Questions. (Maximum of 100 words per response)
1. What are some key features of Family Hominidae? How does this classification differ from the Hominin group? (2 marks)
Hominidae:
Hominidae includes the great apes – that is the orangutans, gorillas, chimpanzees, bonobos and human beings which are very smart creatures and are among the only animals to have opposable thumbs and also opposable toes (apart from humans).
Hominin:
Humans and their ancestors (Homo habilis, Homo erectus etc.). the group consisting of modern humans, extinct human species and all our immediate ancestors (including members of the genera Homo, Australopithecus, Paranthropus and Ardipithecus). - See
Key differences: Humans and their ancestors do not have opposable thumbs and adapted to different environments and therefore evolved quicker and smarter.
2. Find a timeline/ancestral pathway of human evolution and identify the earliest human like species then describe some of their key features and how they differ from modern humans Homo sapiens. (NB. A timeline/ancestral pathway must be included)
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Humans evolved from these pre-human primates around 3 and a half mya. The primates that evolved into humans 3 and a half mya such as the Ardipithecus robustus portrayed many human like features as they were the last species of primates to evolve before humans were introduced. The primate displayed two arms, two legs, a head, jaw, neck, eyes, mouth etc. This species was as human as primates got because next up was the species Homo habilis which appeared much more human like than his ancestor. Still walking on his hind legs and chewing his food in his mouth and seeing through his