Embedded Files
Human evolution ..... we know its happened but .....
There is no consensus amongst all of the clever people trying to figure out our family tree. Lots of arguing and egos getting in the way of the science. PLUS!!! We keep finding more bits to our puzzle - and the extra bits don't make it easier - just more bits to argue about.
So its like trying to do a jigsaw puzzle without a guiding picture on the lid of the box and you haven't got all the pieces. Are all the pieces even from the same jigsaw? There are no clear guiding pieces = edges or corners.
However we do have some clear trends to help us - like bits of the same colour or pattern in our jigsaw.
So soak up some of the different ideas about the family tree - But the important information are the guiding trends.
There's a new word .... "hominins". There are also homininds and hominiods. So what are they?
Step 1: Have a look at this image (Learn)
Step 1 (a) : Watching this may help too. (Learn)
Mission 1 : Your turn to try and make sense of it all - read and answer the questions on Hominins in your workbook. (Learn)
Done that? = Share with your teacher.
Yes = now its time for your next Step/Video clip/Challenge/Mission.
No = go back and complete the Step/Video clip/Challenge/Mission please.
So what are the key trends that we use to trace our evolutionary pathway?
Step 2 : Here are a couple of over view clips and an image that will hopefully clarify - if not the family tree - then the general trends to watch out for. (Learn)
Now fossils aren't always formed = you need a pretty special set of conditions for it to happen. Add to that that a dead thing is often a food source for something else = bones get scattered and chewed upon. So finding whole skeletons is pretty rare, usually we find bits that we think come from the same species (maybe not even form the same place) that we build our picture from. Luckily skulls are pretty robust and we can glean quite a bit of information from looking at a skull.
Mission 2 : Using the information on the Hominin Evolution page and from the image and website link below work your way through the pages of skulls and complete the Summary of Cranial Trends pages. (Learn)
Done that? = Share with your teacher.
Yes = now its time for your next Step/Video clip/Challenge/Mission.
No = go back and complete the Step/Video clip/Challenge/Mission please.
One of the trends we follow is that of dentition = teeth - types, shapes, sizes, how many, shape of the jaws .... they all have stories to tell.
Step 3 : While not exactly about overall trends, have a look at the image and watch what can be found out from teeth - Smile please. (Learn)
Mission 3 : Now its your turn - read and complete the work on Trends in Dentition in your work book. (Learn)
Done that? = Share with your teacher.
Yes = now its time for your next Step/Video clip/Challenge/Mission.
No = go back and complete the Step/Video clip/Challenge/Mission please.
We've learned about how humans have trouble giving birth due to the size of babies heads and the snuggness of the passageway. So how big is your brain? This increase of brain size is another key trend that we can track.
Step 4 : Have a look as brains size is tracked from our early beginnings to what you have today. (Learn)
Mission 4 : Now using the information in the clip and what is in the image plus what you can read in your work books complete the questions on Trends in Cranial capacity. (Learn)
Done that? = Share with your teacher.
Yes = now its time for your next Step/Video clip/Challenge/Mission.
No = go back and complete the Step/Video clip/Challenge/Mission please.
Challenge 1 : You may have noticed that a species is "missing" from the data in your workbooks - Homo florenesis. Your challenge is find out when this Homo species walked our planet and what was its average brain size? Plot this onto your graph too - what do you notice? What questions do you think people were asking after the discovery of this species?
Have a look at this next clip - it also looks at the evolution of our brains but uses some hi-tech genetic information to explain what has happened. You'll need to remember some of the genetic material you should have learned at Level 2 Biology. (Learn)
Here is a clip that will explain more about our "Hobbit" ancestors/cousins
Here are some of the issues about Homo floresiensis
We are still finding pieces of the puzzle - every year the are new finds. Some answer questions - most though create more questions than they answer it seems. One of the recent "new" finds involved some creative use of social media to enable Homo naledi to be brought out into the light.
Step 5 : Follow the journey of the Homo naledi discovery through the series of short clips. What questions are answered? What questions are created? (Learn)
Mission 5 : Okay your turn - taking the information from your workbook and what you've seen and heard form the clips - decide does Naledi belong in genus Homo or ?? What do we need to help us decide? (Learn)
So how old is Homo naledi? This link may help answer that ..... but you may need to do some more research to find out exactly how the different dating techniques work.
Done that? = Share with your teacher.
Yes = now its time for your next Step/Video clip/Challenge/Mission.
No = go back and complete the Step/Video clip/Challenge/Mission please.
Here is a power point that summarises all this information and has some more = it is worth looking through to help revise what you've learnt is this topic. (Learn)
Hominin Evolution.pptStep 6 : Don't forget to also go back to the start of the topic and make sure you can complete all the definitions. (Learn)
Final Mission : Using the information you now have answer the end of topic review questions on Biological evolution of Hominins. (Learn)
Report abuse