Human Evolution
Big idea: Human evolution is a branching history within the primates, reconstructed from fossils, archaeology, comparative anatomy and genomes; modern human variation reflects recent shared ancestry and gene flow.
Learning goals
- hominin
- bipedalism
- mosaic evolution
- genomic evidence
- recent common ancestry
Core concepts
hominin
A member of the lineage more closely related to modern humans than to chimpanzees after their last common ancestor.
bipedalism
Habitual movement on two legs, evidenced by skeletal anatomy and fossil footprints.
mosaic evolution
Different anatomical and behavioral traits change at different rates rather than as one package.
genomic evidence
DNA comparisons reveal relatedness, population history and limited interbreeding among human lineages.
recent common ancestry
All living humans share ancestors in the recent evolutionary past and belong to one species.