Domain: EukaryaKingdom: AnimaliaPhylum: ChordataClass: MammaliaOrder: PrimatesThe story of Ardi (Ardipithecus ramidus)- Not a new species, but a new genus!- Her fossils were 4.4 million years old- Not an ordinary fossil-Not a chimp-Not a human*Shows us what we used to be.- 1 millions years older than lucy- Lucy (Australopithecus Afarensis)Primate Traits1) Nails instead of claws; digits with dermal pads2) Prehensile (grasping) hands & feet3) Five fingers & toes4) Tendency toward complete bony eye orbits5) Forward placement of eyes6) Opposable toe & thumb7) Enlarged cerebral hemispheres8) One pair of thoracic mammary glands9) Well developed clavicles (collarbones) 10) Reduced olfactory sense & increased vision Key steps in Primate Evolutions1) Development of Opposable Thumb & Grasping Hand2) Posture/Bipedalism-Four legged to two legged-Increases sight range-Frees hands for manipulation &carrying-Loss of opposable toe (Shift for more stability)-Loss of tail-Change in pelvic girdle-Shift in foramen magnum3) Skull shape changes-Face shortens & Brain case enlarges4) Brain Size Increases5) Increase in Body Size6) Reproduction-As body size increases-Embryo & Offspring development increases-Parental Care increases-Transfer of learning from parents increases7) Social Behavior increases in complexity, with increased co-operation and communication-Solitart -> Small family groups -> Tribes -> NationsEvolutionary Trends for Ardi-Hands-Feet-Pelvic Girdle-Teeth- The skeleton nicknamed “Ardi” is from a female who lived in a woodland, stood about 120 cm. tall and weighed about 50 kg. She was thus about as big as a chimpanzee and had a brain size to match.- She did not knuckle-walk or swing through the trees like living apes. Instead she walked upright, planting her feet flat on the ground, perhaps eating nuts, insects, ad small mammals in the
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