Human Evolution Objectives

 

Describe the shared derived traits of the Superfamily Hominoidea and the Family Hominidae.

            Hominoidea: large brain, flexible thumb, no tail, more erect posture

            Hominidae: reduced hairiness, elongated skull, enlarged brow ridges, short canine teeth

 

Explain why hominin phylogeny based on the fossil record is difficult to interpret, but that it shows a general pattern of change over time.

 

Describe the three hypotheses about the origin of modern Homo sapiens from Homo erectus ancestors.

            Out of Africa

            Hybridization and assimilation

            Multiregional 

 

Explain the evidence that supports the “out of Africa” hypothesis for modern human origins.

 

Added to Speciation Lecture (still required objectives)

 

Describe the evidence required to establish that modern human racial groups have a biological basis.

            Unique racial alleles

            Allele frequency similarity within a race but not among races

 

Describe the adaptive relationship between UV light level and skin color in human populations.