The Missing Link

By M. Elizabeth Strasser

Abstract

The setting for this case study is a paleontological dig in East Africa, where “Sam,” an American undergraduate student, has unearthed part of what appears to be an ancestral human skull. Students read the case story and then, in the lab, they examine a number of primate skulls and are asked to make up a phylogeny based on their observations. The is case study is designed for a lower division, general education laboratory course that accompanies a lecture course in physical (biological) anthropology.

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Date Posted

09/02/2000

Overview

Objectives

Gain knowledge of skull anatomy.
Understand the functions of skull components.
Understand the relationship between the morphology of teeth and diet.
Appreciate the relationship between skull anatomy and mode of locomotion.
Recognize some differences between apes and humans.

Keywords

Missing link; human anatomy; human evolution; fossils; hominid; hominin; Paranthropus boisei; Australopithecus boisei; Kenya; East Africa

Subject Headings

Anatomy

Anthropology

Evolutionary Biology

Paleontology

EDUCATIONAL LEVEL

High school, Undergraduate lower division

FORMAT

PDF

TOPICAL AREAS

N/A

LANGUAGE

English

TYPE/METHODS

Laboratory

Teaching Notes & Answer Key

Teaching Notes

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Answer Key

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