One of the most fundamental impacts that evolution has had that led to the development of our specie was bipedalism. Bipedalism enabled our ancestors to find new uses for their arms and these new uses had great impact on the evolution of our species. The fact that now they could carry things from one point to another and utilize their hands to build tools helped them be able to become better hunters and gatherers and eventually settle. Evolution also played a very important role in other aspects of the bipedal primates, and here we will explore what they were.
The impact that the evolutionary process had on the Australopithecus:
Australopithecus was discovered 4 million years ago in Kenya, Africa. The physical characteristics found with the species were of the
following:
-Brain sizes ranged from 390-515cc which shows that Australopithecus did not have the largest brain at the time.
- They had adapted to bipedalism but still had evidence, like big toes that curved to grasp branches, which shows some arboreal living.
- Their ankle joints were also squared which also showed to be useful for tree climbing.
- Australopithecus had small canines but larger flat molars for a fruit and leave filled diet.
As we moved out onto the Savannah, we left behind our old ways of foraging in the trees and using them for shelter.
-The ability to run long distances and travel for food was a vital trait for the survival of early bipedals.
- We became nomadic in order to scavenge game killed by carnivorous predators and migrate to new vegetative supplies.
- As we set into the Olduwan world we began to use tools to become more versatile.
- Finally, their most important behavioral change was the development of social groups. This provided their species the ability to choose our mates to secure the success of offspring.
The impact that the evolutionary process had on Primates:
A.) Limbs and Locomotion
1.) The tendency to be standing up in an erect posture is a main characteristic that represents primates. Humans are completely bipedal meaning that their posture is totally erect, while chimpanzees walk on four legs but can still manage to stand in two.
2.) A generalized limb structure allows primate to practice different forms of locomotion. Humans as well as chimpanzees can move in different ways and benefit from their limb structure. However humans have more coordinated motions, but chimpanzees are stronger and more agile with their shoulders.
3.) Prehensile hands (and sometimes feet) enables primates to manipulate objects more skillfully. Humans have a precision grip, and chimpanzees are also capable of it but often use it in a modified form.
a: Retention of five digits on the hands and feet. Although this trait varies between different primate species, both chimpanzees and humans have good control of their digits. Chimpanzees however have better control and use of their feet than humans.
b: Humans and chimpanzees also have opposable thumbs (which means that the thumb can come in contact with the second digit or the palm of the hand).
c: Both humans and chimpanzees have nails instead of claws.
d: Both humans and chimpanzees have sensory nerve fibers at the ends of digits, which enhance their sense of touch.
B.) Diet and Teeth:
1.) Most primates have a lack of dietary specialization, which means that they tend to eat a variety of foods. Generally, all primates are omnivorous, however, humans have an even larger diet variety because of their ability to attain different things.
2.) Primate’s teeth aren’t specialized to process only one type of food but instead can eat a variety of them.
C.) The Senses and the Brain:
1.) Primates rely more on vision and less on their sense of smell.
a: Color vision is a characteristic of diurnal primates; therefore both chimpanzees and humans have color vision.
b: Depth perception is the ability to perceive objects in three =dimensions; both humans and chimpanzees have it. This includes a variety of mechanisms and they are:
i.) Binocular vision
ii.) Visual information transmitted to both centers in the hemisphere.
iii.) The information seen is organized into three-dimensional images by specific brain structure.
c: They don’t rely much on their sense of smell. Both the chimpanzees and the humans have a smaller snout than most of the other primates; nevertheless the humans have smaller nostrils.
d: Expansion and more complexity of the brain is commonly found in primates. In most of them it is most commonly found in the visual parts of the brain.
D.) Mutation, Learning, and Behavior:
a: Placental mammals have more efficient fetal nourishment, less offspring and longer periods of gestation.
b: Primates have a greater dependency on learned behavior, which is why they are so dependent on their mothers for such a long time.
c: They have a tendency to live in groups and a male dominance. Which chimpanzees male dominance is more evident because they are still more primitive while humans no longer live in habitats but have settled.
d: Both humans and chimpanzees are diurnal, meaning that they function during the day and sleep at night.
Australopithecus was discovered 4 million years ago in Kenya, Africa. The physical characteristics found with the species were of the
following:
-Brain sizes ranged from 390-515cc which shows that Australopithecus did not have the largest brain at the time.
- They had adapted to bipedalism but still had evidence, like big toes that curved to grasp branches, which shows some arboreal living.
- Their ankle joints were also squared which also showed to be useful for tree climbing.
- Australopithecus had small canines but larger flat molars for a fruit and leave filled diet.
As we moved out onto the Savannah, we left behind our old ways of foraging in the trees and using them for shelter.
-The ability to run long distances and travel for food was a vital trait for the survival of early bipedals.
- We became nomadic in order to scavenge game killed by carnivorous predators and migrate to new vegetative supplies.
- As we set into the Olduwan world we began to use tools to become more versatile.
- Finally, their most important behavioral change was the development of social groups. This provided their species the ability to choose our mates to secure the success of offspring.
The impact that the evolutionary process had on Primates:
A.) Limbs and Locomotion
1.) The tendency to be standing up in an erect posture is a main characteristic that represents primates. Humans are completely bipedal meaning that their posture is totally erect, while chimpanzees walk on four legs but can still manage to stand in two.
2.) A generalized limb structure allows primate to practice different forms of locomotion. Humans as well as chimpanzees can move in different ways and benefit from their limb structure. However humans have more coordinated motions, but chimpanzees are stronger and more agile with their shoulders.
3.) Prehensile hands (and sometimes feet) enables primates to manipulate objects more skillfully. Humans have a precision grip, and chimpanzees are also capable of it but often use it in a modified form.
a: Retention of five digits on the hands and feet. Although this trait varies between different primate species, both chimpanzees and humans have good control of their digits. Chimpanzees however have better control and use of their feet than humans.
b: Humans and chimpanzees also have opposable thumbs (which means that the thumb can come in contact with the second digit or the palm of the hand).
c: Both humans and chimpanzees have nails instead of claws.
d: Both humans and chimpanzees have sensory nerve fibers at the ends of digits, which enhance their sense of touch.
B.) Diet and Teeth:
1.) Most primates have a lack of dietary specialization, which means that they tend to eat a variety of foods. Generally, all primates are omnivorous, however, humans have an even larger diet variety because of their ability to attain different things.
2.) Primate’s teeth aren’t specialized to process only one type of food but instead can eat a variety of them.
C.) The Senses and the Brain:
1.) Primates rely more on vision and less on their sense of smell.
a: Color vision is a characteristic of diurnal primates; therefore both chimpanzees and humans have color vision.
b: Depth perception is the ability to perceive objects in three =dimensions; both humans and chimpanzees have it. This includes a variety of mechanisms and they are:
i.) Binocular vision
ii.) Visual information transmitted to both centers in the hemisphere.
iii.) The information seen is organized into three-dimensional images by specific brain structure.
c: They don’t rely much on their sense of smell. Both the chimpanzees and the humans have a smaller snout than most of the other primates; nevertheless the humans have smaller nostrils.
d: Expansion and more complexity of the brain is commonly found in primates. In most of them it is most commonly found in the visual parts of the brain.
D.) Mutation, Learning, and Behavior:
a: Placental mammals have more efficient fetal nourishment, less offspring and longer periods of gestation.
b: Primates have a greater dependency on learned behavior, which is why they are so dependent on their mothers for such a long time.
c: They have a tendency to live in groups and a male dominance. Which chimpanzees male dominance is more evident because they are still more primitive while humans no longer live in habitats but have settled.
d: Both humans and chimpanzees are diurnal, meaning that they function during the day and sleep at night.