Question

What you have to do:

Your task for this activity will be to compare and contrast the locomotor strategies of the following three hominin species: Ardipithecus ramidus, Australopithecus afarensis and Homo erectus. You will accomplish this by answering the following questions.

Use the following resource for Ardipithecus. https://milnepublishing.geneseo.edu/the-history-of-our-tribe-hominini/chapter/ardipithecus-ramidus-ardipithecus-kadabba/ (Click)

Use the following resource for Australopithecus https://milnepublishing.geneseo.edu/the-history-of-our-tribe-hominini/chapter/australopithecus-afarensis/ (Click)

Use the following resource for Homo erectus https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/2004/11/humans-were-born-to-run-fossil-study-suggests/ (Click)

Before you begin make sure view all relevant reading material so that you can give me informed opinions.

1. Which hominin had the best arboreal capabilities? Make sure you explain your answer by talking about only one feature that backs up your claim. Choose only one feature from the lower extremities (Legs and feet).

2. Which hominin was the first to have feet that are effective for habitual bipedalism? Briefly explain what makes their feet more effective for bipedalism when compared to previous hominins.

3. Which hominin had the best anatomy for running on two legs? Briefly explain how you would know and tell me about two specific skeletal features that suggest that your chosen species was running on two legs.

4. Lastly, I would like you to give a short summary of the notable evolutionary changes in locomotor strategy (the way that you move around) that you notice occur over time as seen from the perspective of Ardipithecus ramidus, Australopithecus afarensis and Homo erectus.

Answer 1

1) Australopithecus africanus are best arboreal creatures. They have unusually longer arms unlike others which also resembles their ancestors. It was also found that they had thick walled bones than other two suggesting their arboreal habit.

2  late  Australopithecus have considered to be one of the early hominin that has shown obligate bipedalism due to their distinguished features like the presence of a bicondylar angle, valgus knee; a more inferior placed foramen magnum; the presence of a reduced or non opposable big toe; a higher arch on the foot; a more posterior orientation of the anterior portion of the iliac blade; a relatively larger femoral head diameter; an increased femoral neck length; and a slightly larger and anterio posteriorly elongated condyles of the femur etc.

3 homo erectus has better anatomy for running habit than the others their bone structures and other anatomical feature's made them suitable for running like modern human being.

4

Ardipithecus ramidus has more similar anatomical feature's with its ancestors than with the modern human being, their limbs have had primitive features in their pelvic, limb bones and presence of abductable hallux made them facultative bipedals rather obligate.

Australopithecus afarensis still had larger arms with thick walled bone which facilities them to be suitable for arboreal habitats, but late Australopithecus species were the  first bipedals.

Homo erectus had suitable pelvic bone and body angle to become a obligate bipedals which had similar legs and foot like modern human.