africanus

Australopithecus africanus

STONE AGE

STONE AGELet’s go to South Africa!

Let’s go to South Africa!

The Stone Age: 2.5 million to 4000 YBP (years before present) Australopithecus africanus

homo

this this weekweek SOUTH SOUTH AFRICAAFRICA- Cradle of - Cradle of HumankindHumankind

2.5 million YBP

STONE AGE

STONE AGELet’s go to South Africa!

Let’s go to South Africa!

TANZANIA

SOUTH AFRICA

The Stone Age: 2.5 million to 4000 YBP (years before present)

SOUTH AFRICA

Australopithecus africanus

PRETORIAJohannesburg

designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 19991999

Cradle of HumankindCradle of HumankindAustralopithecus africanus

- Protected area covers 182 sq miles in 2 provinces182 sq miles in 2 provinces- Area of limestone caves

Sterkfontein Sterkfontein CavesCaves

Cradle of HumankindCradle of Humankinddesignated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 19991999- Protected area covers 182 sq miles in 2 provinces182 sq miles in 2 provinces- Area of limestone caves

Sterkfontein Sterkfontein CavesCaves

- More than 800 early hominid fossils 2M to 3M years oldearly hominid fossils 2M to 3M years oldAustralopithecus africanus

- More than 800 early hominid fossils 2M to 3M years oldearly hominid fossils 2M to 3M years old

Fossil Site

Fossil Site

Fossil SiteFossil Site

Fossil Site

Sterkfontein CavesSterkfontein Caves

Australopithecus africanus

Fossil Site

Fossil Site

Fossil SiteFossil Site

Fossil Site

Sterkfontain CavesSterkfontain Caves

- More than 800 early hominid fossils 2M to 3M years oldearly hominid fossils 2M to 3M years oldAustralopithecus africanus

- More than 800 early hominid fossils 2M to 3M years oldearly hominid fossils 2M to 3M years old- 1800’s: 1st fossils unearthed by miners digging for lime - 1936: professors at U. of Witwatersrand began excavations- 1947: Dr. Robert Broom found a skull over 2M years old

Australopithecus africanus

Australopithecus africanus

- originally classified as ‘plesanthropus Transvaalensis’ . . . . thus ‘Mrs. Ples’- later reclassified as Australopithecus africanus

- originally classified as ‘plesanthropus Transvaalensis’ . . . . thus ‘Mrs. Ples’- later reclassified as Australopithecus africanus

Australopithecus africanus

- Dr Broom identified this fossil as an adult female based on:

• body size• size of teeth cavity

- later x-rays of the teeth cavities showed emerging permanent teeth at death; predicted a sub-adult male- 2012 evaluation by Stony Brook University using 3D virtual reconstruction of the roots of the teeth found evidence of a adult female

- originally classified as ‘plesanthropus Transvaalensis’ . . . . thus ‘Mrs. Ples’- later reclassified as Australopithecus africanus

Australopithecus africanus

??Ms Ples!Ms Ples!

- originally classified as ‘plesanthropus Transvaalensis’ . . . . thus ‘Mrs. Ples’- later reclassified as Australopithecus africanus

Ms Ples!Ms Ples!

47 years later, in 1997 . . . .Australopithecus africanus

- at the Sterkfontein archives

47 years later, in 1997 . . . .Australopithecus africanus

- at the Sterkfontein archives

Australopithecus africanus

- Dr. Ron Clarke, looking in a box of fossils, came across four foot-bone fossils- He recognized these fossils as probably from the same foot- 3 years later, in a box of monkey fossils, he came across more bones from the same body- Because of the small foot size, he called this find ‘Little Foot’

- 3 years later, in a box of monkey fossils, he came across more bones from the same body

47 years later, in 1997 . . . .- at the Sterkfontein archives- Dr. Ron Clarke, looking in a box of fossils, came across four foot-bone fossils- He recognized these fossils as probably from the same foot

- Because of the small foot size, he called this find ‘Little Foot’

- Slight divergence of the big toe indicates an early species of Australopithecus, living between 3M &4M YBP- By 1998, Clarke had excavated the skull, jaw, & other limbs of ‘Little Foot’ in Sterkfontein Cave

Australopithecus africanus

- By 1998, Clarke had excavated the skull, jaw, & other limbs of ‘Little Foot’ in Sterkfontein Cave

- Slight divergence of the big toe indicates an early species of Australopithecus, living between 3M &4M YBP

Australopithecus africanus

‘‘Little Little Foot’Foot’

Where was he found?Where was he found?

Australopithecus africanus

Where was he found?Where was he found?

Australopithecus africanus- 3M YBP ‘Little Foot’ fell through a brush-covered cave shaft- falling at least 30’, he fractured many bones and died- rocks & sediments covered his body and calcified- the skeleton was preserved, embedded in rock

“ “this almost complete skeleton is this almost complete skeleton is one one

of the earliest, most complete, & of the earliest, most complete, & mostmost

important hominid discoveries important hominid discoveries in paleoanthropology”in paleoanthropology”

Why?

Australopithecus africanus

“ “this almost complete skeleton is this almost complete skeleton is one one

of the earliest, most complete, & of the earliest, most complete, & mostmost

important hominid discoveries important hominid discoveries in paleoanthropology”in paleoanthropology”

Why?

. . . fossil remains are more like human remains than are Australopithecus afarensis:

1) more human-like cranium; larger brain2) more human-like facial features

A. africanus

HOMO GENUSH. habilisH. sa

piens

(Cro-Magnon)

Australopithecus africanus

Why?

. . . fossil remains are more like human remains than are Australopithecus afarensis:

1) more human-like cranium; larger brain2) more human-like facial features

HOMO GENUSH. habilisH. sa

piens

(Cro-Magnon)

. . . may be a direct ancestor to . . . may be a direct ancestor to modern humans . . modern humans . .

EXTINCTION: 2M YBP - global cooling - competition with Homo genus

A. africanus

homo

The Stone Age: 2.5 million to 4000 YBP (years before present)

ParanthropusParanthropus

‘Nutcracker Man’ (boisei)

‘Little Foot’‘Ms Ples’(africanus)

Australopithecus

How dispersed were these two How dispersed were these two genera?genera?

Two genera that are now extinct . . .Two genera that are now extinct . . .

homo

ParanthropusParanthropus

Australopithecus

The Stone Age: 2.5 million to 4000 YBP (years before present)

How dispersed were these two How dispersed were these two genera?genera?

TANZANIA

SOUTH AFRICA

A. Afarensis P. Boisei

A. Africanus

How dispersed were these two How dispersed were these two genera?genera?

Ms Ples - 2.5M

Ms Ples - 2.5M

Little Foot - 3M

Little Foot - 3M

Footprints – 3.5M

Footprints – 3.5M

Nutcr

acke

r Man

- 1.8

M

Nutcr

acke

r Man

- 1.8

M

A. Afarensis P. Boisei

How dispersed were these two How dispersed were these two genera?genera?

A. Africanus

TANZANIA

SOUTH AFRICA

Footprints – 3.5M

Footprints – 3.5M

Nutcr

acke

r Man

- 1.8

M

Nutcr

acke

r Man

- 1.8

M

Ms Ples - 2.5M

Ms Ples - 2.5M

Little Foot - 3M

Little Foot - 3M

A. Afarensis P. Boisei

Neither genus spread beyond Neither genus spread beyond AfricaAfrica!?!!?!

Fossil sites & spread of Genera . . . .Fossil sites & spread of Genera . . . . Australopithcus & ParanthropusAustralopithcus & Paranthropus

So who left Africa???So who left Africa???

A. Afarensis P. Boisei

Fossil sites & spread of Genera . . . .Fossil sites & spread of Genera . . . . Australopithcus & ParanthropusAustralopithcus & Paranthropus

Neither genus spread beyond Neither genus spread beyond AfricaAfrica!?!!?!

homo

‘Nutcracker Man’ (boisei)

‘Little Foot’‘Ms Ples’(africanus)

ParanthropusParanthropus

Australopithecus

The Stone Age: 2.5 million to 4000 YBP (years before present)

So who left Africa???So who left Africa???

homo

The Stone Age: 2.5 million to 4000 YBP (years before present)

ParanthropusParanthropus

Australopithecus

Homo GenusSo who left Africa???So who left Africa???

X X‘Nutcracker Man’ (boisei)

‘Little Foot’‘Ms Ples’(africanus)

footprints(afarensis)

homo

The Stone Age: 2.5 million to 4000 YBP (years before present)

HomoSo who left Africa???So who left Africa???Homo Genus

Homo Genus

homo

Homo Genus

Until 2010, earliest known species of Homo Genus

Remember last

week?

2010 . . . Homo

2010 . . .

homo

Homo Genus

????

Homo

- Anthropologist Darren Curnoe proposed a new Homo species 2010 . . .

New species: Homo gautengensis??

- The fossils, discovered decades earlier at Sterkfontain, were originally classified as early H. Habilis or late Australopithicus - ‘morphologically too distinct’ to fit these other categories

named for the S.A. Province

named for the S.A. Province

homo

????

Homo

The Stone Age: 2.5 million to 4000 YBP (years before present) Homo Genus

The Stone Age: 2.5 million to 4000 YBP (years before present) Homo Genus AMER.M YBP

2M YBP

ergaster

EUROPE

1.8M

ASIA

1.5M

1.3M

0.7M

AFRICA

0.5M

erectusantecessor

neanderthal

rhodesien

AFRICA

Homo gautengensis??‘Handy-man’ (habilis)

0.1M

100,000 YBP

0.1M sapien

Homo Genus AMER.EUROPE ASIAAFRICA

sapien

100,000 YBP

NEXT WEEK . . .NEXT WEEK . . .

Week 2: into AfricaWeek 1: beginning in East Africa

Week 3: into Europe Abri Cro-Magnon ManAbri Cro-Magnon Man

Meet a French Homo sapien!Meet a French Homo sapien!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_evolution http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stone_Age http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neolithic http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paleolithic http://humanorigins.si.edu/evidence/human-family-tree http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cradle_of_Humankind http://www.sa-venues.com/attractionsga/cradle-of-humankind.htm http://www.sa-venues.com/maps/gauteng_cradle_of_humankind.htmhttp://geology.com/world/south-africa-satellite-image.shtmlhttp://pubs.usgs.gov/gip/dynamic/East_Africa.htmlhttp://www.nationsencyclopedia.com/Africa/South-Africahttp://www.sa-venues.com/maps/gauteng_magaliesberg.htmhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mrs._Pleshttp://www.cradleofhumankind.co.za/exploretoday/Pages/_SterkfonteinCaves.aspxhttp://www.talkorigins.org/faqs/homs/rbroom.htmlhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sterkfonteinhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Little_Foothttp://www.panoramio.com/photo/62201978http://www.artlink.co.za/news_article.htm?contentID=28164http://www.maropeng.co.za/index.php/exhibition_guide/sterkfontein/little_foot/http://popular-archaeology.com/issue/june-2011/article/ancient-nutcracker-man-had-no-taste-for-nutshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_evolutionhttp://www.newscientist.com/article/dn9989-timeline-human-evolution.htmlhttp://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0018442X10000727http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/04/100408105147.htmhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homo_gautengensisCurnoe, D., A review of early Homo in southern Africa focusing on cranial, mandibular and dental remains, with the description of a new species (Homo gautengensis sp. Nov.), HOMO-J. Comp. Hum. Biol., 61:151–177, 2010; pp 171–172http://anthro.palomar.edu/homo/homo_1.htmhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neanderthal

REFERENCESREFERENCES

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