Early Human Study Guide Answer Key
1. List the four early humans in chronological order. Australopithecus, Homo habilis, Homo
erectus, Neanderthal
2. Who began using fire first? (only by controlling it) Homo habilis
3.
Who learned how to make and control fire? Homo erectus
4. Name 3 reasons why fire was a useful tool to both early humans and ourselves.
Protection, warmth, and to cook.
5. Who were the first early humans to create and use tools? Homo habilis
6. Why didn’t Neanderthal take care of the elderly as many of us do today? The elderly did
not have a good chance of survival; many did not live to see their 40th birthday.
7. “Lucy” is the fossilized remains of what early human? Australopithecus
8. What early human was nick-named “handy man? Why? Homo habilis-they were the first
to create and use tools.
9.
What nickname did we give Australopithecus? Southern Ape
10. Which early human lived entirely during the ice age? Neanderthal
11. What continent was the first early human discovered on? Africa
12. What is the name of the oldest Australopithecine skeleton? Lucy
13. Why was Neanderthal’s body size crucial to their survival? They had short, heavy bodies
due to the cold-less surface area to keep warm.
14. List two tools the first early human used: (Australopithecus)-hands, sticks, or rocks
15. List two different tools the second early human used including the use and material
(Homo habilis)- sharpened bones/wood (made from bone/wood)-used to cut meat and
scrape hide off animals; stone flakes (made from stone)-used to cut meat or wood,
scrape hide off animal, kill small animals.
16. List two different tools the third early human used including the use and material
IHomo erecuts)-fire (made using flint rock)-to keep warm. Gave them the ability to live in
any climate; hand axe (made from rock and stone)-used to chop, gut animals, and smash
things open; stone knives (made from stone)-used to cut meat from the carcass.
17. List two different tools the fourth early human used including the use and material
(Neanderthal)-spears (made from wood)-used to hunt animals at close range; Triangular
point (made from rock)-used for spear heads and knives; Blades (made from stone)-used
to cut things; Flint blade (made from flint rock)-used to scrape fat and sinew from animal
hide.
18. What was “Lucy” named after? Beatles song "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds"
19. Where did the Australopithecus live? Southern Africa
20. How tall were the Australopithecus? Females-3 Ft. Tall; Males-@4.5 Ft. Tall
21. What was the Australopithecus’ diet They were vegetarians (herbivores)
22. What was the Australopithecine’s shelter? tall grass, under trees, and under rock
overhangs
23. Why didn’t the first or second early human live in caves? Australopithecus and Homo
habilis did not have the tools to kill dangerous animals living caves.
24. Which early human stole caves from Neanderthal? Cro-magnon
25. What four ways did the Homo habilis communicate? Body language, touch, grunt, facial
expressions
26. How did Homo habilis get a fire and keep it contained? They used fire caused from
natural disasters.
27. What does Homo habilis mean? Handy Man
28. Which 2 early humans lived during some or most of the ice age? Homo Erectus and
Neanderthal
29. What stone did the Homo erectus use to make fire? Flint rock
30. What was the first Early Human to cook their food? Homo erectus
31. Was Homo erectus carnivores, omnivores, or herbivores? omnivores
32. Who was the first to migrate out of Africa? Homo erectus
33. Did the Homo erectus have the ability to live in caves? Why or why not? Yes, since they
had tools used to kill the animals living in them.
34. What did the Homo erectus use fire for? Cooking, protection, keeping warm
35. What is Homo Erectus mean? "Upright Man"
36. What type of shelter did the Neanderthals’’ live in? Caves
37. What made the Neanderthals different from other early humans? They were the first to
use language, lived throughout the ice age.
38. What did the Neanderthals need to survive at night? Fire, clothing, caves
39. 4 out of 5 Neanderthals’’ didn’t see what? Their 40th birthday.
40. Which early human didn’t make tools? Australopithecus
41. Which early human used the lavawa blade that was five times sharper than a surgeon's
scalpel and what was it used for? Neanderthal
42. Which early human was the first to wear clothes? Why? Neanderthal-it was cold!
43. Which early human was the first migrate out of the original continent? Which continents
did they migrate to? Homo erecuts-Asia and Europe
44. Why was Neanderthal’s nose so big? The large nose created a lot of mucous, which
kept the nose from freezing.
45. Describe how the shelter changed from the first early human to the last. Include what the
shelters were like and why they changed. Shelter began with Australopithecus using
trees and tall grass. Over time, early humans became more intelligent and were able to
use caves like Homo erectus, Neanderthal, and Cro-magnon who could make fire and
had better tools.
46. Homo erectus was the first "true" hunter.