Summary of “Why Evolution is true” By: Jerry A. Coyne What is evolution; chapter I explains Darwin’s theory of evolution, which applies to all species, new species are descended from earlier forms. This means that organisms with similar characteristics are likely to have shared a common ancestor sometime in the past. The more traits shared by organisms, the closer their evolutionary relationship. This principle of “common descent” explains why anthropologists are interested in studying nonhuman animals, particularly primates (the mammalian order that includes monkeys, apes, and humans), with whom humans share the closest common ancestor. Some of our important human characteristics, such as a spinal cord encased in a bony vertebral column, and the concentration of nerve cells in a brain, are part of our vertebrate heritage, established in a common ancestor over 600 million years ago.
Data and Observations: Create a data table to record your observations and measurements for each skull: Skull|Forehead|Face|Teeth|Foramen Magnum|Brain Cavity |Supraorbital Height (cm)| Pan troglodytes (modern chimpanzee)|Sloping|Flattened|Short/Dull|Rear|6.08cm|54.934cm| Homo sapiens(modern human)|Vertical|Flattened|Short/Dull|Front|9.01cm|67.703cm| Homo erectus(extinct hominid)|Vertical|Vertical|Short/Dull|Front|6.69cm|61.883cm| Australopithecus afarensis (extinct hominid)|Sloping |Vertical|Both/Both|Rear|5.92cm|53.209cm| Unidentified Fossil Skull |Sloping |Flattened|Short/Dull|Rear|6.60cm|51.364cm| Conclusion: I think that the unknown skull holds the most similarities to pan troglodytes. However, the unknown skull is also closely related to the Australopithecus afarensis skull. My hypothesis was right in that the unknown skull was very similar to the Australopithecus afarensis. However, I was a small bit off as the pan troglodytes ended up holding more similarities with the unknown skull. I think that the unknown skull was less
It also restructures the bone extracellular matrix, where the shape of a bone is changed slightly, so that the bone can support more stress, be stronger, and/or thicker. 7. Which marking of the skull articulates with the first cervical vertebra? The occipital condyles is the oval process with convex surface on either side of the foramen magnum and it articulates with the first cervical vertebra (atlas) which allows a person to nod their head “yes”. 8.
3. The other famous was paleoanthropologists Tim White; Johanson and White argue that Afar specimens and Mary Leakey’s Laetoli fossils are identical in form and belong to the same species. 4. "Lucy" it is placed into in to the taxonomic group called hominid (Australopithecus afarensis), which includes all primates including chimpanzees, orangutans & gorillas. 5.
Fossils show that a group of organisms, such as marine mammals, have changed over time to adapt to different environments. 5. The environment will not select for or against organisms that have a particular structure unless that structure affects the organisms’ fitness. STRUCTURES AND FUNCTIONS a, youngest fossil; b, mammal fossils; c, first dinosaurs; d, first land plants; e, trilobites; f, oldest fossil Section 15-3 VOCABULARY REVIEW 1. the evolution of Caribbean anole lizards 2. Examples may include different breeds of dogs, cats, cattle, or food
NAME: ID: LECTURER: PHYSICAL AND SOCIAL SIMILARITIES AND DIFFERENCES BETWEEN HUMANS AND PRIMATES A primate is a mammal of order which contains simians. Primates arose from ancestors that lived in the trees of the tropical forests; many primate characteristics represent adaptations to life in this challenging three-dimensional environment. All but a few primate species remain at least partly arboreal. It has been historically difficult for people to accept that we are in fact just another primate species with African origins and that we differ physically only in degree from some of the others. The similarities can be seen throughout our bodies.
Shubin shows how fin structures of fish like Tiktaalik mark the beginning of the evolution into the mammalian paw and opposable thumb structures in the hands of today’s primates. The significance behind Tiktaalik is how it proved to be the missing link which greatly shows the transition from fish who swim, to four-legged vertebrates. Neil also states that all creatures in the world are built similarly to one another. Creatures such as whales, birds, and humans have single arm bones that each lead to two others, that connect to fingers or our toes. In us humans, this shows up in the humorous, and they go through the radius and ulna into our wrist bones and fingers.
Human has done a lot of things to change this earth to a better place: improving technologies, a great transportation system, education system, and others. A marvelous quality of brainpower is excruciatingly needed in order to do these. Putting aside the fact that those improvements consume numerous decades, human has proven that they possessed the brainpower to change the world. Asserting that bonobos, orangutans, gorillas, and monkeys are in the same order, with a lot of similar physical structures, are they smart as well? There are some sides that say no, some say their intelligences are just totally overestimated; however, I believe that apes are smart.
Mastering the social niceties of group living requires a lot of brain power. Robin Dunbar at the University of Oxford thinks this might explain the enormous expansion of the frontal regions of the primate neocortex, particularly in the apes. "You need more computing power to handle those relationships," he says. Dunbar has shown there is a strong relationship between the size of primate groups, the frequency of their interactions with one another and the size of the frontal neocortex in various species. Besides increasing in size, these frontal regions also became better connected, both within themselves, and to other parts of the brain that deal with sensory input and motor control.
The number of koalas is determined by the number of trees. Koalas are highly specialized to survive only in one type of habitat, in woodland with plenty of eucalyptus trees, also known as gum trees. Places like that provide the koala with food, water, safety from ground predators, and all other needs. Koalas do not have dens, tree- holes, or nests. They sleep, eat, and breed on the branches.