Presentation+Notes+AG

Allie Gruber Human Bio Field Period 1 August 29, 2008

Understanding Our Past 14—pages (4 students) Allie, Aubrey, Shelby, Drew THURSDAY

* Extinct Primates Allie * A Record of the Past Allie * The Dating Game Allie * Fossil Detectives Allie * Ancient Environments Aubrey * Examining the Evidence Aubrey •	Humans walk on 2 legs with arched feet (bipeds) •	Chimps are quadrupeds •	Teeth are smaller and stronger * Reconstructing History Aubrey •	Able to construct features from up to 50,000 years ago •	Not as much hair to stay cooler in lower climates •	Evolved the jaw * Faces from Fossils Shelby •	Hominoid; skull that evolved into the human skull (Sima 5) •	4 stages to restore skull •	1856: first hominoid fossil was found * Our Family Tree Shelby •	Human DNA is almost identical to those of chimpanzees •	DNA is a key part to understanding evolution and human history •	96% of DNA is identical to other humans * Living Primates Shelby •	Large brains •	Advanced vision •	Complex social features •	Pottos are nocturnal primates with night vision * DNA: Comparing Humans & Chimps Drew •	Humans & chimps share 98.8% of their DNA •	Share common ancestor •	Every human cell carries 3 billion pieces of information •	Human brains are much larger and smarter * Evolution: How It Works Drew •	Fate of traits depends on natural selection •	Mutations, good, bad, and neutral, all affect the features in human DNA * Tree of Life Drew •	Diagram that shows how different species evolved * Family Resemblances Drew

The History of Human Evolution 16—pages (5 students) Nakia, Jennifer, William, Grant, Molly THURSDAY

* The First Humans Nakia •	Hominoids walked in Africa 6 or 7 million years ago •	“Little foot” was a skeleton head found in 1997; early species of Australopithecus * Early Tools Nakia •	Sharp edges & thin blades to cut meet for food * Turkana Boy Nakia •	8 year old boy found near Lake Turkana that was 1.6 million years old, more developed than the average 8 year old today * Many Faces of Homo Jennifer •	Humans closest relative was “Homo eragaster” with a body essentially like that of modern humans •	Swartkans evolved the pieces of skull and upper jaw/facial bones •	Genus Homo was represented by the large brains * Out of Africa Jennifer •	Caucasus, Africa •	Homos with smaller skulls and brain * Peking Man Jennifer •	Beijing, China •	Migration of homos traveling through Asia and China •	Hyena was biggest predator to Homo erectus * Spreading through Asia William •	Homo erectus lived 1.5 million years long •	Migrated into Asia •	Hobbits; small people with small brains * The First Europeans William •	Originated from Africa •	Migrated 1 million years ago •	Fossils found close to sea * New Migrants William •	Settled in Europe and Asia •	Homo heidebergensis found in Africa * Evolution in Europe Grant •	200,000 to 500,000 years ago they came into existence in Europe * The Neanderthals Grant •	Longer brain than the humans •	Toes and fingers proven to be more masculine or stronger compared to those of humans * The Origin of Our Species Grant •	Homo sapiens evolved from Africa •	Cannibals * The Arrival of Homo sapiens Grant •	Ritual burials •	Unusual brain characteristics * Life during the Ice Age Molly •	15,000 years ago •	Homo sapiens * Expansion of Homo sapiens Molly •	Mainly ate meats and plants •	Men and women were much smaller than humans today •	Lived in huts made from mammoth bones •	Fair skin * The Symbolic World Molly

One Human Species 6—pages (2 students) Demarcus & Marie FRIDAY

* Leaving Africa Marie * By Land and by Sea Marie * Steppes into Asia Marie * Moving into Europe Demarcus •	Homo spapiens settled into the Netherlands and were encountered by hominids * The First Americans Demarcus •	Oceans were lower and easier to cross with the continents connecting at some points •	DNA fossils found the origins of homo sapiens •	DNA help determine health statistics * Beneath the Surface Demarcus

What Makes Us Human? 7—pages (2 students) Monroe & Fax FRIDAY

* The Human Brain Monroe •	Humans developed free thought •	Human brain is 3 lbs •	100 billion neurons which is more than animals •	Same skull structure * Language Monroe •	Body language, simple sounds, primates * Music Monroe •	Function of the human brain to be able to be musically inclined * Art Monroe •	Paintings, carvings, shells * Tools and Technology Fax •	Fishing hooks, cutting tools & pottery •	Harpoon points and counting devices * A World of Human Expression Fax * The Science of Evolution Fax

Our Future 3—pages (Dr. Field--TUESDAY)

* Our Future Bodies •	Genetic engineering; allowing us to control the genes of newborn babies * Our Future Environment •	Environmental problems; gasoline, pollution, global warming * Our Future Universe •	Evolving as a species •	Spreading into space