Richard Klein

The Dawn of Human Culture

Chapter 2 -- Bipedal Apes

This chapter outlines the first major punctuated change – the emergence of bipedal hominid ancestors. Later chapters address the issues raised in this chapter.

1) When do we see the first bipedal primates?

2) What characteristics of the Taung skull convinced Dart that he was looking at the crania of a bipedal primate?

3) Compare the brain size of the early bipedal hominids to chimps and modern humans? Was the cranial capacity of early bipeds closer to modern humans or chimps?

4) Compare the tooth size of robust to the tooth size of africanus? What does this tell us about the different diets of the two species?

5) What does the long forearm to upper arm ratio tell us about hominid ancestors? What does the long thigh to upper arm ration tell us? How did these bipedal hominids move through the world?

Review these notes as you read each of Klein’s chapters. It will help you place each chapter in the big picture.