Chapter 2Early Hominids

2.2: Australopithecus Afarensis: Lucy and Her

Relatives• Australopithecus

o Earliest group of hominidso “Southern Ape”o Found in Africa

• Lucyo Belonged to Australopithecus Afarensis

• Found in the Afar Triangleo Was about 3 feet tallo Mix of human and ape featureso Large heado Forehead and jaw stuck out

2.3: Lucy and Her Relatives: Walking on

Two Feet• Similar Hominids

o Lived about 3 to 4 million years agoo Early forms of humans• Bipeds – walk on two feet

oGave advantages• Could gather and carry food easier• Could defend themselves

• Differences from Humanso Brain was about 1/3 the size o No tools have been foundo No spoken language

2.4: Homo Habilis: Handy Man

• Homo Habiliso Bones found amongst toolso Called “Handy Man” in honor of its ability to

make toolso Lived about 1.5 to 2 million years agoo Had a combination of human and ape featureso Walked on two feeto Taller than Lucyo Features slightly more humanlikeo Brains were twice the size of Lucy’so Found only in Africao Living together helped with protection,

surviving, and collecting food

2.5: Handy Man: The Toolmaker

• Toolso Used rocks as chopping toolso Sharp rocks were used for cuttingo Animal bones for digging

• Processo Had to imagine what kind of tool to makeo Plan how to make ito Craft it o Pass the knowledge on to others

• Advantageso Cutting tools allowed meat to be taken from

dead animalso Create traps to catch animals

2.6: Homo Erectus: Upright Man

• Homo Erectuso Discovered in 1891, before Lucy and Handy Mano Named “Upright Man” because its bones indicated

that it stood up straighto Was around from 1.8 million to 200,000 BCEo Believed to be the first hominids to migrate out of

Africao Taller, thinner than early hominidso Bones were strong

• Made for good walkers and runnerso Face looked more like modern humans

• Foreheads were round and smooth• Large ridge above the eyes

o Thicker skull

2.7: Upright Man: Traveling with Fire

• Upright Mano Toolmakers• Invented more complex tools

oStrong hand-axes made of stoneo Used fire• Remains show cooked animal meat• Help survive cold• Protect themselves from animals

o Ate more meat than earlier hominids• Red deer, elephant, rhinoceros, goat, boar,

and oysters

o Created oval huts• Posts covered in tree branches

o Built shelters as they migrated• Helped them live in colder climates and

where there was no shelter

2.8: Homo Sapiens Neanderthalensis:

Neanderthals

• Homo Sapienso Discovered in 1856 in the Neander Valley in

Germanyo Called Neanderthal Mano Lived from 230,000 to 30,000 years agoo Lived in Africa, the Near East, Europe, and

parts of Asiao Shorter, stockier than modern humanso Much stronger

o Had large brains• Skilled toolmakers

o Created knives, scrapers, and spear pointso Made sharp, thin bladeso Tools helped them surviveo Traveled and lived in groups

2.9: Neanderthals: A Sense of Community

• Sense of communityo When members died, were buried in mounds

with tools and flowers• Shows that they cared about each other and

had a sense of ritualo Hunting

• Worked together to surround, trap, and kill the animal

o Cared for the injured and sicko Learned from experience and older members of

the group

• Existed with modern humans for about 10,000 years

2.10: Homo Sapiens Sapiens: Early Modern

Humans• “Doubly Wise Man”

o Created the first ever cave paintingso Lived from 35,000 to 12,000 BCEo Originated in Africao Spread to Europe, Asia, Australiao Eventually to North and South America through

land bridges

o Looked more like modern humans• High, rounded skulls• Large brains• Small teeth• Slender bones

o Bodies didn’t adapt to cold as well as Neanderthals• Survived by creating better tools, shelter,

and clothingo Tools• Attached thin blades to bone, antler, and

stone• Used to engrave, sculpt, and sew

o Weapons• Made hooks and spears to catch fish• Invented the spear thrower and bow and

arrow• New weapons allowed them to hunt from a

distance

2.11: Early Modern Humans: The First Artists

• Express themselves in a variety of wayso Painted on cave wallso Carved images out of clay, bone, flint, and

ivoryo Musical instruments

• Inspiration for Imageso The world around themo Their imagination, such as mythical creatures