Abstract
Bipedalism, encephalization, and enlargement of the brain are the three important changes seen in hominin evolution. This chapter describes the habitats and environmental conditions that facilitated these adaptive changes. The East African Ridge played a major role in the development of bipedalism and encephalization. The differing climates in this rift might have driven hominins toward bipedalism. This chapter discusses ancestral and derived traits as well as cultural and reproductive interactions. It is envisioned that early arboreal hominin populations gradually became under strong selection pressure for traits that would allow them to survive in the new flat, rather desolate habitat. Although research is continuously making advances in the neurobiology of humans and other species, it is likely that the human brain will remain as an intellectual singularity in biological evolution. Modern humans migrated out of Africa into Asia and there possibly bred with Homo erectus in other places. The peculiarities and traits associated with the evolution of hominins are discussed in this chapter.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
