Final answer:
Modern hominids differ from archaic hominids in skull shape, size of jaws and teeth, presence of a chin, and size of brow ridges. Both groups were bipedal with humanlike feet, but archaic hominids often had larger brains, prominent supraorbital ridges, and a sagittal keel on their skulls.
Step-by-step explanation:
Anatomical Characteristics Differentiating Modern and Archaic Hominids
The anatomical characteristics that differentiate modern hominids from archaic hominids include various skeletal and dental features. Modern hominids, which include Homo sapiens, typically have smaller jaws and teeth, more rounded skulls without a sagittal keel, and a prominent chin. Additionally, modern humans have less pronounced brow ridges compared to their archaic counterparts.
Archaic hominids, on the other hand, possessed a brain size averaging 1,200 to 1,400 cc, often with thick skulls and prominent supraorbital ridges. Unlike modern humans, they lacked a prominent chin and their skull shape was more characteristic of earlier species such as Homo erectus or Homo habilis. They also featured a sagittal keel, a small raised ridge on top of the skull. Despite these differences, both modern and archaic hominids were bipedal and had feet with arches and ankles similar to modern humans.
It is also important to note that archaic hominids like the Neanderthals and some early Homo species had a third molar that was larger than other molars. Over time, evolutionary changes in anatomy, reflecting adaptations to the environment, are observed in the transition from earlier hominids to anatomically modern humans. Differences in physical attributes such as body size, brain-to-body mass ratio, and sexual dimorphism also marked the divide between ancient hominids like Australopithecus and modern humans.