WEEK 6 Discussion Forum--Anthropology 1( need high quality assignment!! And due on time !!!)

T H E O R I G I N A N D D I S P E R S A L O F M O D E R N H U M A N S

Chapter 11

Homo sapiens

 All contemporary populations are placed within H. sapiens.

 Most paleoanthropologists agree that several fossil forms, dating back as far as 100,000 ya, should also be included in the same fully modern group as us.

Models of Human Origins

 Regional Continuity: Multiregional Evolution

 Replacement  Complete

 Partial

Regional Continuity Model: Multiregional Evolution

 Populations, connected by gene flow, in Europe, Asia, and Africa continued evolutionary development from archaic H. sapiens to anatomically modern humans.

Complete Replacement Model: Recent African Evolution

 Proposes anatomically modern populations arose in Africa in the last 200,000 years.

 They migrated from Africa, completely replacing premodern populations in Europe and Asia.

 Does not account for the transition from premodern forms to H. sapiens anywhere except Africa.

Partial Replacement Model

 Various perspectives suggest that modern humans originated in Africa and then, when their population increased, expanded out of Africa into other areas of the Old World.

 This model claims that interbreeding occurred between emigrating Africans and resident premodern populations.

Omo Kibish, Ethiopia

 Oldest modern human finds to date from anywhere in the world

 Two cranium with variable features, one more modern than the other

Herto Cranium

 Herto cranium from Ethiopia, dated 160,000–154,000 ya.

 Best preserved early modern human found anywhere

 Mosaic of modern and premodern traits

 Very large, and extremely long cranial vault, 1450 cm3

 Large, arching browridge and projecting occipital protuberance

 H. sapiens idaltu, “idaltu” is Afar language meaning “elder”

Specimens From Israel

 Skhül  130,000-100,000 ya

 10 individuals

 Qafzeh  120,000-92,000 ya

 20 individuals

 The vault height, forehead, and lack of prognathism are modern traits.

 Contemporary with Neandertals in Region

 Earliest modern humans outside Africa

Asian Fossil Finds

 Tianyuan Cave, China

 Partial skull and postcranial bones

 Dated 40,000 ya

 Oldest modern human found in China

 Niah Cave, Borneo

 Patrial skull discovered over 50 years ago

 Recently re-dated to older than 35,000, possibly as old as 45,000

 Possibly oldest human remains in all of Asia

Australia

 Archeological sites in Australia date to 55,000 ya, but no fossil remains dated to this time

 Likely modern humans migrated into Sahul, area including New Guinea and Australia by route of the Indonesian islands which were connected to mainland at the time

 Lake Mungo, SE Australia 30,000-25,000 ya

 Kow Swamp 14,000-9,000 ya fossils with archaic features, including receding foreheads, heavy supraorbital tori, and thick bones

Central European Finds

 Oase Cave, Romania  3 individuals mandible and partial

skulls  Dated to 35,000 ya  Mixture of robust facial features with

modern chin

 Mladec (a) and Dolní Věstonice (b), Czech Republic,  31,000 ya and 26,ooo ya respectively  Variation in specimins, but clearly H.

sapiens

 Evidence for early modern H. sapiens appears first in central Europe, then later in western Europe.

French Finds

 Cro-Magnon site, southern France

 Earliest evidence of modern humans in France

 Dated to 28,000 ya

 Best known of all Western European fossils

 Remains of 8 individuals were discovered

Cro-Magnon I (France). In this specimen, modern traits are quite clear. (a) Lateral view, (b) Frontal view

Portugal Finds

 Abrigo do Lagar Velho, possible Neandertal/H. sapiens “hybrid” child

 Dated to 24,500 ya, 5,000 after last known Neanderthal evidence

 Buried with elaborate grave good associated with modern humans including red ocher, bones, shell pendants and burnt offerings, but

 Mixture of anatomical features of Neandertal and H. sapiens  Neanderthal limb proportions and mandibular shape

 Human teeth, chin, and hand

Homo floresiensis

 Nicknamed “hobbits” diminutive hominin found on the island of Flores

 Approximately 3 feet tall with small brain, mix of ancestral H. erectus, and more modern H. sapiens traits

 Size is most likely the result of

insular dwarfing

 Lived up until around 13,000 years

ago, and possibly as early as 1mya

based on stone tool dating

Location of the Flores Site, Indonesia

Cultural Periods of the European Upper Paleolithic

Technological Innovations

 More efficient use of stone

 Bone, ivory and antler become more

widely used raw materials

 Spear throwers, atlatl

Innovations in Symbols

 More investment in grave offerings

 Ivory beads

 Shell ornaments

 Red ocher

 Animal bones

 Spears and other tools

 Variable social status reflected in grave offerings

Innovations in Symbols

 Over-designed artifacts, both tools that are designed and beautified, as well as art for arts sake

 Figurines of animals and “Venus” figures

Cave Painting

Occurred in the

Magdelenian

period in Europe

Chauvet, France

Lascaux, France

Altamira, Spain

Precedents in Africa

 Apollo 11

 28,000-26,000 ya

 Painted stone blocks

 Sidubu Cave

 70,000 ya

 Advanced arrowheads

 Blombos Cave

 73,000 ya

 Multitude of shell beads, carvings,

advanced tools and artifacts