What is a hominin? Describe the two species that have the best claim to being the most ancient hominin. How old are the fossils? What specimens were discovered and how do the discoverers of each make the case that their discovery was the earliest hominin?
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" A hominin is a member of the biological tribe Hominini, which includes modern humans (Homo sapiens) and our closest extinct relatives and ancestors. Hominins are characterized by traits such as bipedalism, larger brain sizes compared to other primates, and the Show more…
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This potential early hominin genus was named by Tim White in 1994 based on fossil remains from the Middle Awash area of Ethiopia. It lived from 5.7 to 4.4 million years ago and had a divergent big toe, a feature not found in later hominins. Named in 2001 based on fossil remains from the site of Lukeino, this potential hominin genus dates to 5.9 to 5.7 million years ago. It has been claimed to be a hominin based largely on the anatomy of its femoral head and femoral neck. This hominin genus was named by Dart in 1925. It lived in East and South Africa from roughly 4.2-2.0 million years ago and had a mix of ape-like (small cranial capacity, long upper limbs) and human-like (bowl-shaped pelvis, valgus knee) features. This potential hominin genus was named in 2002 based on a 7 million-year-old cranium nicknamed "Toumai" that was found in the Djurab Desert of Chad. It is thought to be a hominin based on its small canines and the anterior position of its foramen magnum. This hominin genus had robust craniodental anatomy including post-canine megadontia and robust mandibles. It was named by Broom in 1938 and lived from 2.7-1.3 million years ago in East and South Africa.
Madhur L.
What is a hominin? Why did hominins evolve from an apelike primate? What were the first hominins? What was the evolutionary fate of the first hominins?
Sri K.
If you are a paleoanthropologist planning excavation at a hominin site in East Africa which is dated to about 2 million years old, which fossil hominin species might you expect to find? If you think it is a new species, give it a new scientific name. List the biological and cultural traits present in your find. Draw an evolution tree representing the hominins from 2 million years to the present. Use a combination of dotted and solid lines to indicate descent.
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