Student Exploration: Human Evolution - Skull Analysis (ANSWER KEY)

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Student Exploration: Human Evolution - Skull Analysis
Prior Knowledge Questions (Do these BEFORE using the Gizmo.)
1.   Label one of the skulls below as human and the other as a chimpanzee skull.
 
Human
 
chimpanzee

2.   What features did you use to identify which skull was human and which was chimpanzee?

Gizmo Warm-up
In 1924, a fossilized skull that looked very similar to a chimp skull was discovered. But the skull most definitely did not belong to a chimp. The location of the foramen magnum—a hole in the skull where the spinal cord exits—indicated that the individual was bipedal, or walked on two legs. This fossil was some of the earliest evidence of human evolution.

Using the Human Evolution – Skull Analysis Gizmo™, you will discover some of the ways that skulls can be used to learn about human evolution. Start by comparing two modern hominids: a human and a chimpanzee.

1.   Examine the Front view of the Homo sapiens (modern human) skull. Then, use the Select skull menu to examine the same view of the Pan troglodytes (chimp) skull.

How do the skulls compare?

2. Now, examine the Bottom view of the two skulls. How do they compare?




Activity A:

Foramen magnum
Get the Gizmo ready:
·     Select the Homo sapiens (modern human) skull.
 



Question: How does the location of the foramen magnum indicate if a species was bipedal?

1.Measure: Select the Bottom view. To determine the opisthion index for humans and chimps, follow the steps below and complete the table.
  • Turn on Click to Measure Lengths. Measure the distance from the opisthocranion to the opisthion, as shown at top right. Record the opisthocranion-opisthion distance in the table below.
  • Measure from the opisthocranion to the orale, as shown at bottom right. Record the opisthocranion-orale distance in the table.
  • To calculate the opisthion index, divide your first measurement by your second measurement. Multiply this number by 100.


2.Analyze: The opisthion index is an indicator of where the foramen magnum is situated. The greater the opisthion index, the closer the foramen magnum is to the center of the cranium. This position is usually found in species that stand upright. A low value for the opisthion index occurs when the foramen magnum is situated in the rear of the cranium. This may indicate that the species walked on its knuckles or on four legs.
Using the index values you calculated, what can you conclude about humans and chimps?


3.Gather data: Humans, chimpanzees, and the other great apes are hominids. Hominids evolved from a common ancestor that lived about 13 million years ago. Hominins are hominids that belong to the lineage that led to humans. Measure the opisthion index of the other hominids available in the Gizmo. (Note: the foramen magnum was not preserved in the Homo naledi skull.)


4. Analyze: Hominins are characterized by bipedalism.

  1. Based on their opisthion indexes, which of the hominids in the Gizmo are hominins?

B. Based on opisthion indexes, which hominin skulls are most similar to human skulls?

5.   Explain: Why do you think the foramen magnum is positioned near the rear of the cranium for knuckle-walking species and near the center of the cranium for bipedal species?





Activity B:

Cranial capacity
Get the Gizmo ready:
·     Select Side view.
·     Turn off Ruler, and turn on Click to measure area.
 


Introduction: The brain is housed inside the cranium. The internal volume of the cranium is called the cranial capacity. The larger an organism’s cranial capacity is, the larger its brain tends to be.

Question: How does the cranial capacity compare amongst hominids?


2.   Analyze: Examine the estimated cranial capacities you calculated.
  1. Which species probably had the largest cranial capacities?
B. What do you think cranial capacity is a good indicator of?

C.Did any hominids have a larger cranial capacity than humans? If so, which species?

3.   Compare: Turn off the Area tool. Using the Front view, compare the size and shape of the forehead of a chimpanzee and the forehead of a modern human.

A.            How are they different?

B.           Why do you think humans have such large foreheads in comparison to chimps?

5.   Draw conclusions: Compare the data you collected in activity A with the data you collected in this activity. Which evolved first in hominins: bipedalism or large brains? Explain.







Activity C:

Maxilla and mandible
Get the Gizmo ready:
·     Select Side view.
·     Turn on Click to measure angles.
 


2.   Observe: Select the Bottom view and look at the size and shape of each species’ palate. How does the maxillary angle and palate shape relate to the size of each species’ mouth?

3.   Compare: Compare the human’s and chimp’s teeth.
  1. How many teeth are found in each species’ maxilla?

B. How do the size and shape of human canines compare with chimp canines?

4.   Form hypothesis: Chimps and humans eat similar foods. What do you think could explain the differences between the maxillary angle, teeth, and palate of these two species?

5.   Infer: What is the relationship between the evolution of bipedalism, the increase in cranial capacity, and the decrease in tooth and mouth size of hominins? (Hint: As cranial capacity increased, the use of sophisticated stone tools became more common.)

6.Summarize: On a separate sheet of paper, record the age of each fossil. Then, look over all the data you collected. Summarize how hominins changed as they evolved.

7.   Evaluate: Of the fossils presented in this Gizmo, Homo floresiensis is the youngest. In what ways does this species NOT follow the pattern of human evolution you described above?

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