Goal Use the modules and review resources to complete the chart on this handout

Goal
Use the modules and review resources to complete the chart on this handout comparing skull features of the chimp, human, Australopithecus africanus, Homo habilis, Homo erectus, Homo neanderthalensis, and Homo sapiens. Refer to the module pages for images of skulls of the species.
Instructions
Refer to the module page Skull Images for the Assignments (Genus Homo) for images and 3-D rotations of the skulls you need to describe and compare. You will also find Comparing and Measuring the Skull (Genus Homo) useful.
Open the worksheet An111 Comparing Genus Homo Skulls.docx Download An111 Comparing Genus Homo Skulls.docx and fill out the table to compare features across the species. The rows will ask for one of the following types of answers.
Simple descriptions and comparisons are fine for our purposes, Review:
Present or absent: When a feature is either there or not, you can use a + for present and – for absent.
For example, “presence of sagittal crest” can be answered + or –.
Describe: When you are asked to describe a feature, do so with a few words or short phrase.
For example, “shape of dental arcade” can be answered “U-shaped.”
Compare: When you are asked to compare, you need to ask “compare to what?”
For Example: If there are three skulls being compared, you might say X and Y are smaller than Z. Or X is smaller than Y and Y is larger than Z.
Measure: Use the measurements you collected
Use these measurements gathered from teaching materials at LAVC to calculate the condylar index and the facial index. All measurements are in millimeters
A. africanusHuman (euro male)H. habilis (KNM ER 1813
H. erectus (WT 15000)H. heidlebergensis (Atapuerca 5)H. neanderthalensis (La Ferrassie)
basion to opisthicranion123
92678080104
basion to prosthion66
9495115120121
nasion to prosthion71
7071808189
basion to bregma104
13292104111130
H. heidelbergensis added 5/26/21
Grading
Learning and growth take practice and reflection and I am here to support your efforts. All assignments will receive an initial grade based on the provided rubric. If you aren’t happy with the points you receive or need to improve your submission, everyone will have the option to review my feedback, revise your work, and resubmit your assignment by the “available until” date 1 week after the original due date. If you have questions about how to improve a submission or about my feedback, please ask me.
Week 13 – Skull Images for the Assignments (Genus Homo)
Skull Images and 3-D Rotations to compare Skulls
In the Genus Homo Skull Measuring Assignment and the Comparing genus Homo Skulls Assignment this week, you will want to look at the species from a variety of viewpoints. Please use the following tools to make your descriptive comparisons. Anything that needs to be measured will be a static picture with a yellow ruler in the assignment, or I will tell you the actual measurements for you to calculate indexes and compare across species.
Chimpanzee
eSkeletons – Chimpanzee CraniumLinks to an external site.- shows the frontal, posterior, inferior, and lateral views of the chimpanzee skull
If you click the arrows in the lower right corner of this image, a 3-D rotatable image of a male chimpanzee skull will open. When you want to return to this screen, press the button on your computer.
Chimpanzee skull Links to an external site. by NHM_Imaging Links to an external site. on SketchfabLinks to an external site.
Modern Humans (Homo sapiens)
eSkeletons – Human CraniumLinks to an external site. – all the useful views of the human skull
If you click the arrows in the lower right corner of this image, a 3-D rotatable image of a male chimpanzee skull will open. When you want to return to this screen, press the button on your computer.
The Anatomy of the Human Skull Links to an external site. by HannahNewey Links to an external site. on SketchfabLinks to an external site.
Also, have a look at this Homo sapiens fossil from Ethiopia, dated about 150 kya. It is a very early example of our own species. The skull is called “Idaltu” and sometimes Homo sapiens idaltu.
Homo sapiens Idaltu Cranium Links to an external site. by UCFanthropology Links to an external site. on SketchfabLinks to an external site.
This is an example of a more recent Homo sapiens fossil. So even within our own species, there have been changes over time. This specimen is referred to as Skhul V. You can read more about early examples of Homo sapiens on eFossilsLinks to an external site..
Homo sapiens Skhul 5 (2501.1rp37-1) Links to an external site. by RLA Archaeology Links to an external site. on SketchfabLinks to an external site.
Australopithecus africanus (a similar but slightly more recent species than Australopithecus afarensis who we used last week)
You can review the features seen in A. africanus from Week 6 – Meet the Ancestors (Ardipithecus and the Australopithecines))
Photo Credit: Bjoertvedt, CC BY-SA 4.0 , via Wikimedia Commons
If you click the arrows in the lower right corner of this image, a 3-D rotatable image of A. africanus will open. When you want to return to this screen, press the button on your computer.
Australopithecus africanus skull Links to an external site. by Digital Atlas of Ancient Life Links to an external site. on SketchfabLinks to an external site.
Homo habilis
If you click the arrows in the lower right corner of this image, a 3-D rotatable image of H. habilis will open. When you want to return to this screen, press the button on your computer.Links to an external site.
Replica KNM-ER 1813 skull Links to an external site. by Laboratorio 3D de Modelización Arqueológica Links to an external site. on SketchfabLinks to an external site.
Homo erectus
If you click the arrows in the lower right corner of this image, a 3-D rotatable image of H. erectus will open. When you want to return to this screen, press the button on your computer. The group of fossils classified as Homo erectus are highly variable across different geographic locations. I’ve included several different examples below. On your assignment, pick one to focus on, and be sure to note which skull you used.
Dmanisi 2
Homo erectus Cranium (Dmanisi 2) Links to an external site. by UCFanthropology Links to an external site. on SketchfabLinks to an external site.
Peking Man
Homo erectus Cranium (Peking Man) Links to an external site. by UCFanthropology Links to an external site. on SketchfabLinks to an external site.
KNM WT 15000
Homo ergaster (2501.1rp31-1) – cranium Links to an external site. by RLA Archaeology Links to an external site. on SketchfabLinks to an external site.
Homo heidlebergensis
If you click the arrows in the lower right corner of this image, a 3-D rotatable image of H. heidelbergensis will open. When you want to return to this screen, press the button on your computer.
Homo heidelbergensis Cranium (Bodo) Links to an external site. by UCFanthropology Links to an external site. on SketchfabLinks to an external site.
Homo neanderthalensis
If you click the arrows in the lower right corner of this image, a 3-D rotatable image of H. neanderthalensis will open. When you want to return to this screen, press the button on your computer.
Homo neanderthalensis Cranium (La Ferrassie) Links to an external site. by UCFanthropology Links to an external site. on SketchfabLinks to an external site.