Human Origins

What are the four key traits that define humans?

DNA similarities, bipedalism, long childhood dependency, large brains, tool and language use

What is bipedalism?

Walking on two legs

What are advantages of bipedalism?

Seeing over grass, carrying items, reduced sun exposure, efficient movement

What is Ardipithecus?

One of the earliest hominin genera (5.8–4.4 mya)

What are key traits of Ardipithecus?

Bipedal, good climber, apelike size

What is Sahelanthropus tchadensis?

Oldest possible human ancestor (7–6 mya)

What are traits of Sahelanthropus?

Small brain, flat face, heavy brow ridges, possible biped

What is Orrorin tugenensis?

Early hominin showing bipedalism and climbing ability

What is uncertain about Orrorin?

Whether it is truly a hominin

What are australopiths?

Early hominins from Australopithecus and Paranthropus genera

Who is Lucy?

Australopithecus afarensis fossil (3.2 mya)

What is important about Au. afarensis?

Clear evidence of bipedalism with mixed ape/human traits

When did the first stone tools appear?

About 3.3 million years ago

What are Oldowan tools?

Early stone tools made of cores and flakes

What is Homo habilis?

Early Homo species (“handy man”) that used tools

Who discovered Homo habilis?

Louis and Mary Leakey

What was Homo habilis like?

Small, apelike but tool-using

What is Homo erectus?

Early human with larger brain and modern body shape

What is significant about Homo erectus?

First to leave Africa

When did Homo erectus migrate out of Africa?

Between 2 and 1 million years ago

What tools are associated with Homo erectus?

Acheulean tools (hand axes)

What lifestyle did Homo erectus rely on?

Hunting and gathering

What adaptations did Homo erectus develop?

Fire use, better tools, cultural adaptation

Why was fire important?

Protection, warmth, cooking

What were the Pleistocene ice ages?

Periods of major glaciation in Europe and North America

Who were Neandertals?

A hominin group that coexisted with modern humans

Where were Neandertals first found?

Neander Valley, Germany

What were Neandertal physical traits?

Stocky bodies, large brains, heavy brow ridges

What tools did Neandertals use?

Mousterian tools (scrapers, points, specialized tools)

What do Neandertal tools show?

High level of sophistication

What happened between Neandertals and modern humans?

Coexisted and interbred

What replaced Neandertals?

Anatomically modern humans (AMHs)

What are AMHs?

Anatomically modern humans

When did AMHs evolve?

Around 300,000 years ago in Africa

When did AMHs spread out of Africa?

Around 80,000 years ago

What evidence supports Out of Africa theory?

Fossil and archaeological evidence

What is behavioral modernity?

Advanced human behavior (tools, culture, migration)

Key milestones of behavioral modernity?

6 mya bipedalism, 3.3 mya tools, 1.7 mya migration, 300 kya modern humans

How did humans reach new continents?

Land bridges during ice ages

What is the Clovis tradition?

Advanced spear-point technology in North America (13,250–12,800 BP)

Were Clovis people the first Americans?

No