BCB705 Biodiversity: Chapter2 - Evolution of Biodiversity

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has suddenly become the most numerous of all large . years ago, there were about individuals in the world. They were ingenious, communicative and resourceful, but they seemed, as a , to be subject to the same laws and restrictions which govern the numbers of other animals.

Word bank: Homo sapiens, Ten thousand, animals, species, ten million

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The hands and of the Southern Ape resembled those of their tree climbing ancestors and were very good at grasping things with on the digits, not claws. The were not particularly well suited to running. Their also show clear signs of their forest dwelling past. The , as can be judged from the sockets, were well developed by contrast their sense of smell would have been relatively poor since the nasal clefts were short.

Word bank: eyes, feet, limbs, nails, skulls

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If the ape-men were threatened by they could defend themselves by hurling and wielding sticks. Faced with a , they might not have been able to open it with their as a lion could do, but they could cut it open using the sharp of a stone, held in the hand.

Word bank: carcass, edge, enemies, stones, teeth

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The bodies of one line of ape-men became better to the plains-living life. The feet became more suited to , lost their ability to and acquired a slight . The hips changed, the joint moved towards the centre of the pelvis to balance the upright torso.

Word bank: adapted, arch, grasp, running

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Ape-men had to a height of over a metre and a half and were Homo erectus, Upright Man. Homo erectus was a much more tool-maker than previous ape-men. Their stones were carefully with a tapering point at one end and a sharp edge on either side, and were of a size that fitted neatly into the hand.

Word bank: called, grown, shaped, skilled

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Homo erectus had another medium of at their disposal - gestures - and we can make some confident as to what they were and what they meant. Human beings have more separate in their face than any other animal. They make it possible to move the various elements in a great variety of that no other creature can match.

Word bank: communication, guesses, muscles, ways

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We take it for granted that all our faces are very from one another yet this is a very characteristic among animals. If individuals are to cooperate in an team in which each person has their own responsibility then it is l for those taking part to be able to one from another immediately.

Word bank: crucia, different, distinguish, organised, unusual

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It is probable that they for roots and berries, nuts and fruit, and despite the inadequacies of their anatomy, they became . The structure of their hip bones shows that they were well onto to evolving and being able to survive on the African plains. Although these ape men were small, and slow, compared with the predators of the plains, they were able to compete with the other predators.

Word bank: bipedalism, defenceless, excavated, gathered, hunters

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Along the great limestone valleys of central such as the Dordogne and in the foothills of the , the cliffs are riddled with caves. From the archaeological evidence there appears to be no significant difference between these people who lived in the caves of France 35 000 years ago and . , accordingly, have given these people the same name as they use, somewhat immodestly, for all modern humans - Homo sapiens, .

Word bank: Anthropologists, France, Pyrenees, Wise Man, ourselves

Which two animals also have the ability to use and make tools?

Which animals are very formidable creatures with powerful fanged jaws?

Where in southwest Kenya was evidence of one of homo erectus' successful hunts unearthed?