1. Primate Evolution Did humans evolve from modern apes Or
Do modern apes and humans have a common ancestor?

2. Hominid Fossil Record
Dozens of new fossils have been added in recent years
Difficult to categorize
No two hominids were alike

3. Directions: On the Hominid Family Tree (next slide), click on the picture for each hominid.
When you are done collecting information, click on the gold button at the bottom of the screen to return to the Hominid Family Tree.

4. Hominid Family Tree H. sapiens H. neanderthalensis A. robustus
H. erectus
2 mya
A. bosei
Homo habilis
A. aethiopicus
A. africanus
Kenyanthropus platyops
A. afarensis
4 mya
Australopithecus anamensis
Ardipithicus ramidus
6 mya
Orrorin tugenensis?

5. Orrorin tugenensis Oldest hominid fossil, 6 million years old
Bone structure suggests it may have been bipedal

6. Ardipithicus ramidus 4.4 million years old Lived in woodlands
May have walked upright

7. Australopithecus anamensis
4 million years old
Lived in open woodlands near Kenya and Ethiopia
May have walked upright

8. Australopithicus afarensis
million years old
Rich fossil record
Skull measurements suggest brain was 1/3 size of human (about the size of ape brain)
Short stature, walked upright
Savannas and open woodlands

9. Australopithicus africanus
2 - 3 million years old
Very similar in structure to A. afarensis
Lived in open woodlands

10. Australopithicus bosei and robustus
million years old
May have diverged from A. aethiopicus
Lived in open woodlands and savannas
A. robustus may have used tools for foraging

11. Homo habilis 1.5 - 2 million years old
Controversial, fossils very fragmented
First tools?

12. Homo erectus 0.3 - 1.8 million years old
Found in regions far beyond Africa
Structural features similar to modern humans

13. Homo neanderthalensis
30, ,000 years old
Lived in cold climates
Short, stocky build, more robust than modern humans

14. Homo sapiens Present to 100,000 years old
Distinguished by large brain size
Cro-magnon culture of 40,000 years ago suggests sophisticated tool use