Primate origin

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mtDNA 4,700 base sequence Genes for 11 tRNAs 6
proteins Human-chimpanzee relationship 1023 more
likely than Chimpanzee-gorilla relationship
Y DNA Base sequence for Testis-specific protein Y
Autosomal DNA Base sequence of Beta-globin gene
cluster
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Primate origin
K-T boundary
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• K-T boundary marked by an asteroid impact
• Evidence, early 1980s

Cretaceous / Tertiary boundary
95 localities
Iridium rare on earth common in asteroids
meteorites
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Impact crater locatednd asteroid 10-15 km
dia 65 mya
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Primate Origins

• Challenge is to minimize speculation on things
  that do not fossilize.
• We live in the Cenozoic Era (past 65 m.y.)
• Earliest primate fossils date from c. 55 mya
  Eocene Epoch
• Originated from primate-like mammals

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Continental drift
Origin
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An Eocene mammal
An Eocene primate
Post-orbital bar
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A common problem

• How many species are represented?
• E.g., lack of information on ranges of variation

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Anthropoid Origins
Aegyptopithecus Basal to the ape- Old World
monkey separation ca. 33 mya
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A transitional? group

• Genus Proconsul
• Many species
• Mixture of monkey-like and ape-like
  characteristics
• 23 mya
• Africa

the only extant tailless monkey is
the Barbary Ape.
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Sivapithecus 14 mya Asia
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Adjusting branch-points an ongoing process e.g.,
fossil dated at 7 mya
East Africa, Rift Valley system major hominid
sites
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Rocky Mountain News - July 11, 2002
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Rocky Mountain News - July 11, 2002
Sahelanthropus tchadensis
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Hominin or ape?Skull characteristics
Foramen magnum position
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Early Hominids

• Sahelanthropus tchadensis (6-7 mya)
• Bipedalism suggested by foramen magnum position
• Orrorin tugenensis (6 mya)
• Definitive evidence from femur of bipedalism
• Ardipithecus ramidus (5.8 mya)
• Australopithecus anamensis (4.2 mya)
• basal to other australopithecines)
• Derivative australopithecines divided into
  gracile and robust species groups
• Paranthropus

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