Overview
The first entirely bipedal hominidApproximately 4 million years ago, the first entirely bipedal human ancestor was present. It was called Australopithecus Anamensis. Anamensis was the first species of the nonhuman primate genus, Australopithecus- the extinct genus that links our own, Homo, to the previous genus, Ardipithecus. Archaeologists could tell that Anamensis was the first species to walk entirely on two feet as there were signs of wear on the tibia bone, indicative of body weight being placed entirely on the two legs.
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Lucy- Australopithecus Afarensis
The Taung Child and other Australopiths
1924, in a limestone quarry at Taung in the Cape Province, South Africa, a fossil skull known as the Taung child was discovered. An Australian professor of Anatomy at the University of Witwatersrand, Raymond Dart, studied many aspects of the skull, focusing on the brain and the position of the Foramen Magnum. The Taung child was the first non-human hominin fossil discovered, and was not immediately accepted by science scholars as being an ancestor of humans (see "Archaeological issues" page).
The Taung child was named Australopithecus Africanus, and is believed to have lived between 3.3 to 2.1 million years ago. Many more fossils of the same species have since been discovered.
Other species of Australopiths include Australopithecus Garhi, which lived approximately 2.5 million years ago and shows evidence of longer strides and a change in diet towards what humans eat today, Australopithecus Sediba is believed to be directly descended from A.Africanus, and is not believed to be linked to Homo Sapiens, despite it being the latest surviving member of the Australopiths.
Australopiths are believed to be the first users of primitive tools such as stones to crush animal bones.
The Taung child was named Australopithecus Africanus, and is believed to have lived between 3.3 to 2.1 million years ago. Many more fossils of the same species have since been discovered.
Other species of Australopiths include Australopithecus Garhi, which lived approximately 2.5 million years ago and shows evidence of longer strides and a change in diet towards what humans eat today, Australopithecus Sediba is believed to be directly descended from A.Africanus, and is not believed to be linked to Homo Sapiens, despite it being the latest surviving member of the Australopiths.
Australopiths are believed to be the first users of primitive tools such as stones to crush animal bones.
Paranthropus- Robusts
The Paranthropus genus, also known as the robust australopithecines, diverged from the Australopithicines separately to Homos. They developed large teeth and huge zygomatic arches, indicating large facial muscles which were used for chewing roughage. The species Paranthropus Boisei was nicknamed "The nutcracker man" because of this.
The Paranthropus lived approximately 2.7 to 1.2 million years ago, and included the species aethiopicus, boisei and robustus. |
The Homos
The last remaining genus of hominids, Homo, first evolved approximately 2.4 million years ago, creating Homo Habilis- "The handyman". They were known as the handy man because they were believed to have been the first species to make use of basic tools, but this has since been disproved, with the discovery of stone tools dating back earlier than the oldest H.habilis fossil that has been discovered. H.habilis was thought to be of such importance due to the vital step in cultural and technological evolution that tool-making and use was.
Homo Rudolfenis (1.9-1.8Mya) may have followed, which had a longer face, larger brain and larger teeth, however due to the extremely low number of fossils of H.rudolfenis that have been discovered, archaeologists are yet to come to the conclusion on whether H.rudolfenis is its own species or a variation on H.habilis.
Homo Erectus- also known as Homo ergaster- was next (image upper left), and is the longest surviving hominin species yet, evidence suggesting they lived between 1.89 million to 143,000 years ago. H.erectus are the oldest human species with bodily proportions similar to that of Homo sapiens. Homo erectus were the first species of hominin to migrate great distances, make controlled use of fire, eat large proportions of meat and to make significant human-like cultural changes. Homo Ergaster, a closely-related species of Homo also lived in an overlapping period.
Homo Heidelbergenis (700,000-200,000 years ago) were the first species of hominin to venture to Europe, with their first fossil discovered in a quarry in Heidelberg, Germany. There is evidence that suggests H.heidelbergenis were the first to build shelters and hunt large animals. A significantly larger brain was present in H.heidelbergenis compared to previous hominids. They are regarded as the intermediate species between Homo erectus and Homo sapiens.
Homo Neanderthalensis- neanderthals(200,000-28,000 years ago), were first discovered in 1856 in Germany, and are an extinct species which diverged from either H.heidelbergenis or H.erectus. They were human-like, but had stronger bodies, larger brains and different facial structure.
Homo floresiensis- The Hobbits(95,000-17,000 years ago) were a similar to Homo sapiens, however were much smaller, with brain capacity a third of the size of Homo sapiens and like us, made use of tools and fire. They have only been found in parts of Indonesia.
Homo Sapiens- (approx 200,000 years ago-present). Homo sapiens are the most intelligent hominins to have existed. We have a large brain capacity, second only to neanderthals.
RECENT BREAKTHROUGH
In September 2013, an ancient cave filled with the fossilised remains of an unknown hominid was discovered in South Africa. 2 years later, the remains were scientifically described by a team from South Africa's Witwatersrand University and Australia's James Cook University as Homo naledi. The remains indicated that adult males stood approximately 150 centimetres tall and weighed 50kg. Other features such as their shoulders and brain sizes were more like that of Australopithecines than other members of the Homo genus, indicating that this species could be an important link in human evolution, or a species that diverged from very early Homos. Perhaps one of the most important things to make note of with this discovery is the way in which the remains were gathered and laid out in a tomb. Burial of the dead is an important ritualistic behaviour- a step of cultural evolution thought to have only begun in Neanderthals and H.sapiens. Still, very little is known about these remains and how old they are, as the analytical techniques for accurately determining their age is likely to cause damage to the remains.
Homo Rudolfenis (1.9-1.8Mya) may have followed, which had a longer face, larger brain and larger teeth, however due to the extremely low number of fossils of H.rudolfenis that have been discovered, archaeologists are yet to come to the conclusion on whether H.rudolfenis is its own species or a variation on H.habilis.
Homo Erectus- also known as Homo ergaster- was next (image upper left), and is the longest surviving hominin species yet, evidence suggesting they lived between 1.89 million to 143,000 years ago. H.erectus are the oldest human species with bodily proportions similar to that of Homo sapiens. Homo erectus were the first species of hominin to migrate great distances, make controlled use of fire, eat large proportions of meat and to make significant human-like cultural changes. Homo Ergaster, a closely-related species of Homo also lived in an overlapping period.
Homo Heidelbergenis (700,000-200,000 years ago) were the first species of hominin to venture to Europe, with their first fossil discovered in a quarry in Heidelberg, Germany. There is evidence that suggests H.heidelbergenis were the first to build shelters and hunt large animals. A significantly larger brain was present in H.heidelbergenis compared to previous hominids. They are regarded as the intermediate species between Homo erectus and Homo sapiens.
Homo Neanderthalensis- neanderthals(200,000-28,000 years ago), were first discovered in 1856 in Germany, and are an extinct species which diverged from either H.heidelbergenis or H.erectus. They were human-like, but had stronger bodies, larger brains and different facial structure.
Homo floresiensis- The Hobbits(95,000-17,000 years ago) were a similar to Homo sapiens, however were much smaller, with brain capacity a third of the size of Homo sapiens and like us, made use of tools and fire. They have only been found in parts of Indonesia.
Homo Sapiens- (approx 200,000 years ago-present). Homo sapiens are the most intelligent hominins to have existed. We have a large brain capacity, second only to neanderthals.
RECENT BREAKTHROUGH
In September 2013, an ancient cave filled with the fossilised remains of an unknown hominid was discovered in South Africa. 2 years later, the remains were scientifically described by a team from South Africa's Witwatersrand University and Australia's James Cook University as Homo naledi. The remains indicated that adult males stood approximately 150 centimetres tall and weighed 50kg. Other features such as their shoulders and brain sizes were more like that of Australopithecines than other members of the Homo genus, indicating that this species could be an important link in human evolution, or a species that diverged from very early Homos. Perhaps one of the most important things to make note of with this discovery is the way in which the remains were gathered and laid out in a tomb. Burial of the dead is an important ritualistic behaviour- a step of cultural evolution thought to have only begun in Neanderthals and H.sapiens. Still, very little is known about these remains and how old they are, as the analytical techniques for accurately determining their age is likely to cause damage to the remains.
So what made all of these species different?
Over time, numerous features developed to become less like that of an ape, and more like that of modern humans. These features are:
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