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MYSTERIES OF MANKIND

This National Geographic Special tells the story of human evolution. It presents some of the evidence gathered by anthropologists over the last 30-50 years and gives a broad impression of several (but not all!) species of fossil hominids. Although now 18 years out of date, it contains a lot of useful information about the overall picture of when, how, and why hominids evolved from prehominid ancestors and eventually into modern humans. This video is on reserve at the Gavilan library for reviewing.

1. What was the importance of Raymond Dart’s Australopithicus africanus, found in Southern Africa in 1924?

2. What was the importance of Louis Leakey’s excavation at Olduvai Gorge in East Africa in 1959?

3. What does Vincent Sarich’s molecular biology evidence reveal about the split between apes and humans?

4. Why was Donald Johanson’s discovery of Australopithicus afarensis such an important find?

5. What does Richard Leaky say about the importance of his Homo erectus find?

6. Why are cut marks on bones important clues for determining hunting behavior? How do experts distinguish between deliberate cut marks and random trampling?

7. What did the French and Israeli excavations of Homo neanderthalensis tell us about Neanderthals?

8. Neanderthals were pre-modern people of Europe and Southwestern Asia. What is their significance in the evolution of humans?

9. What is significant about Rebecca Cann’s DNA research and the mitochondrial “Eve”?

10. What can hominid tooth-wear analysis tell us about diet and food preparation?

11. When, how, and why did our fossil ancestors become habitual upright walkers?

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