- Understand what is meant by “derived” and “ancestral” traits and why this is relevant for understanding early hominin evolution.
- Understand changing paleoclimates and paleoenvironments as potential factors influencing early hominin adaptations.
- Describe the anatomical changes associated with bipedalism and dentition in early hominins, as well as their implications..
- Describe early hominin genera and species, including their currently understood dates and geographic expanses.
- Describe the earliest stone tool techno-complexes and their impact on the transition from early hominins to our genus.
Thumbnail: An artistic reconstruction of Australopithecus africanus by John Gurche. Credit: Australopithecus africanus. Reconstruction based on STS 5 by John Gurche by the Smithsonian [exhibit: “Reconstructed Faces: What Does It Mean to Be Human?] is copyrighted and used for educational and noncommercial purposes as outlined by the Smithsonian.
This chapter is a revision from “ Chapter 9: Early Hominins ” by Kerryn Warren, K. Lindsay Hunter, Navashni Naidoo, Silindokuhle Mavuso, Kimberleigh Tommy, Rosa Moll, and Nomawethu Hlazo . In Explorations: An Open Invitation to Biological Anthropology, first edition , edited by Beth Shook, Katie Nelson, Kelsie Aguilera, and Lara Braff, which is licensed under CC BY-NC 4.0 .