The Origin of Humans
Textbook pages 6-10
Evolution
– Archaeologist = A person
who studies human
history and prehistory
through the excavation
of sites and the analysis
of physical remains.
– Anthropologist = A
person who studies
human beings,
especially their societies
and customs
– Hominids = A species
that includes the human
family
– Radiocarbon dating =
The determination of
the approximate age
of an ancient object,
such as a fossil, by
measuring the amount
of carbon 14 it
contains.
– Paleoanthropology =
The study of the
origins of humankind
The Olduvai Gorge = Part of the Great Rift
Valley in East Africa. Discoveries of
fossilized remains were located here.
• Donald Johanson =An
American
paleoanthropologist that
discovered Lucy and the
1st family
• 1st family = Remains of
13 people. The evidence
suggested that they were
a group who died
together 3.2 million years
ago. First evidence that
people lived in groups
Example of Australopithecine =
Lucy
• Discovered in Ethiopia in
1974 by Donald Johanson
• The skeleton was 40%
complete
• About 3.5 million years old
• 25-30 year old female
• Named after the Beatles
song “Lucy in the Sky with
Diamonds”
Cradle of Humanity = Evidence
proves that human life began in
Africa.
Homo Habilis = Handy Man
Homo Erectus =
Upright Man
Homo Sapiens = Wise Man
Homo Sapiens Sapiens
= Wise, Wise Man
• Mary & Louis Leakey = Had
groundbreaking discoveries of human
evolution at Olduvai Gorge, such as the
hominid footprints
• Bipedalism = The process of walking
upright on 2 legs, a major milestone in
human evolution.
Discussion Time
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– What is race?
– Who defines race?
– What are your ideas about race?
– Where do they come from?
Read page 11 in text
Play:
http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/nina_jablonski
_breaks_the_illusion_of_skin_color.html
Out of Africa Theory = Modern humankind
evolved from a single population of Homo
Sapiens
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Youtube Clip: (start at 2:10 mins) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-K8QrxeKV-
8&feature=PlayList&p=C9B5A30B4754A0CE&index=23&playnext=3&playnext_from=PL
– Diaspora = A group of people who are
dispersed around the world
– Lineage = Line of descent; family or
descendents
Mitochondrial Eve = A woman who
is the 10,000th great-grandmother
of every person on earth.
Review & Reflect #1 (Page 10)
What have scientists learned from
uncovering ancient fossils? Why is this
important?
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From ancient fossils, scientists have learned:
• the origins of humans and other species
• the story of human evolution
• how humankind lived
• about the tools that humans used and how they
used them
• • how long humans have inhabited the earth
• • about the timeline of human evolution
• It is important to study ancient fossils because they
reveal things about the human species and relate
them to the modern world. These fossils help
scientists understand the links between all humans
today.
PBS Site
• RACE—The Power of an Illusion.
• Go to http://www.pbs.org/race/000_General/000_00-Home.htm click on
learn more and then click on sorting. Do
this as a class.