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Hominins: Trends in Cranial Morphology
Over the past 6 million years the crania
Hominins: Trends in Cranial Morphology
Over the past 6 million years the crania of our hominin ancestors changed dramatically. Broadly we can identify three major changes:
the brain case has increased in size and its shape has changed from long & low to globular
the face has flattened
the teeth, especially the canines and molars, have gotten smaller
Within each of these broad categories of change have been more specific cranial trait changes. Understanding the trends in changing cranial morphology will help you do well on the course Final Exam.
Brain-Case Features:
forehead
supraorbital torus/ridge
postorbital construction (related to the underlying frontal lobe of the brain)
Facial Features:
nasal bone morphology
degree of prognathism (projection of the face below the orbits)
width of the face (from zygomatic arch to zygomatic arch)
Dental Features:
angle of the incisors
length of the canine
relative size of the molars
Assignment Instructions:
Read: Hominin Cranial Observations Guidelines
Observe the above-listed cranial traits in eight hominin cranial specimens that span over 4 million years of evolutionary history:
Use the 3D Hominin Model in Module: UNIT #3 – HOMININ EVOLUTION AND HUMAN ORIGINS
Refer to text and images in your lab manual – Chapter 14 (pp. 405-407), Chapter 15, & Chapter 16
In an MS Word or Google Doc, type broad but detailed descriptions of how each of the above-listed cranial characteristics has changed over time. Your document will include 9 statements in the following format: “TRAIT NAME: Pattern of change statement”
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