Time and Location
Physical
Characteristics
Australopithecus
 About 4 million
years ago
 Eastern Africa
(Ethiopia)
Homo-Habilis
 About 1-2 Mil.
Years ago
 Lived in Africa
 “Handy Man”
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Small brain
Perpendicular
spine
Bipedal
Arched Foot
Ape-like face
Average height 45 feet
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Simple tools such
as sticks and
stones
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Tools and Technology
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Averaged 4.5
feet tall
Rounded Skull,
curved jaw, and
smaller teeth.
More human
looking than
Lucy
Brain twice the
size of Lucy
Used enlarged
brain for
creation of
stone tools
Passed on how
to make tools to
children
Stone tools used
to smash and
tear food.
Did not use
tools to hunt
though!
Homo Erectus
 Lived 1.8250,000 years
ago
 Originated in
Africa but found
as far as China
 “Upright Man”
 Tall and thinner
than Habilis.
 Stronger bones
made for good
walking and
even running!
 Bigger brain
than Habilis.
 No more
stooping when
walking!
 Thick skull and
massive jaw
 Created
sophisticated
stone hand axes
 First to create
fire and control
it (easier to cut
and chew)
 Used fire for
cooking and
protection from
predators
Homo Neanderthal
 Lived 100,000
to 40,000 years
ago
 Found in the
European and
Asian continent
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Short and
stocky with
muscles (for
cold European
climates)
Flatter head
Brain capacity
equal to
modern
humans
Made tools for
specific
purposes
First to make
clothing with
animal skins
Created knives,
scrappers, and
spear points
with stone and
bone.
Culture and Daily Life
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Lived in small
family groups
Scavenged for
food
Lived in the open
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Lived in groups
to survive.
Constructed
simple huts for
protection from
weather and
predators
Hunted in
groups, small
prey though
Not capable of
speech, just
hand gestures
and simple
sounds.
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Early Human Facts Sheet
Lived in groups
of 20-30
Wider range of
living based on
ability to
control fire
(colder climates
in Europe
needed this!)
Lived in oval
huts and slept in
animal skins.
Grunted sounds
and simple
words with
gestures to
communicate
Coordinated
group hunts
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First to have
coordinated
group hunts of
large prey
Signs of religion
with burials of
deceased
Also evidence
they tended to
the injured
Assigned roles
in groups by sex
(women stay at
camp and
gathered, men
hunted)
Ability to work
as a group
increased
chances of
survival