Most scientists date Earth’s origin to around 4.5 billion years ago 222 million years ago, mammals first appeared 200 mya-65 mya dinosaurs roamed the Earth 65 mya- first primates 4.5 million years ago- first possible human ancestor appeared
All information on pre-history human ancestors comes from fossil finds of skulls and bones Most recent findings came in 1994 when new bones were found in Ethiopia and new species was discovered: Ardipithecus ramidus
Lived 4.4 mya Cranium the size of present day chimp Found near present day Ethiopia Diet included mostly nuts and vegetation
Believed to have been 4 species Lived 3.5 mya Walked on 2 legs (hole in bottom of head that spinal column goes into) Short, hunched over but walked upright Small brain (size of baseball) Molars have heavy enamel- more diverse diet Sexual dimorphism Altricial infants- children that require a lot of care when born
Homo Habilis – “handy man” 2.5 mya- 1.8 mya 2 subgroups- smaller and larger Rounded skull, bones are thinner Large canines Earliest known to use stone tools. Known as Oldowan tools Found in East and South Africa
1.7 mya -.5 mya Increase in brain size (2x Australopith) Shortened face (beginning of chins) Size increases (males up to 5’10”) Sexual dimorphism decreased Use of different tools like hand-axe (Archeulian) Discovered fire First to hunt for subsistence
First hominines out of Africa are Homo erectus First use of fire (700,000 yrs ago) Ate meat – more scavenging than hunting Smaller pelvis = smaller babies
Significant increase in brain size Less robustivity Increase in tool sophistication Bones found all over most of the Old World Still shorter than modern humans Mousterian tools Hunters Thought to have possibly buried dead and have some form of organized religion and language
Appeared 35,000 yrs ago Taller than all other Homines Less robust Rounded skull Higher, less sloped forehead Relatively cultured Extensive tool use
Art Body decoration Demise of large animals all around the world Cultural explosion