1. The document summarizes key aspects of human evolution, including the earliest hominins that originated in Africa 6-7 million years ago and the appearance of modern humans around 200,000 years ago.
2. Key hominin species discussed are Australopithecus, Homo habilis, Homo erectus, Homo floresiensis, Homo neanderthalensis, and Homo sapiens. Major adaptations include bipedalism, increased brain size, tool use, and use of fire.
3. The timeline shows human ancestors like Homo erectus migrating from Africa around 1.8 million years ago, with Homo sapiens emerging in Africa around 195,
2. Human evolution: refers to the evolutionary
process leading up to the appearance of
modern humans.
The study of human evolution involves many
scientific disciplines, including physical
anthropology, primatology, archaeology,
linguistics, embryology and genetics.
INTRODUCTION
3. The species Homo sapiens is about 200,000
years old, which is very young, considering
that life has existed on Earth for at least 3.5
billion years.
Derived from early Homonins (Homonids)
INTRODUCTION
4. Human evolution is characterized by a number
of morphological, developmental,
physiological, and behavioural changes .
The most significant of these adaptations
are
1. bipedalism (1.9 million years ago),
2. increased brain size,
3. lengthened ontogeny (gestation and
infancy),
4. decreased sexual dimorphism.
5. Characters that distinguish humans
from other apes:
Upright posture and bipedal locomotion
Larger brains
Language capabilities and symbolic
thought
The manufacture and use of complex
tools
Shortened jaw
Shorter digestive tract
6. The Earliest Hominins
The study of human origins is known as
palaeoanthropology
Hominins (formerly called hominids) are more
closely related to humans than to
chimpanzees
Paleoanthropologists have discovered fossils
of about 20 species of extinct hominins
8. Hominins originated in Africa about 67
million years ago.
Early hominins had a small brain but probably
walked upright.
Two common misconceptions about early
hominins:
Thinking of them as chimpanzees
Imagining human evolution as a ladder
leading directly to Homo sapiens
We are taking a closer look to the Hominins
called Australopiths and Homo
9. AUSTRALOPITHS
Australopiths are a paraphyletic assemblage
of hominins living between 4 and 2 million
years ago.
Some species walked fully erect.
Robust australopiths had sturdy skulls and
powerful jaws.
Gracile australopiths were more slender and
had lighter jaws .
Australopiths got their name from the 1924
discovery in South Africa of Australopithicus
africanus (southern ape of Africa)
10. AUSTRALOPITHICUS AFRICANUS
Walked fully upright (Bipedal)
Had humanlike hands and teeth.
Had a brain 1/3 of present humans.
Mrs Ples was an Australopithecus
africanus that lived more than 2-million
years ago in the Cradle of Humankind
11. AUSTRALOPITHICUS AFARENSIS
Australopithecus afarensis skeleton was
discovered in Afar (Ethiopia) in 1974.
It was 40% complete, 1m tall and named Lucy.
In 1990 more A. afarensis fossils were discovered.
It showed that they existed as a species for at least
1 million years.
Brain size of chimpanzee.
Longer lower jaw.
Arms longer than humans arboreal movement
13. EVIDENCE OF TOOL USE
The oldest evidence of tool use, cut marks on
animal bones, is 2.5 million years old
These bones found in Ethiopia.
The marks on bones suggested that Hominins cut
flesh from animals using stone tools.
Stone tool use originated before the development
of large brains.
14. HOMININS: HOMO
The earliest fossils placed in our genus Homo are
those of Homo habilis, ranging in age from about
2.4 to 1.6 million years
Stone tools have been found with H. habilis,
giving this species its name, which means handy
man
15. Homo ergaster was the first fully bipedal, large-
brained hominid
The species existed between 1.9 and 1.5 million
years ago
Homo ergaster shows a significant decrease in
sexual dimorphism (a size difference between
sexes) compared with its ancestors.
Homo ergaster fossils were previously assigned to
Homo erectus; most paleoanthropologists now
recognize these as separate species.
Homo erectus originated in Africa by 1.8 million
years ago
It was the first hominin to leave Africa
18. Homo neanderthalensis
Neanderthals, Homo neanderthalensis, lived in
Europe and the Near East from 200,000 to
28,000 years ago.
They were thick-boned with a larger brain, they
buried their dead, and they made hunting tools.
19. HOMO SAPIENS
Homo sapiens appeared in Africa by 195,000
years ago.
All living humans are descended from these
African ancestors.
The oldest fossils of Homo sapiens outside Africa
date back about 115,000 years and are from the
Middle East.
In 2004, 18,000 year old fossils were found in
Indonesia, and a new small hominin was named:
Homo floresiensis
21. Rapid expansion of our species may have been
preceded by changes to the brain that made
cognitive innovations possible.
For example, the FOXP2 gene is essential for
human language, and underwent intense natural
selection during the last 200,000 years
Homo sapiens were the first group to show
evidence of symbolic and sophisticated thought.
Art, a human
hallmark
23. SUMMERY OF OUR A鰻遺掘皆意或檎皆
1. HOMO HABILIS ~ NICKNAME: Handyman LIVED: 2.4 to 1.6 million years
ago HABITAT: Tropical Africa DIET: Omnivorous nuts, seeds, tubers, fruits,
some meat
2. HOMO SAPIEN ~ NICKNAME: Human LIVED: 200,000 years ago to present
HABITAT: All DIET: Omnivorous - meat, vegetables, tubers, nuts, pizza,
sushi
3. HOMO FLORESIENSIS ~ NICKNAME: Hobbit LIVED: 95,000 to 13,000 years
ago HABITAT: Flores, Indonesia (tropical) DIET: Omnivorous - meat
included pygmy stegodon, giant rat
4. HOMO ERECTUS ~ NICKNAME: Erectus LIVED: 1.8 million years to 100,000
years ago HABITAT: Tropical to temperate - Africa, Asia, Europe DIET:
Omnivorous - meat, tubers, fruits, nuts
5. PARANTHROPUS BOISEI ~ NICKNAME: Nutcracker man LIVED: 2.3 to 1.4
million years ago HABITAT: Tropical Africa DIET: Omnivorous - nuts, seeds,
leaves, tubers, fruits, maybe some meat
6. HOMO HEIDELBERGENSIS ~ NICKNAME: Goliath LIVED: 700,000 to
300,000 years ago HABITAT: Temperate and tropical, Africa and Europe
DIET: Omnivorous - meat, vegetables, tubers, nuts
7. HOMO NEANDERTHALENSIS ~ NICKNAME: Neanderthal LIVED: 250,000
to 30,000 years ago HABITAT: Europe and Western Asia DIET: Relied
heavily on meat, such as bison, deer and musk ox