Question

"The difference between a derived trait and a primitive trait is that a derived trait is a trait that is present in current descendants but not present in the descendants ancestors, whereas a primitive trait is found in both the ancestors and descendants. Lucy, an early hominin (Australopithecus afarensis), is a good example that shows both derived traits and primitive traits. Starting with derived traits, Lucy showed to be bipedal in her lower skeletal traits, such as her angled thigh bones and compact and arched feet that is now found in modern humans, but not in previous ancestors like the Chimpanzee. Although Lucy has some primitive traits like the face and jaw that jut out from the brain case and long arms and hands with curved fingers just like the Chimpanzee."

Kindly answer ASAP the following question about the above text: Is there another species (Preaustralopithecines or Australopithecines) that have the same or similar derived or primitive trait? How is it the same or different?

Answer 1

Species such as Australopithecus africanus and Homo habilis show similarities to Lucy in terms of primitive and derived traits. A. africanus shares bipedal traits, while H. habilis exhibits a larger brain and improved tool-making abilities.

Step-by-step explanation:

Comparing primitive traits and derived traits among hominin species, we can find similarities and differences with Lucy’s species, Australopithecus afarensis. If we look at a species such as Australopithecus africanus, which existed approximately between 3 and 2 million years ago, we see that they also shared derived traits such as bipedalism. However, their cranial features were slightly more rounded and less ape-like than A. afarensis, reflecting a slight advancement in brain development towards modern humans.

Homo habilis, another example, with its appearance around 2.3 to 1.6 million years ago, is noted to have a larger brain size (around 661-700 cc) compared to A. afarensis. While H. habilis retained some primitive traits, such as longer arms, it exhibited more pronounced derived characteristics like improved dexterity and tool-making capabilities. This shows the evolutionary continuum from our ancestors to modern humans, highlighted by changing traits both primitive and derived.