HUMAN EVOLUTION

BREIF ACCOUNT ON PARAPITHECUS SPP TO MODERN MAN

1. NAME: ANSARI KAUSAR MOHD KHALID ID NO: 7763 ROLL NO: 08 CLASS: MSC-I (2022-23) SUBJECT: PAPER-3 (genetics and evolution) DEPARTMENT OF ZOOLOGY

2. INDEX SR.NO TITLE PAGE NO 01 Parapithecus Spp 1 02 Propliopithecus Spp 2 03 Dryopithecus Spp 3 04 Ramapithecus Spp 4 05 Australopithecus Spp 5 06 Kenyanthropus Spp 6 07 Homo Spp 7 08 Neanderthal 10 09 Cro-Magnon 11 10 Modern Man 12

3. PARAPITHECUS SPP Parapithecus belong to the group of Fayum anthropoids that are mostly closely related to the ancestry of New World Monkey. Parapithecus is an extinct genus of primate that lived during the Late Eocene-Earliest Oligocene in what is now Egypt. Its members are considered to be basal anthropoids and the genus is closely related to Apidium. They lived about 40 to 33 million years ago . Parapithecus had an unusual dentition, which contained no adult lower incisors. The upper dentition likely had four incisors. 4.1 HUMAN EVOLUTION 1

4. Propliopithecus SPP: It was an ape-like primate. It lived in the Oligocene epoch about 30 million years ago. The fossil of first known ape was obtained from Fayum deposits of Egypt. It was represent by the fossil jaw and teeth. No doubt more or less ape-like, its incisors were vertical rather than directed forward. Simpson (1967) presumed that propliopithecus might be the ancestor of modern apes and man. 4.1 HUMAN EVOLUTION 2

5. Dryopithecus (proconsul) spp: The fossil of this ape was discovered by L.S.B Leakey in 1930 on an island in Lake Victoria of Africa. It is ape, that lived in Miocene epoch about 20-25 millions years ago. It exhibits close similarity to chimpanzee. Its legs and heels indicate that it must have assumed a semi-erect posture. Recently, an almost complete lower jaw of a Dryopithecus has been obtained from Haritalyanga in Bilaspur district of Himachal Pradesh. 4.1 HUMAN EVOLUTION 3

6. Ramapithecus spp: It was an ape-man like primate. The teeth and jaw bones of Ramapithecus were found in the rocks of Siwalik Hills in India by G.E.Lewis (1930). It lived during Miocene and early Pliocene epoch about 14 to 12 million years ago. Fossils of similar features were discovered from Kenya in Africa called Kenyapithecus. They walked erect on their hind limbs. On the basis of these features, some scientists believed that Dryopithecus evolved into Ramapithecus which is on direct line of human evolution. 4.1 HUMAN EVOLUTION 4

7. Australopithecus spp: The first fossil, Australopithecus africanus in the form of skull cap of child ( called Taung baby ) was discovered in a lime quarry by workers at Taung, in South Africa. The specimen was studied by Raymond Dart. They lived in late Pliocene or early Pleistocene epoch about 4 to 1.8 million years ago. Australopithecus hunted with stone weapons but essentially ate fruit. Australopithecus can be considering as connecting link between ape and man. Dentition was man like because the dental arch was smoothly rounded parabola and a simian gap was absent Thus, Australopithecus is rightly described as a Man with Ape brain. 4.1 HUMAN EVOLUTION 5

8. Kenyanthropus Spp: Found in 2001 west of Lake Turkana in northern Kenya. Found in deposits dating between 3.2 and 3.5 mya Shows mixture of features, including very small, chimpanzee like braincase and flat, vertically straight face also seen in much later, more human-like specimens from the same area Distinct from A. afarensis which lived in the same region and at the same time However, some suggest the cranium is too damaged to properly diagnose 4.1 HUMAN EVOLUTION 6

9. Homo Spp: It is the genus that includes modern humans and species closely related to them. The genus is estimated to be about 2.3 to 2.4 million years old evolving from australopithecine ancestors with the appearance of Homo habilis. All species of the genus except Homo sapiens (modern humans) are extinct. Two types of homo spp are as follow: Homo habilis Homo erectus 4.1 HUMAN EVOLUTION 7

10. Homo habilis : The fossil of this primitive man were discovered from the Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania (Africa) by Leakey in 1964. Homo habilis evolved in Africa in late Pliocene or early Pleistocene epoch about 2.5 to 1.4 millions years ago. It lived in open grassy land, moved erect and was omnivorous. The lower jaw was lightly built and the dentition was more like that of modern man. It had smaller molars and made tools from stones. Its cranial capacity was about 650 to 800 c.c. It was called handy man or Tool-maker. 4.1 HUMAN EVOLUTION 8

11. Homo erectus : Homo erectus was the first true man . This primitive man lived in Java and Peking. The first fossil were obtained from rocks on the bank of solo river in Java by Dubois in 1891. It lived in the middle Pleistocene epoch about 5,00,000 years ago . It had cranial capacity about 940 c.c. It was about five feet in height and walked erect. Its face was prognathous and the jaws were massive with huge teeth. The chin was absent, bony eyebrow was present. It was more ape like than man like, hence it is also called as Java Ape Man. 4.1 HUMAN EVOLUTION 9

12. NEANDERTHAL: Neanderthal man was an advanced prehistoric man Its first fossil was collected from neanderthal valley in Germany by Fuhlrott (1856). Neanderthal man existed in late Pleistocene epoch abbot 1,50.000 years ago and were wide spread in Europe, Asia and North America. The cranial capacity was about 1450 c.c. roughly equal to that of modern man. They were quite intelligent to use and construct flint tools. They buried their dead bodies along with their tools and were supposed to perform ceremonies. 4.1 HUMAN EVOLUTION 10

13. Cro-Magnon: Cro-Magnon man was the extinct modern man. The fossil was first discovered by Mac Gregor in 1868 from Cro-Magnon rocks of France. They originated nearly 50,000 years ago. The cranial capacity was about 1600 c.c. They lived in caves with families. They were expert in hunting and painting. They made tools and weapons such as spear-heads, bows and arrows. They made ornaments from ivory and decorated their bodies. They use hides of animals to protect their body and buried their dead according to their customs 4.1 HUMAN EVOLUTION 11

14. Modern man: It includes all the human beings existing today on the earth. A modern man (Homo sapiens), the species that we are, means “wise man” in Latin. The essential features in modern man include the increase in size of brain, bipedalism, the use of tools and fire, transition from hunting to gathering to agriculture and cultural evolution. This includes the development of language, funeral and burial rites. 4.1 HUMAN EVOLUTION 12

15. Reference: Organic evolution (seventh Revised Edition, 2009) by Dr. N. Arumugam Organic Evolution by Veer Bala Rastogi https://www.slideshare.net/pramodgpramod/evolution-of-man-74665654 https://slideplayer.com/slide/7736558 4.1 HUMAN EVOLUTION 13

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