ANTH 1200 Topic 10 Notes PDF

***Topic 10*** **Modern *Homo sapiens*** **Overview** - - - **[Emergence of Modern *Homo sapiens* ]** **The Emergence of Modern Humans** - - - - - - - +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | ***Location*** | ***Dates***...

***Topic 10*** **Modern *Homo sapiens*** **Overview** - - - **[Emergence of Modern *Homo sapiens* ]** **The Emergence of Modern Humans** - - - - - - - +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | ***Location*** | ***Dates*** | ***Evidence/Comments* | | | | ** | +=======================+=======================+=======================+ | **Africa (earlier, | | | | [possibly]{.underline | | | | } | | | | *Homo sapiens | | | | sapiens*)** | | | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | **Jebel Irhoud, | ca. 315,000 ya | partial skulls, | | Morocco** | | various other bones | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | **Florisbad, South | ca. 259,000 ya | partial cranium; | | Africa** | | classification as *H. | | | | sapiens* disputed by | | | | some | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | **Omo Kibish, | ca. 195,000 ya | Omo 1: skull and | | Ethiopia** | | partial skeleton; | | | | other remains (Omo 2) | | | | date to 105,000 ya | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Herto, Middle Awash, | 160,000-154,000 ya | crania of two adults | | Ethiopia | | and one juvenile; *H. | | | | sapiens idaltu?* | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | **Africa (later, | | | | [clearly] | | | | *Homo sapiens | | | | sapiens*)** | | | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Klasies River Mouth | 120,000-90,000 ya | modern upper jaw and | | caves, South Africa | | mandible with a chin | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Aduma, Ethiopia | 105,000-70,000 ya | cranial remains | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Border Cave, South | ca. 80,000-50,000 ya | partial adult cranium | | Africa | | | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | **SW Asia (Near | | | | East)** | | | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Skhūl and Qafzeh, | 120,000-90,000 ya | predate later spread | | Israel | | of modern *Homo | | | | sapiens* *sapiens* | | | | into Asia (ca. | | | | 60,000-40,000 ya) | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Al Wusta, Saudi | 130,000-90,000 ya | AW-1 fingerbone | | Arabia | | associated with tools | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | **Asia & Southeast | | | | Asia** | | | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | **Fuyan and Liukiang, | Fuyan: 120-80,000 ya? | Evidence is | | China** | | debatable; | | | Liukiang: 67,000 ya | modern-looking teeth | | | | from Fuyan | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Niah, Borneo | ca. 40,000 ya? | ***Specimens are | | | | problematic*** | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Balangoda, Sri Lanka | Up to 38,000 ya | 36 individuals | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Mal'ta, Siberia | 28,000 ya | Double infant burial | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | **Australia** | | | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Madjedbebe | 56,000 ya | +10,000 tools and | | Rockshelter | | rock art (no bones) | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Lake Mungo | 40,000 ya | cremated skeletons; | | | | 50,000 ya flake tools | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | **Europe** | | | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | **Apidima Cave, | **+210,000 ya** | two skulls, recently | | Greece** | | redated; also | | | | predates later spread | | | | of *Homo sapiens* | | | | *sapiens* into Asia | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | **Pestera cu Oase, | **42**,000-37,000 ya | **Oase I mandible** | | Romania** | | | | | | **Oase 2 cranium** | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Czech Republic | 35,000 to 25,000 ya | | | (numerous sites) | | | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Cro-Magnon | 28,000 ya | "Old Man" | | Rockshelter, France | | | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ **Theories about Modern Human Origins** - 1. Single-Origin Hypothesis 2. Multiregional Hypothesis 3. Assimilation Theory (a modified version of the first hypothesis) **Single-Origin Hypothesis** - - **Single-Origin (or Replacement) Hypothesis:** anatomically modern humans evolved in a single region (Africa) and then replaced all existing Archaic populations in other regions of the world (i.e., Neandertals and other pre-modern *H. sapiens*) (p. 264)[^1^](#fn1){#fnref1.footnote-ref} - - - **Predictions Associated with the Model** - 1. Transitional fossils should be found only in the area of origin (Africa) 2. Modern traits should appear first in one location and then later elsewhere as modern populations spread 3. Outside the area of origin modern and archaic populations should overlap in time since replacement would not be instantaneous 4. Modern humans should have relatively little genetic diversity (since the species is young) 5. The greatest genetic diversity among modern populations should be found in the region of origin (Africa) - **Multiregional Hypothesis** - - - - - **Predictions Associated with the Model** - 1. Transitional fossils should be found in all geographical regions 2. Modern traits should appear simultaneously all over the Old World 3. Traits characteristic of a particular human population today can be traced back to the archaic forms 4. Modern humans should be highly genetically diverse 5. Genetic variation within each human group should be about the same - **Why Would Humans Evolve Everywhere in the Same Direction?** - - - - **Assimilation Theory** - **Assimilation Theory:** a variation on the replacement theory that suggests modern human populations that evolved in Africa interbred and replaced populations they encountered in North Africa, Europe, and Asia (p. 267) - Most widely supported theory (assuming it is a separate theory) - Strongly supported by modern genetic evidence, which suggests that DNA from other branches of humans provided modern *Homo sapiens sapiens* with benefits (e.g., our modern immune system is partially inherited from Neandertals and Denisovans) **Genetic Evidence** - - (Recall that mtDNA is inherited only from the mother and mutates constantly over time) - - - **Corroborating Genetic Evidence** - - - - **The Fossil Evidence** - - - - - **A Transitional Form?** - - - **Fossil Evidence: Modern Humans in Western Europe** - - **Fossil Evidence: Transitional Forms in Eastern Europe** - - Czech Republic: 35,000-25,000 ya - Croatia: "Neandertal" remains c. 32-33,000 ya have been argued to be transitional forms - **Peaceful Co-existence?** - - - - **What Happened to the Neandertals?** - 1. They interbred with modern humans and their unique traits gradually disappeared - Little supporting evidence in the way of transitional "hybrid" fossils - Contradicted by mtDNA evidence (until recently) - However, some evidence that they adopted tool techniques from modern humans argues for contact/interbreeding 2. They were killed off by modern humans - There is no evidence of genocide 3. They became extinct because they were unable to compete with modern humans - This argument assumes that Neandertals were less efficient hunters and gatherers **Fossil Evidence: Regional Continuity in Asia** - - - **Cultural Evidence** - - - - - **Aurignacian Tool Tradition**: a stone tool technology associated with modern humans that began in Europe around 35,000 ya (p. 270) **Which Hypothesis is Right?** - - - **Review Questions** - Approximately when and where did anatomically modern humans first emerge? - How were the first anatomically modern humans different from archaic humans and Neandertals? - List the three main competing hypotheses concern the origins of modern humans identified in the text. - What is the most fundamental difference between the Single-Origin and Multiregional hypotheses? - What are some of the predications associated with the Single-Origin Hypothesis? What are the opposing predictions associated with the Multiregional Hypothesis? - Generally speaking, does the genetic evidence tend to support the Single-Origin Hypothesis or the Multiregional Hypothesis? - Does the fossil evidence tend to support the Single-Origin Hypothesis or the Multiregional Hypothesis? Provide some examples of fossil evidence pertaining to the origin of anatomically modern humans. - Is Assimilation Theory based on the Single-Origin Hypothesis, the Multiregional Hypothesis, or both of these hypotheses? - Why are the following archaeological sites important to the study of the early modern humans?1) Herto; 2) the Cro-Magnon rockshelter. - What happened to the Neandertals? - Based on the cumulative evidence (i.e., genetic, fossil, cultural), which of the two hypotheses re: the origin of anatomically modern humans is most likely correct? **[Upper Palaeolithic Cultures ]** **The Upper Palaeolithic** - - - - **Upper Palaeolithic Cultures** - - Emergence of **cave art** - Use of **personal ornaments** of bone, antler, shell and stone (often obtained from distant sources) - **Population increase** during this period (based on the increased number of sites) - **New inventions**: **bow and arrow**, **spear-thrower** and **microliths** (blades placed in handles) **The Last Ice Age** - - - - **Upper Palaeolithic Europe** - - - **Dolni Vestonice** - - - - - - - - - **Upper Palaeolithic Tools** - - - **New Tool Techniques** - 1. indirect percussion flaking 2. pressure flaking - **Indirect Percussion Flaking** - - **Pressure Flaking** - - **Microliths** - - - - **Non-Lithic Tools** - **Secret Weapons of the Upper Palaeolithic** - 1. **Atlatl:** Aztec word for "spear-thrower" (p. 274): a spear propelled off a grooved board can be sent through the air with increased force causing it to travel farther and hit harder, with less effort by the thrower 2. **Bow and arrow:** also invented during this period 3. **Harpoon:** used for fishing but possibly also for hunting reindeer **Upper Palaeolithic Art** - - - - **European Cave Art** - 1. Obviously inhabited rock shelters and cave entrances 2. "Galleries" immediately off the inhabited areas of caves 3. Inner reaches of caves - Because inner caves were difficult to access, it has been suggested that magical-religious activities were performed there **Paint What You Eat!** - - - - - - **Animals and Hunting in Art** - - - **Other Types of Upper Palaeolithic Art** - - - **"Venus" Figurines** - - - - **What Do They Mean?** - - - - - **Language** - The emergence of human language is notoriously difficult to date since language itself leaves material trace - Some scholars suggest that some form of language must have existed for *Homo erectus* to develop the Acheulian tradition - It has also been argued that that since modern humans shared the FOXP2 gene (directly associated with language ability in modern humans) with Neandertals, Neandertals also had language (or the potential for it) - Recently, Richard Wrangham has argued that the emergence of language in its modern form may be linked to the transition from Archaic *Homo sapiens* to modern *Homo sapiens* and the corresponding "self-domestication" of our species - This argument suggests that an increasing reliance on language gave more sociable humans an evolutionary edge over less sociable individuals; more gracile, "domesticated" humans emerged as a by-product of this - Symbolic art (such as cave art or figurines), which appears relatively recently in the archaeological record, is often taken as an indicator of language ability (since languages themselves are symbolic) - Whenever it happened, the emergence of language may have been key to the cultural florescence associated with the Upper Palaeolithic **Upper Palaeolithic Cultures in Africa and Asia** - - **Review Questions** - What was the Upper Palaeolithic, and why is it significant? I.e., what are some of the important developments associated with this period? - What was Europe like during the Upper Palaeolithic? - Why is the archaeological site of Dolni Vestonice important? I.e., what are some of the unique features of the site? - What were the most characteristic tools of the Upper Palaeolithic? - What is a microlith? How were microliths produced? - What were some of the non-lithic tools that were produced during the Upper Palaeolithic? - What is an atlatl? - What are the typical subjects of Upper Palaeolithic cave art? Why? - What is the significance of the so-called "Venus" figurines that are found across Europe during the Upper Palaeolithic? - Why do some scholars believe Neandertals had language? **[Early Humans in the Americas]** **First Humans in the Americas** - - - - blood groups - **shovel-shaped incisors** - **epicanthic skin fold at the corner of the eye** (common among some groups in E/SE Asia and in the Americas) - - - Rabbit in the face of the moon - Divinatory calendars and astronomical techniques - Views regarding the structure of the universe - Shamanism **Routes & Arrival** - - - **Beringia:** the land mass that is now under water (the Bering Strait) between Siberia and Alaska **Clovis-First Paradigm** - - - - - **Pre-Clovis Archaeological Sites** - - **Pre-Clovis Sites in Canada & U.S.** - - - - - - **Pre-Clovis Sites in Mexico** - - - - - **Monte Verde, Chile** - - - - - - **\ ** **Pre-Clovis Human Remains** - - **How'd they get here?** - - - **Linguistic Evidence** - - - **Three Language Families** - - - - **Dental Evidence** - - - **Reasons for Caution** - While the comparative linguistic and dental evidence appears to support a three-migration model, there are **reasons to be cautious** - - **Evidence from Human Remains and Genetics** - - **Hoyo Negro Girl**, Yucatan, 13,000-12,000 ya: featured a long and high skull unlike the broad skulls of contemporary Native Americans - **Peñon Woman III,** Basin of Mexico, 10,755 +/- 75 ya - "The Ancient One" (i.e., "Kennewick Man"), Washington, 8400-9200 ya - Browns Valley skull, Minnesota, 8700 ya - Warm Mineral Springs crania, Florida, ca. 10,000(?) ya - - **Genetic Perspectives** - - - - - - - 1. **Ancestral Native Americans**, who moved south before diverging again into two major groups ca. 15,000 ya: Northern Native Americans (who remained in North America) and Southern Native Americans (whose descendants are found in both North AND South America); 2. **Ancient Beringians** (who stayed in the far north); and 3. "**Unsampled Population A**", traces of which appear in populations in Central America - - - - - **Review Questions** - - - - - - - - - - According to genetic evidence, when did the first peoples enter the Americas? Is the genetic evidence consistent with the "three migrations" hypothesis? ::: {.section.footnotes} ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 1. ::: {#fn1} NOTE: unless otherwise indicated, most key definitions with page numbers in the notes for this course derive from Ember, Carol R.; Melvin Ember; Peter N. Peregrine; Robert D. Hoppa and Kent D. Fowler. 2018. *Physical Anthropology and Archaeology (4th Canadian Edition).* Pearson.[↩](#fnref1){.footnote-back} ::: :::