What's more important in the identification of a fossil as "hominid"?

Question

A large brain or evidence of bipedalism? Why?

Answer 1

The definition of hominid has evolved somewhat.  The latest definition that I have heard and the one that is generally accepted is that a hominid is something that is on the human side of the split between humans and chimps.  Clearly this would indicate that bipedalism is more imporatant.  There are hominids such as Homo floresiensis, H. habilis, and Homo georgicus that have relatively small brains.  

That being said, Sahelanthropus seems to be bipedal as evidenced by its femur.  Since it is as old as the expected split, it becomes problematic since it is possible the common ancestor was bipedal.  Therefore some species on the chimp side (i.e non-hominids) might be bipedal as well.   If the common ancestor with humans and chimps wasn't bipedal (was not knucklewalker), this would indicate that chimps and gorillas evolved knucklewalking independently, which most paleoanthropologist seem to reject.

Answer 2

large brain? i think apes (or something) are considered hominids too

Answer 3

This is how I see it. Brain size doesn't matter because we find all sizes out in the animal world and the Neanderthal had a larger brain but died out.  Walking upright doesn't mean a thing but the method of locomotion.  It is the hands and feet that make a difference.  The finger size compared to the size of the hand is the difference.  Shorter fingers gave the advantage of being able to work more effectively and more detailed leading us to increased hand activity and expanded the brain.  Smaller feet lead to sure footedness. Sure, we had to walk upright in order to use our hands but upright by itself is nothing.  This is the answer to your question. Previous thought said that larger brains came first but with new fossil finds it is now bipedalism.

Answer 4

Well I think the brain because monkeys are bipedals too.

Good question

Answer 5

Bipedalism is the best way. They have recently found a "flat faced" man who has a smaller brain but still walked upright. And he is still considered hominid. I don't remember the brain volume difference but it was significant enough to give pause to anthropologists. This also changed the idea that evolution allowed for bigger brains leading to bipedalism. Now the view is different.

hominid means human like. (homoerectus, homosapiens, etc.)

Answer 6

The scientists also maintain different hypotheses how the bipedación can have influenced in the evolution of the human being. The habitual bipedación allowed to have free the hands, which facilitated the transport of foods and utensils; to watch over the shrubs to control to the pregivers; to reduce the exhibition of the body to the heat of the sun and to increase its exhibition to refrescantes winds; to improve the ability to hunt or to use arms, easier with a raised position; and to facilitate a nutritional diet based on scrubs and low branches. The scientists do not support of unanimous form any of these hypotheses. Nevertheless, recent studies in chimpanzees suggest the power to feed themselves more easily can have special importance. The chimpanzees move raised on the inferior members that feed on leaves and fruits of shrubs and low branches, although cannot almost always walk of this form long distances. The bipedación would have allowed the homínidos ones to cross with facility long distances, providing to them a great advantage on the quadruped simios during its displacements through located barren open lands between woods. In addition, they continued having the advantage of its simios ancestors of being able to climb to the trees to flee from the pregivers. The advantages of the bipedación and the capacity to jump to the trees can explain the special anatomy of the australopitecinos. The long and strong arms and the probably curved fingers allowed them to climb with facility, whereas pelvis and the structure of the inferior part of the trunk underwent transformations to be able to walk raised.

Answer 7

hominid means that which stands upright, so evidence of bipedalism is what you are looking for.  

A whale has an enormous brain, but it is not a hominid.

Answer 8

It will depend upon which type of homind you are referring to?  Bipedalism is the best way to determine if the hominid is of human ancestry.  If you are referring to human hominids, then brain capacity will tell a great deal about the type of hominid you are dealing with since earlier hominids had a much smaller brain capacity.  But be careful since Neandertal skulls have been shown to have a larger brain capacity than modern day humans; in this case, brow ridges and teeth are good indicator of the type of specimen you are identifying.

Answer 9

You can listen to..."johnguy"... or read and learn, your choice.

The necessity to walk upright probably preceded the expanse in brain size beyond 6 or 700 cc's. Anthropologists refer to skull1470 which, at first, was thought to derive from the same period as Lucy whose brain was quite a bit smaller. This caused a problem with evolution since the two fossils seemed to be of similar age, Lucy appeared to refute what we knew about the evolution of human ancestors.

As it turns out, radio isotope dating put Lucy about 1 million years earlier than 1470 allowing everybody, except fundamentalists, to relax.

Bipedalism is probably responsible for the development of the laryngeal expansion which allowed more complex sounds and eventually made speech possible.

Fascinating stuff, this!.

Answer 10

Brain. Not the other. Dont believe the evolution garbage. Read a bible sweety and it tells you God created everything.