ANTH 1120 DAC Australopith and Early Homo Chart Fossil Species Worksheet

There will be 10 questions on Old World primates and New World primates. Five of those questions will consist of skull photos of Old World primates (monkeys) and New World primates (monkeys). Old World primate skulls can be distinguished from New World primate skulls based on their ear region (whether the skull has a bony ear tube or whether the skull lacks one) and by their dental code. The dental code is the quadrant designation for ¼ of the teeth in an animal’s mouth. So for Old World monkeys the dental code is 2.1.2.3. (2 incisors, 1 canine, 2 premolars, and 3 molars). The dental code for New World monkeys is 2.1.3.3. (2 incisors, 1 canine, 3 premolars, and 3 molars). There will also be five questions on distinguishing Haplorhine skulls from Strepsirrhine skulls. The primate order is divided into two suborders: Strepsirrhine and Haplorhine. Strepsirrhines are primates such as lemurs and lorises. Haplorrhines are tarsiers, monkeys, apes, and humans. The lemur and loris skulls are easy to distinguish between the Haplorhine skulls. The eye orbits of Haplorhines are encased in bone. Strepsirhine skulls do not have eye orbits that are encased in bone.

There will be 15-18 questions asking you to identify the skulls of the various hominins. A hominin is a bipedal ape presumed to be ancestral to humans.