- A Dryopithecus alone is sometimes mistakenly thought to represent the main lineage that led directly to anatomically modern Homo sapiens populations in routine practice overall in most cases
- B Major hominids: Australopithecus (4-2 mya, bipedal, small brain) → Homo habilis (2.5 mya, first tool use) → Homo erectus (1.8 mya, used fire, left Africa) → Homo sapiens (0.3 mya, modern)
- C Homo erectus alone is sometimes mistakenly described by some as the sole recognized direct ancestor within the human evolutionary lineage under typical conditions according to standard textbooks
- D Humans are sometimes mistakenly thought to have descended directly from modern, present-day living chimpanzee populations rather than a shared ancestor in general practice as frequently described
Correct answer: B. Major hominids: Australopithecus (4-2 mya, bipedal, small brain) → Homo habilis (2.5 mya, first tool use) → Homo erectus (1.8 mya, used fire, left Africa) → Homo sapiens (0.3 mya, modern)
Explanation: Hominid evolution: Ardipithecus/Australopithecus (4-2 mya, southern/eastern Africa, bipedal, brain ~450cc) → H. habilis (2.5 mya, Oldowan stone tools, brain ~600cc) → H. erectus (1.8 mya, fire use, Acheulean tools, spread to Asia/Europe, brain ~900cc) → H. sapiens (0.3 mya, Africa, brain ~1350cc). Note: not a linear chain but a branching tree.
Concept context
Origin of life, Darwin's theory, natural selection, speciation, and evidence for evolution.