Mod 8:The Origin of Man: Anatomical Comparison (Sidebar 1)

Anatomical Comparison (Sidebar 1)

Proconsul:
Proconsul africanus is a member of an extinct family of apes that supposedly lived 12-15 million years ago. Evolutionists consider Proconsul to be the possible ancestor of modern chimps because of its distinctive teeth pattern. Fossil remains of Proconsul have been found in Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and Kenya.

Sivapithecus:
In the 1960's and 1970's, Sivapithecus was considered by many experts to be part of man's evolutionary tree. The actual fossils that had been found of Sivapithecus at that time were extremely fragmentary (jaw fragments and teeth). In the 1980's, after more fragments had been found, it was recognized that Sivapithecus was, in many ways, identical to the modern orangutan. Sivapithecus is no longer considered a hominid, but rather an ancestor of modern orangutans.

Chimpanzee:
Often called "our closest kin," the chimpanzee is a unique animal. They have the ability to mimic some human behavior, perform limited sign language, hunt in groups, and they share their food. Chimpanzees do share some morphological similarities with humans, but they have many differences. Evolutionists view the differences as indications that chimps diverged from an ancestor common to humans and apes. Creationists view the differences as indications that chimps and humans are of separate created kinds.

Australopithecus:
Fossils of the extinct animal known as Australopithecus have introduced us to an interesting creature. Australopithecus was very similar to modern apes, but had distinguishing characteristics. For example, they were about three to four feet tall and had arms longer than those of humans, but slightly shorter than those of chimps. Their faces were flatter than those of modern chimps, but protruded farther than humans' faces do. There were two types of Australopithecines distinguished by skull morphology. One type was gracile and one type was robust.

Perhaps most unusual and controversial are Australopithecine pelvises and feet. There is some indication that the animals walked upright more often than modern apes do. This has lead many evolutionists to the conclusion that Australopithecus was ancestral to humans. Creationists contend that, while Australopithecus did have some unusual characteristics, it still fits in the parameters of an ape. Australopithecus had a brain capacity equivalent to modern apes (about 500cc. or less), and had long fingers and toes that are seen on semi-arboreal animals. Some prominent evolutionists (for example, Lord Zuckerman and Dr. Oxnard) have stated emphatically that Australopithecus was not the evolutionary ancestor of either apes or humans, but was a completely different animal. Creationists agree.

Australopithecus photos and audio

Homo habilis:
Homo habilis is a difficult taxon to discuss in general terms. It appears to contain the skeletal remains of small ape-like animals and of larger man-like creatures. Some of the larger skulls in this group are identical to modern humans in morphology, size, and cranium thickness. There is even evidence in one skull of the Broca's area of the brain that is used in speech. Because of the "ancient" layers in which these man-like fossils were found, they were put into Homo habilis instead of Homo sapiens, although they seem to easily fit all the parameters of modern Homo sapiens. The taxon Homo habilis seems to be composed of some australopithecine-like remains and of some modern man-like remains that are supposedly too ancient to be man.

Homo habilis photos and audio

Homo erectus:
Homo erectus remains are characterized by their skull morphology. The skulls are long and somewhat narrow and they had large eyebrow ridges and low foreheads and large lower jaws. Their cranial capacities ranged from 700 to 1200 cc. (890cc. average)—within the lower range of modern man. Fossils have been found in Africa, Europe, China, and Malaysia. The remains have been found with some tools and ash from fire pits. Many evolutionists believe Homo erectus was a primitive man, and may not have had a spoken language. There is a debate, however, among evolutionists over whether Homo erectus should really be in a species separate from Homo sapiens. Creationists interpret these fossils as people (fully man) who lived during the harsh conditions of the Ice Age.

Homo erectus photos and audio

Homo sapiens neanderthalensis:
The first Neanderthal* remains were found in 1856 in a limestone quarry in the Neander Valley, Germany. These were the first fossil human remains to be found. Since then, they have also been found in Gibraltar, France, Soviet Union, Israel, China, Italy, and North Africa. Neanderthal remains are similar in morphology to Homo erectus. Their skulls are characterized by their heavy jaw, large eyebrow ridges, low forehead, and occipital "bun" in the back of the head. Their limbs were short and thick indicating that they were very strong. For some time they were considered "sub-human" and were placed in a species separate from us, but they are now in the same species, but given their own subspecies. Evolutionists debate whether Neanderthals contributed to our gene pool, or if they were an "evolutionary dead-end" because Neanderthals were contemporaries with Cro Magnon man—anatomically modern man. They are unsure what happened to the Neanderthals. Creationists believe there are several factors which could have produced their unusual morphology. There are several bone diseases that could have been culprit. Some of their features are typical of people with cold adaptations, like Eskimos (short, thick bones, heavy jaw). Dr. Cuozzo has recently published his studies that indicate that the Neanderthals could have been very old people—up to several hundred years old, as the Bible records.

*Neanderthal means "Valley of Neander" in German. The "h" is silent, so some authors spell Neanderthal with a "t" and others with "th." Neanderthal is actually pronounced "Neandertal."

Homo sapiens neanderthalensis photos and audio

Cro-Magnon photos and audio

Modern skulls photos and audio

References:
Lubenow, Marvin L. 1992. Bones of Contention: A Creationists Assessment of Human Fossils.Baker Books, Grand Rapids, MI

Milner, Richard. 1990. The Encyclopedia of Evolution: Humanities Search for its Origins.Henry Holt and Company, New York.

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