Final answer:
Hominoids are a diverse group of primates that include apes and humans, with various body sizes and locomotion patterns, typically active during the day and having omnivorous diets. The genus Homo is classified by criteria such as brain size, skull shape, and bipedal locomotion efficiency. Early Homo species like Homo erectus showed several physical differences from modern humans but were very efficient in bipedal walking.
Step-by-step explanation:
Hominoids : Hominoids refer to the group of primates that includes apes and humans. They exhibit a range of body sizes, from relatively small gibbons to the large great apes and humans. Hominoids are mostly diurnal, meaning they are active during the day and rest at night. Their locomotion varies among the group, with some primarily arboreal while others, like humans, are fully bipedal. While their diet also varies, many hominoids are omnivores, consuming both plant and animal matter.
Geographic Distribution: These primates are distributed across various continents but are most commonly found in Africa and Asia, with humans being globally distributed.
Activity Pattern and Diet: Hominoids are generally active during the day (diurnal) and engage in various diets from strictly herbivorous to omnivorous diets.
Locomotion : Locomotion in hominoids ranges from arboreal movement among the trees to bipedal locomotion, which is walking on two legs, seen in humans. Early Homo species such as Homo erectus showed significant adaptations for bipedal movement, including a broader pelvis and arched feet. By about 2.8 million years ago, early Homo species were becoming very efficient at bipedal locomotion. However, features such as larger jaws and teeth, a sloping forehead, and smaller braincases distinguished them from modern humans.
Classification of Homo species: Criteria for classifying a species within the genus Homo include brain size over 600 cc, reduced prognathism, smaller jaws, humanlike postcranial features, and fully adapted feet for walking. Research by notable anthropologists and primatologists has contributed to these criteria, which emphasize both anatomical and cultural characteristics such as tool use.