Year 10 Science · Unit 1 · Lesson 17
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Learning Goals
Read the chart
Approximate brain volume (cm³) across key hominin species
Data: Approximate mean endocranial volumes based on fossil evidence. Sources: Holloway et al. (2004), Homo fossil literature.
(a) Describe the trend in brain volume across the four hominin species shown.
(b) Approximately how much larger is the Homo sapiens brain compared with Australopithecus? Calculate the difference.
(c) Brain enlargement is one trend in hominin evolution. Name two other key trends and explain their adaptive value.
Real-world context
In 1968 and 1974, researchers discovered fossil remains at Lake Mungo in far western New South Wales. Dating of the sediments and the fossils themselves places "Mungo Man" and "Mungo Woman" at between 40,000 and 42,000 years old, the oldest known anatomically modern Homo sapiens remains outside of Africa. The site also contained evidence of ochre burial practices, suggesting ritual behaviour. These fossils have profound implications for the Out of Africa hypothesis and for understanding when Aboriginal Australians first arrived on the continent.
(a) What does the age of the Mungo Man fossil tell us about when Aboriginal Australians' ancestors arrived in Australia? Connect this to the Out of Africa hypothesis.
(b) The Mungo Man fossil shows evidence of ochre burial ritual. Why does this type of evidence matter for our understanding of human cognitive evolution?
1. Modern non-African humans carry 1–2% Neanderthal DNA. What does this tell us about the interaction between Homo sapiens and H. neanderthalensis?
Wrap Up
In one sentence, what was the main idea of this lesson?