Lecture Week 8
The Australopithecines

The earliest homonids
	Ardipithecus ramidus
	Where found; regions and principle sites
		Hadar, Ethiopia; 1992
		Tim White
	Distinguishing characteristics
		Foramen magnum more forward
		Bipedal?
		Large canines w/ vertical root, thin enamel
	Time ranges
		4.4 MYA
	Cranial capacity
		Unknown- prob chimp sized ~400cc
	Diet, habitat, & tool use
		forest, fruit?, no tools
	Australopithecus anamensis 
	Where found; regions and principle sites
		Lake Turkana, Kenya; 1995
		Maeve Leakey & Allen Walker
	Distinguishing characteristics
		Bipedal
		Large canines w/ vertical root, thick enamel
	Time ranges
		4.2-3.9 MYA
	Cranial capacity
		Unknown- prob chimp sized ~400cc
	Diet, habitat, & tool use
		Forest, more omniverous?, no tools
Lucy's species
	Australopithecus afarensis
	Where found; regions and principle sites
		Hadar, Ethiopia; 1973-5;  Don Johanson
		Laetoli, Tanzania; 1974-77;  Mary Leakey
	Distinguishing characteristics
		Bipedal; w/long arms, curved fingers & toes, conical ribcage
		Large canines but tooth row more human-like (parabolic)
		Large amount of sexual dimorphism; 3 to 5 ft tall
		Very prognathic (lower face sticks out)
	Time ranges
		4-3 MYA
	Cranial capacity
		380-500 cc, avg 440cc
	Diet, habitat, & tool use
		Mixed forest & savanna, prob fairly omniverous, no tools
The original Australopithecine
	Australopithecus africanus
	Where found; regions and principle sites
		Taung, S. Africa; 1924; Raymond Dart
		Sterkfontein, S. Africa; 1936; Robert Broom
	Distinguishing characteristics
		Bipedal, w/ similar proportions to A. afarensis
		Smaller canines and parabolic tooth row
		Less prognathic than earlier forms
	Time ranges
		3-2.3 MYA
	Cranial capacity
		435-530 cc, avg 450 cc
	Diet, habitat, & tool use
		Fruits & leaves, mixed forest & savanna, no tools
The later Robusts
	Genus Paranthropus
		later than gracile forms
		specialized for chewing
		body slightly larger
	P. robustus
	Where found; regions and principle sites
		Kromdraai & Swartkrans, S. Africa; 1938; Robert Broom
	Distinguishing characteristics
		Heavy jaws, large molars, small incisors & canines
		Large cheekbones (zygomatics)
		Sagittal crest
		Reduced prognathism
	Time ranges
		2.2-1.5 MYA
	Cranial capacity
		520 cc
	Diet, habitat, & tool use
		Rough foods (nuts, stems, grasses?), mixed forest & savanna, tools?
	P. aethiopicus (the Black Skull)
	Where found; regions and principle sites
		Lake Turkana, Kenya; 1985; Richard Leakey
	Distinguishing characteristics
		Fairly prognathic, but with large molars & small front teeth
		Huge sagittal crest
		dished-in face
	Time ranges
		2.6 MYA
	Cranial capacity
		410 cc
	Diet, habitat, & tool use
		tough foods, habitat unclear, no tools
	P. boisei
	Where found; regions and principle sites
		Olduvai, Tanzania; 1959; Louis Leakey
		Lake Turkana, Kenya; 1969-76; Richard Leakey
	Distinguishing characteristics
		Largest molars of any hominid
		Large sagittal crest & zygomatics
		Less prognathism
		Less sexual dimorphism?
	Time ranges
		2.2-1 MYA
	Cranial capacity
		500-530 cc, avg 515
	Diet, habitat, & tool use
		Rough foods, mixed forest & savanna, tools?