Final answer:
The extended evolutionary synthesis in hominin evolution focuses on evidence for various factors contributing to bipedalism and complex traits, such as the impact of environmental changes, brain size increase, and cultural behaviors on evolution.
Step-by-step explanation:
If you applied the extended evolutionary synthesis to the study of the evolution of hominins, you would be most interested in evidence that shows how various factors beyond natural selection, such as genetic drift, gene flow, and other mechanisms, may have contributed to the complex anatomical reorganization required for bipedalism. This includes examining the role of environmental changes, cognitive development, and how cultural behavior may have influenced hominin evolution. Evidence that supports theories like the “expensive tissue hypothesis” would be particularly intriguing, as it correlates brain size increase with dietary changes and the metabolic costs associated with larger brain sizes. Such evidence could help to elaborate on the broader picture of hominin evolution, providing insights into how genetic, environmental, developmental, and cultural factors all potentially played roles in shaping the path from early hominin species to modern humans.