Early Humans

The Time before History 1. Prehistoric People are humans who lived before writing was invented (about 5,500 years ago) 2 . The Period before humans learned to write is called prehistory Get it? PRE as in before History!

When did humans show up? 3. Most scientists believe the first human beings lived approx. 2 million years ago. 4. BUT early humans arose from ancestors who first lived more than 4 million years ago! 5. Prehuman ancestors were small, humanlike creatures who walked erect (meaning walked upright).

Scientific Stuff 6. Evidence of prehistoric people was first found in the mid-1800’s Evidence found was sharp-edged tools made of stone as well as the first fossilized human remains. Scientists learned that early human beings had smaller brains than most modern humans.

Evolution 7. This evidence indicated to many scientists that humans had evolved (modified their physical structure over time) 8. Scientists developed a set of ideas about human origins called the Theory of Human Evolution….

As the environment of the prehistoric world changed…. ….Meaning that… As the environment of the prehistoric world changed….

…The prehuman ancestors of humans went through a series of changes over time that resulted in… THE FIRST HUMAN BEINGS!!!!

Little Evidence 9. Overall evidence about early humans is fragmented. Anthropologists (WHAT’S AN ANTHROPOLOGIST?) must base their theories on prehistoric people on the information they collected!

10. Many scientists believe that human being and apes share a common ancestor. 11. Fossilized remains of ancient humanlike beings and apes have many things in common such as similar brain sizes.

Stop’n’write Are they Similar? Take about 1 minute to write what you see? What similarities and differences do you see?

Hominids 12. Ancestors of humans probably began evolving separately from ape ancestors approx. 5 million to 10 million years ago. 13. This split between the ape and human lines marks the beginning of the HOMINIDS 14. Hominids include humans and all their human like ancestors!

Australopithecines (Southern Ape) ~ 4 -5 million years ago 1.     Bipeds (walked upright; this is the key!!!) 2.     Faces resembled chimpanzee (but with sm. less pointed teeth) 3.     Brain = ~1/3 size of modern human 4.     Height = ~3.5 ft. tall (females) 5.     Weight = ~60 lbs. (females) 6.     Probably vegetarian diet

Homo Habilis (handyman) ~ 2.4 million years ago 1.     Better biped than australopithecines (probably completely out of trees) 2.     Tool user (first hominid to use make & use tools) 3.     Larger brain (1/2 size modern human) 4.     Smaller molars 5.     Less protruding face 6. Probably partial meat eater

Homo Erectus (upright walking man) ~ 1.5 - 2 million years ago   1.     Better biped (walked out of Africa into Europe & Asia) 2.     Better tool user (1st to use fire & sophisticated tools) 3.     Thick skulls, sloping foreheads, and large, chinless jaws 4.     To start, brain slightly larger than habilis; towards end, brain just slightly smaller than modern human 5.     Height = ~ 5 ft. 6.     Weight = 117 lbs

Neanderthals (European cave dwellers) 30,000 years ago 1.     Bipeds with locomotion like modern man 2.     Subspecies of homo sapien group below 3.     Very sophisticated tool user & hunter of large animals 4.     Protruding face, large brow ridge, and low forehead, most lacked a chin 5.     Larger in size than modern humans (including brain) 6.     Carved wood as decoration (other than tools) 7.     1st to bury their dead (unknown why - idea adopted by most religions today)

Homo Sapien (thinking man) 200,000 years ago]         1.     Biped - stride of modern man 2.     Modern human features first found in Middle East & Africa 3.     Have a chin, a high forehead, and a smaller, less-protruding face 4.     Lacked the large brow ridge of earlier people 5.     Have a higher and more rounded skull 6.     Scientists classify modern human beings as homo sapien-sapien, a subspecies of homo sapiens.