Biology, Seventh Edition Solomon Berg Martin

Chapter 21

The Evolution of
Primates

Copyright 2005 Brooks/Cole Thomson Learning

Biology, Seventh Edition CHAPTER 21 The Evolution of Primates

Mammals
Endothermic
Body hair
Feed young with milk from
mammary glands
Most are viviparous

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Biology, Seventh Edition CHAPTER 21 The Evolution of Primates

Placental mammals
Placenta exchanges materials
between mother and fetus
Newborns are more developed
than marsupials

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Biology, Seventh Edition CHAPTER 21 The Evolution of Primates

Primates
Five grasping digits
Opposable thumb or toe
Long, freely moving limbs
Eyes in front of the head
Relatively large brain

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Biology, Seventh Edition CHAPTER 21 The Evolution of Primates

Primate hands
and feet

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Biology, Seventh Edition CHAPTER 21 The Evolution of Primates

Suborder Prosimii
Lemurs
Suborder Tarsiiformes
Tarsiers
Suborder Anthropoidae
Monkeys, apes, humans

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Biology, Seventh Edition CHAPTER 21 The Evolution of Primates

Primate evolution

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Biology, Seventh Edition CHAPTER 21 The Evolution of Primates

Anthropoids
Old and new world monkeys
Apes and humans
Hominoids
Apes
Gibbons
Orangutans
Gorillas
Chimpanzees
Humans

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Biology, Seventh Edition CHAPTER 21 The Evolution of Primates

New world monkey Old world monkey

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Biology, Seventh Edition CHAPTER 21 The Evolution of Primates

Hominids
Humans
Extinct human ancestors

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Biology, Seventh Edition CHAPTER 21 The Evolution of Primates

Differences between ape and

human skeletons
Human adaptations for bipedal
life on the ground
Complex curvature of the spine
Shorter, broader pelvis
Foramen magnum at base of skull
First toe aligned with other toes

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Biology, Seventh Edition CHAPTER 21 The Evolution of Primates

Human and gorilla skeletons

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Biology, Seventh Edition CHAPTER 21 The Evolution of Primates
Human and gorilla heads

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Biology, Seventh Edition CHAPTER 21 The Evolution of Primates

Sahelanthropus tchadensis
6-7 mya
May be the earliest known
hominid
Discovered in 2002

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Biology, Seventh Edition CHAPTER 21 The Evolution of Primates

Australopithecines
Bipedal
Ardipithecus ramidus
Australopithecus anamensis
Australopithecus afarensis
Australopithecus africanus

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Biology, Seventh Edition CHAPTER 21 The Evolution of Primates

An interpretation
of hominid
evolution

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Biology, Seventh Edition CHAPTER 21 The Evolution of Primates

Homo habilis
Appeared 2.3 mya
Human features not found in
australopithecines
Slightly larger brain
Stone tools

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Biology, Seventh Edition CHAPTER 21 The Evolution of Primates

Homo erectus
Appeared 1.7 mya in Africa
Larger brain than Homo habilis
More sophisticated tools
Maybe clothing, fires, shelters

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Biology, Seventh Edition CHAPTER 21 The Evolution of Primates

Homo erectus
skull

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Biology, Seventh Edition CHAPTER 21 The Evolution of Primates

Archaic Homo sapiens

Appeared 800,000 years ago
Overlapped Homo erectus
populations in Africa, Asia, and
Europe and later Neandertals

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Biology, Seventh Edition CHAPTER 21 The Evolution of Primates

Neandertals
Appeared 230,000 years ago
Short, sturdy builds
receding chin and forehead
Heavy supraorbital ridge
Larger front teeth
May be a separate species

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Biology, Seventh Edition CHAPTER 21 The Evolution of Primates

Cultural evolution
Transmission of knowledge
across generations
Enabled by large brain size
Agriculture
Industry
Rapidly expanding population
had degraded the environment

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Biology, Seventh Edition CHAPTER 21 The Evolution of Primates

Homo sapiens
Appeared 100,000 years ago in
anatomically modern form
Lacked heavy brow ridge
Prominent chin
Complex weapons and tools
European Homo sapiens known
as Cro-Magnons

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Biology, Seventh Edition CHAPTER 21 The Evolution of Primates

Out-of-Africa hypothesis
H. sapiens evolved from African
H. erectus 200,000 to 100,000 ya
Migrated to Europe and Asia
Displaced more primitive humans

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Biology, Seventh Edition CHAPTER 21 The Evolution of Primates

Multiregional hypothesis
Modern humans evolved from
separate populations in Africa,
Asia, and Europe ~2 mya
Populations evolved separately
but also interbred
One species with regional
variations that still exist
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Biology, Seventh Edition CHAPTER 21 The Evolution of Primates

Copyright 2005 Brooks/Cole Thomson Learning

Biology, Seventh Edition CHAPTER 21 The Evolution of Primates

Molecular anthropology
Comparison of biological
materials from modern
populations
Mitochondrial DNA
Generally supports the
Out-of-Africa hypothesis

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