GROUP 1 - week 1&2

Homo sapiens

The species name for modern humans, which means 'wise human.'

Homo habilis

An extinct species known as 'handy man,' that lived in Africa around 2.4 to 1.4 million years ago.

Fossil

Any preserved remains, impression, or trace of a once-living thing from a past geological age.

Paleontology

The study of the history of life on Earth based on fossils.

Australopithecus afarensis

An extinct species which lived from about 3.9 to 2.9 million years ago, known for its robust jawbone.

Australopithecus africanus

An extinct species of australopithecine that lived between about 3.3 and 2.1 million years ago.

Agricultural Revolution

A major turning point in human history marked by the shift from nomadic lifestyles to settled farming.

Civilization

Characterized by urban development, social stratification, symbolic communication forms like writing, and complex institutions.

Mesopotamia

Ancient civilization located between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, known as the cradle of civilization.

Fertile Crescent

Region in Western Asia known for its rich soil and early agricultural development, referred to as the 'Cradle of Civilization.'

Denisovans

An extinct species known to have existed between 30,000 and 500,000 years ago, which interbred with Homo sapiens.

Mesozoic Era

The era known as the age of dinosaurs, lasting from 252 to 66 million years ago.

Cenozoic Era

Era beginning 66 million years ago, characterized by the rise of mammals and birds.

Out of Africa Migration

The theory that modern humans originated in Africa and migrated to other parts of the world approximately 60,000 years ago.

Homo floresiensis

An extinct species of small archaic human that lived on the island of Flores, Indonesia.

Neolithic farmers

Early agriculturalists who cultivated plants and domesticated animals between 8500 and 7000 B.C.

Cuneiform

The first writing system developed by the Sumerians in Mesopotamia.

Hadean Eon

The eon from 4.6 to 4 billion years ago, during which the Earth formed and the surface was molten.

Archean Eon

The eon from 4 to 2.5 billion years ago, when life began with simple, single-celled organisms.

Proterozoic Eon

The eon from 2.5 billion to 541 million years ago, marked by the increase of oxygen levels and complexity of life.

Homo naledi

An extinct species with fossils dated between 236,000 and 335,000 years ago, discovered in South Africa.