Key Characteristics of Five Hominids
Hominid
Australiopithecus
afarensis
“Lucy”
Homo habilis
Time Period
& Location
*3.9 to 3.0
million years
ago
*Primarily
East Africa
*1.9 to 1.5
million years
ago
*Africa
Homo erectus
*1.8 million
to 200,000
years ago
*Asia, Africa,
and perhaps
Europe
Homo sapiens
Neanderthal
*230,000
years ago to
30,000 years
ago
Homo sapiens sapiens
100,000 years
ago to today
Fossil Discoveries
Appearance
*1974- Donald
Johanson discovered
40% of a complete
skeleton in Ethiopia
*Brain larger
than an ape but
1/3rd size of
modern human
*Bi-pedal*Small social groups
*Simple tools
*Ate insects, eggs, fruit
*No spoken language
*1931-Louis Leakey
found stone tool at
Olduvai Gorge
*1959-Leakeys found
more bone fossils
*1987- discovered
partial skeleton
*1890’s-Eugene
Dubois discovered
remains of 40
individuals in Java
*1920’s-scientists
discovered fossil
remains near Peking
(Beijing) China
*larger brain/
smaller back
teeth
*Apelike arms
*5 feet tall- 100
pounds
*Stone/bone tools
*Hunters/ scavengers
*Ate bone marrow (meat),
fruit, plants
*Social groups
*No spoken language
*Large brain
*Smooth, round
forehead; single
brow ridge;
protruding jaw;
large back
teeth; no chin
*Tall, thin,
barrel-chestednarrow pelvis
*Fully upright
* “Whites of
the eyes”
*1856-workers
*Brain larger
discovered partial
than that of
skeleton in Neander
modern humans
Valley in Germany
*Bulge at back
*1880’s-two nearly
of skull, bony
complete skeletons & browns, jutting
tools found in
face, heavy jaw,
Belgium
receding chin
*1908-1911-complete *Stocky, shortskeletons found in
limbed bodies
France
*Thick, heavy
bones and
powerful
muscles
* flint hand-axes
*Controlled fire
*lived in huts of tree
branches
*Ate variety of foods
*Possible spoken language
1860s- Edouard
Lartet discovered
human burials in
France
Large brain
High, rounded
skull; small
teeth; steep
Capabilities
*knives, scrapers
*Hunted large animals
*Cared for sick, old, &
wounded
*ritual burials
*built teepee-like shelters &
stored food
*Possessed simple language
Made more than 100 tools
for engraving, sculpting,
sewing, and hunting
Lived in social groups
Fossil bones named
Cro-Magnon
Thousands of other
fossils found
throughout the world
What were the agents of change?
 Climate/Tectonic Shifts
 Diet
 Use of tools
 Language
 Control of Fire
forehead;
receded brow
ridge;
prominent chin
Relatively
slender bones
Semi-permanent huts of
stone, wood, animal hides
Created art-carvings and
cave paintings
Advanced spoken language