Peter Flint Word Count: 515 Definition of the Homo Genus The definition of the homo genus has

been a hard-fought battle for over a century, but as archeological findings emerge, more light is shed on the topic and more evidence as to the origin of human characteristics arises. With the controversial discovery of the Homo habilis skeleton at Olduvai Gorge, the scientific community reassessed what features would differentiate Homo from its predecessors. Cranial morphology differed greatly between Homo habilis and the Australopiths. The angle of the occipital bone was sharper in more recent hominids and the skulls developed a more vertical forehead with a weaker brow ridge. The cranial vault, the space in the neurocranium containing the brain, was lower in Homo habilis and subsequently the rest of the Homo genus. These adaptations allowed for a vast expansion of the volume of early human brains. While Australopithicuss brain size is estimated to be roughly 500cc in volume, human brain sizes span anywhere between 680-1700cc, depending upon the species. Facial features are a significant defining factor in discerning genera, as humans are thought to have flatter faces with significantly reduced cheekbones, supraorbital ridges, and dentition. In addition to cranial morphology, a distinguishing feature of the Homo genus is the anatomy of the forelimb. Homo habilis, said to be the earliest human, was named Handy Man due to its ability to use stone tools. With the discovery of the habilis fossils at Olduvai Gorge were hand-made stone tools, later said to be used by these people due to their proximity as well as the shapes of the hand bones found in the gorge. Chimpanzees are often used as models of early hominids as their evolution was much more conservative than that of humans. Chimps lack the ability to grasp rounded objects single-handedly despite having evolved opposable thumbs. This is due to a rotation of the thumbs that allows one to touch the thumb to all four fingertips. This rotation was found for the first time in habilis. Dentition, especially of the cheek teeth, and mandibles of Australopiths are examined comparatively with other early hominids, and as with all evolutionary traits, a clear trend is apparent. Homo premolars and molar crowns are significantly narrower and a slight reduction in canine length is present. In addition, the sagittal crest, the thin, ridged bone spanning the length of the parietal bone from brow to the lambdoid suture, is a feature that was selected against during human evolution but is still found prominently in gorillas. Muscles attached to the mandible that span either side of the skull striate perpendicularly to the sagittal crest and allow more force to be applied by the jaw. Australopiths maintained reduced, but visible sagittal crests and therefore had stronger jaw muscles than those of Homo species. Therefore, while characteristics such as language and diet have often been used to categorize human species, they are either too variable over the course of evolution, or too assumed due to limited morphological evidence. A few categories evade these inaccurate assumptions and allow for genuine hypotheses. These features include dentition and mandibular structure, forearm

morphology and tool use, and cranial morphology for their definitive and ubiquitous nature.