Hominin taxonomy and way of life. Hominins are characterized most notably by habitual bipedalism - but...

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Biology

Hominin taxonomy and way of life. Hominins are characterizedmost notably by habitual bipedalism - but of course there are a lotof differences among hominins too. Now you get to talk about thingslike brain size, jaws and teeth, skull features, height, hands,etc. Each genus of hominins has its own characteristics, time andhabitat, diet and behaviors. Your job is to describe them anddiscuss the probable evolutionary relationship between thegroups.
1. What do we know about genus Ardipithecus? Describe somenotable anatomical characteristics, the time range and habitat inwhich members of this genus lived, diet and behaviors.
2. What do we know about genus Australopithecus? Describe somenotable anatomical characteristics, the time range and habitat inwhich members of this genus lived, diet and behaviors.
3. What do we know about genus Paranthropus (your book refers tomembers of this genus as robust Australopithecines)? Describe somenotable anatomical characteristics, the time range and habitat inwhich members of this genus lived, diet and behaviors.
4. What do we know about early genus Homo (e.g. Homo habilis andearly Homo erectus)? Describe some notable anatomicalcharacteristics, the time range and habitat in which members ofthis genus lived, diet and behaviors. What anatomical andbehavioral characteristics differentiate Homo from other hominingroups?
5. Put these four genera (plural of genus) in chronological order,and note any overlaps in time. According to anthropologists, whichof the first three genera is/are probably ancestral to genus Homo?Which genus is not ancestral to Homo, but an ancient cousin?
6. Make sure to include in-text citations throughout, so I knowwhich resources you are using.
7. DO NOT do internet searches to answer these questions. Use yourtext and my online lecture and the links included in it. The pointis to read, study, think, answer the Week 4 study questions, reviewthe material, and then draft your essay. If you try to take a shortcut and google stuff, you will not understand the context of whatyou find.

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Ans 1 Ardipithecus is a genus of an extinct homininethat lived during the Late Miocene and Early Pliocene epochs in the Afar Depression Ethiopia They are originally described as one of the earliest ancestors of humans after they diverged from the chimpanzees the fossil evidence from the Middle Awash indicates that both A kadabba and A ramidus lived in a mosaic of woodland and grasslands with lakes swamps and springs nearby They lived About 44 million years ago Ardipithecus ramidus individuals were most likely omnivores which means they enjoyed more generalized diet of both plants meat and fruit Ar ramidus did not seem to eat hard abrasive foods like nuts and tubers Ans 2 The genus Australopithecusapparently evolved in eastern Africa around 42 million years ago Based on strong and robust skulls large mandibles and thick enamel some concluded that Au afarensis ate hard and brittle foods However later studies found that while Au afarensis could eat these foods their See Answer

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