What is an Australopithecus quizlet?
Term referring to ape-like head and face. Brain size and cranial capacity of Australopithecus afarensis. Brain size slightly larger than a modern chimp. Cranial capacity 440-550 cc. Diastema.
What are the characteristics of Australopithecus quizlet?
characteristics include small teeth, small face, wide and short pelvis, arm-leg ratio similar to other Australopithecines, efficient biped but may have walked differently because toes turn inward when swinging leg. looks closer to us than previous hominins.
What is a Australopithecus afarensis?
Australopithecus afarensis is one of the longest-lived and best-known early human species—paleoanthropologists have uncovered remains from more than 300 individuals! They also had small canine teeth like all other early humans, and a body that stood on two legs and regularly walked upright.
What was unique about Australopithecus afarensis?
When this small-bodied, small-brained hominin was discovered, it proved that our early human relatives habitually walked on two legs. Its story began to take shape in late November 1974 in Ethiopia, with the discovery of the skeleton of a small female, nicknamed Lucy.
What was unique about the Australopithecus species quizlet?
Robust Australopithecines had species that evolved massive jaws, molar teeth, and cranial skeletons to produce larger chewing forces.
What was most significant about australopithecines one of the earliest hominids quizlet?
What was most significant about Australopithecines, one of the earliest hominids? They may have been able to walk upright on two legs. hunting and gathering was the way most people supported themselves.
What are the trends in hominid evolution?
Hominin evolution is characterized by two main trends, transition to bipedality and increase in brain size. Fossil evidence shows that both trends had a major impact on the structure and function of the hominin skull.
What made Australopithecus afarensis a hominin quizlet?
What makes A. afarensis a hominin? Locomotion- Efficient habitual and obligate terrestrial biped. Strong candidate as the ancestor of all later hominins.
What was most significant about australopithecines?
Robust Australopithecines had species that evolved massive jaws, molar teeth, and cranial skeletons to produce larger chewing forces. Probably relied on hard to open foods in hard times. (4.2-3.9 mya) The oldest and most primitive form of Australopithecus.
Where did australopithecines first live?
The various species of Australopithecus lived 4.4 million to 1.4 million years ago (mya), during the Pliocene and Pleistocene epochs (which lasted from 5.3 million to 11,700 years ago). The genus name, meaning “southern ape,” refers to the first fossils found, which were discovered in South Africa.