Evolutionary Relationships of Hominids Based on Skull Analysis

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Evolutionary Relationships of Hominids Based on
Skull Analysis
Dan Eltringham and Michelle Smith
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The Analysis

• Determine what aspects of skulls are to be
  measured.
• Take measurements using a caliper.
• Define character states.
• Use MacClade to generate a tree.
• Determine the position of the taxa in the final
  cladogram.

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The Measurements
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Defining Ranges for Character States
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The Generated Tree
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Placement of Taxa by Others
Strait and Grine 2004
Kardong 2005
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Possibilities of Error

• The specimens may not have been typical of the
  species for our purposes.
• The selected characters may be irrelevant.
• MacClade doesnt allow for one species to be a
  descendant of another.
• The final position of the taxa may have been
  influenced by anthropocentric prejudice.

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H. Erectus
H. neanderthalensis
P. troglodytes
Gorilla gorilla
H. Sapiens
A. afarensis
A. boisei