Origin and evolution of the Hominins. Main species of fossil Hominins and their features. Evolutionary models. Origin of the features typical of the human species.
G. Manzi – Il grande racconto dell’evoluzione umana. Il Mulino, Bologna 2013.
D. E. Lieberman – La storia del corpo umano. Evoluzione, salute e malattia. Codice edizioni. 2014.
G. Chelazzi – L’impronta originale. Storia naturale della colpa ecologica. Einaudi, 2013.
C. Tuniz, G. Manzi, D. Caramelli – La scienza delle nostre origini. Laterza, 2013.
Wood B. 2008. Evoluzione umana. Edizioni Codice.
Chiarelli B. 2003. Dalla natura alla cultura. Vol. I. Piccin.
Spedini G. 2005. Antropologia evoluzionistica. 2° edizione. Piccin.
Learning Objectives
Knowledge acquired:
Main phases of human evolution. Biological features of the main fossil species. Evolutionary models. Origin of the features typical of the human species.
Competence acquired:
Acquire useful techniques and methods for the understanding of the evolution of Hominins from the paleontological and morphological perspective, at the level of individuals, populations and species.
Skills acquired (at the end of the course):
Capacity of analysis at a morphological level. Capacity of comparison among groups.
Total hours of the course (including the time spent in attending lectures, seminars, private study, examinations, etc...): 200
Hours reserved to private study and other indivual formative activities: 152
Contact hours for: Lectures (hours): 44
Contact hours for: Laboratory-field/practice (hours): 4
Further information
Teaching tools:
Powerpoint presentations.
Type of Assessment
Each student is evaluated by a final oral examination before specifically formed commissions
Course program
What is paleoanthropology. History and significance of the main paleoanthropological discoveries. Main evolutionary models. Absolute and relative dating methods. Paleomagnetism.
Hominoidea in the African Upper Miocene. Sahelanthropus; Orrorin; Ardipithecus kadabba. Alternative models of early Hominins evolution. Hypothesis on the origino f bipedalism. The oldest Pliocene Hominins. Ardipithecus ramidus. Australopithecus anamensis. Main morphological features. Australopithecus afarensis: history of the discoveries. Anatomical features of the skull and of the postcranial skeleton. Evidences for bipedal locomotion. The Laetoli footprints. Sexual dimorphism in Australopithecus afarensis. Other Australopithecines species between 4 and 3 MY. Australopithecus bahrelghazali. Kenyanthropus platyops.
Fossil sites in South Africa. Main features. Current research. The site of Drimolen. Australopithecus africanus. Anatomical features of the skull and of the postcranial skeleton.
Climatic changes around 2.5 MYA and potential influence on Hominin evolution. Australopithecus garhi. Anatomical features of the skull and of the postcranial skeleton. Evidences for a possible use of tools. Adaptive radiation of ‘robust’ Australopithecines. (P. aethiopicus, P. robustus, P. boisei). Anatomical features of the skull (and of the postcranial skeleton). Origin of the genus Homo. Homo habilis and Homo rudolfensis. The first stone tools. Encefalization in Homo habilis.
Main features of Homo erectus. Homo ergaster and asian H. erectus. Body proportions in H. ergaster. The earliest peopling of Europe. Fossil hominins from Dmanisi. Homo antecessor. Fossil sites in the Sierra de Atapuerca. The earliest peopling of Italy. Ceprano. The site and the skull. Main features and phylogenetic position.
Homo heidelbergensis. Main anatomical features. The acheulean culture. Homo neanderthalensis. Main anatomical features. Distribution. Hypothesis on its extinction. The origin of Homo sapiens. The contribution of molecular anthropology to the studies on the origin of modern humans. Main morphological and cultural features of the early Homo sapiens.