2. Today’s Objectives: SOL BIO.8a-d
TSW investigate and understand how
primates have changed through time,
including:
– Examining fossil records
– Recognizing how adaptations lead to
natural selection
3. Primates are mammals that have:
Opposable thumbs
Large brain
Good, stereoscopic vision
Ability to brachiate
Flexible elbows for hand rotation
Grasping feet
4. Early Primates
Appeared 60-65 million years ago
Prosimian
– Small bodies
– Lemurs, Tarsiers
Anthropoids
– Human-like primates
– Evolved in Africa
5. Hominid Evolution
Hominids developed 5-8 million yrs ago
Hominids are bipedal
First hominids were in genus
Australopithecus
– “Lucy” most famous fossil hominid
More modern hominids were in genus
Homo
6. More recent humans
Homo sapiens
(developed 400,000 years ago)
– Neanderthals
• Europe arrival (100,000 years ago)
– Cro-Magnon
• Europe arrival (40,000 years ago)
• Americas arrival (12,000 years ago)
