Overview
8.Hominids: Using your book and any notes from class, compare pre-Australopiths, Australopiths, and early members of the genus Homo (just EARLY Homo). When did each group live (from when to when?) and where were their fossils found? What features do they all have in common, and what specific traits set each group apart from one another? Given what you know about these groups, what can you infer about evolutionary trends and patterns in our ancestors? What type of environments might they have been adapting to? Finally what are the differences between Paranthropus (or Robust Australopiths) and other Australopiths?
9.What will humans be like assuming we are still around in 150,000 years? Discuss primarily physical changes that you expect in the human body, especially the skeleton, but you can include the muscles and soft tissues, and/or cultural and behavioral changes if you think that will help your answer. Be sure to also explain which of the four forces of evolution will be primarily responsible for these changes.
10. Given what you have learned about Homo erectus/ergaster, heidelbergensis and Neanderthal and other archaic sapiens, do you feel that you are more of a 'lumper' or a 'splitter' when it comes to these hominin groups? Summarize some of the key trends in the evolution of genus Homo and discuss how many species you think are clearly represented in our genus?