Fossil Analysis

This assignment fulfills two roles in this course: as a written paper and your final exam.

Goal 

The purpose of this assignment is to get you to apply what you have learned during the second and third units of this course.  Using information about, primate and hominin anatomy and behaviors you will evaluate the description of a hypothetical fossil described below and explain to your reader what these skeletal characteristics tell you about the potential behavior of these fossilized skeletons.

Instructions

The year is 2019. You are a paleoanthropological graduate student working in east Africa. While excavating the Kibish Formation near the Omo River you and your team discover over two-hundred fossilized bones representing as many as 20 individuals.  The fossil remains include both adult males, females and juveniles.  The sediments date to between 2.8-3 million years old. Your first assessment suggests they could be possible human ancestors (hominins).  

The skeletons have the following characteristics:

Skull

·         Centralized foramen magnum

·         Brain size around 600 cubic centimeters

·         Face is prognathic

Dentition (Teeth):

·         Mandible and maxilla 

o    teeth show apical (grinding) wear

o    no diastemas

o    medium-small canines 

o    large flat molars with rounded cusps 

·         The teeth show 

o    a microscopic wear pattern of light scratching

Post-cranial characteristics:

·         The skeletons show

o    arms slightly longer than their legs

o    curved phalanges

§  muscle attachment indicates precision grip

o    A bowl-like pelvis

§  short robust illium curves front to back

§  a short robust ischium

o    Femur with

§  a long femoral neck

§  obturator externus groove

o    Foot with

§  a convergent toe

·         The male skeletons are approximately 20 percent larger than the female.

Paleo-environmental Data

·         Analysis of the fossilized pollen you collected from your site suggests the environment these fossils lived in consisted of pockets of wooded areas, interspersed throughout a very large, open grassy landscape. There are many predators including lions, hyenas, snakes, birds and even large bodied primates. The wooded areas offered a variety of trees and shrubs that appeal to a range of insects, birds and small mammals as well as fruits, grasses leaves and roots.

Artifacts found at the site

·         Located at the same site, you also found some rocks

·         These rocks show 

o    battered, sharp edges 

o    the rocks are not uniform but vary in size and shape

·         Near the rocks you found some highly fractured animal bones

o    mostly leg bones 

o    skulls

·         Under a microscope you see that the animal leg and skull bones show

o    long abrasions 

o    some of the abrasions have a v-shaped shape to them

o    on top of many of the V-shaped abrasions, there are abrasions with sides that are parallel to each other .

Instructions Continued…

Based on the data presented above, you will need to describe the skeletal characteristics of your find and discuss what these skeletal characteristics tell you about the potential behavior of these fossil individuals. Using the information above as clues, analyze and discuss the following five factors.

Please head each section of your analysis with the behavior you are analyzing.

Each section is worth 18 points:  

·         The mode of locomotion for these fossil specimens

o    When alive, how did these fossils move about the environment?

·         The diet of these fossil specimens 

o    what kind of food did they eat?

·          Possible tool use for these specimens

o    are the rocks tools?

o    if so, what kind?

o    what were the used for?

·         What was the potential social structure and mating pattern for these specimens?

·         The taxonomy and binomial nomenclature of these specimens.

o    Are your fossils hominins?

o    If so, assign them to a taxonomic group (genus, species)

§  You can assume all of the skeletons belong to the same genus and species

o    Use popper binomial nomenclature (i.e. yours is Homo sapiens).  

When discussing the possible anatomical and social behaviors of these fossils, please consult your book and past readings in the Primate and Hominin sections of the course.  It is here that you will find clues to the possible “behaviors” of your fossils. 

Remember to support your discussion with evidence from the readings as well as the described skeletal characteristics above. Do not just list or briefly discuss possible anatomical/social behaviors. For example if you think the rocks are tools, why do think so, how do you know? If you think these fossils are hominins how do you know this?

Please take the perspective that YOU are the teacher and I am your student. When you write to your audience (me) you can assume I am an educated individual but I do not have any knowledge of this topic. Therefore, in your paper, you will need to educate your reader as to why the skeletal anatomy and rocks, suggest certain behaviors. Providing evidence for your discussion is the difference between an A/B paper and a C paper (or lower)!

Useful readings include:

·         Primate Social Systems/Communication

·         Primate Mating Systems

·         Primates as Models for Early Human Behavior

·         Comparative Anatomy

·         Australopithecine and Early homo lectures

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