A Timeline of Prehistory

Ten Million Years Ago to 7 Million Years Ago

10\,\text{million years ago}: Bipedal Hominids begin to develop
- Significance: marks an early evolutionary shift toward walking upright, enabling changes in limb use and energy efficiency.
7\,\text{million years ago}: Australopithecine appears
- Significance: represents an early hominin lineage that follows bipedal locomotion, bridging earlier primates and later Homo species.

4.4\,\text{million years ago}: Ardi lives
- Note: Ardi refers to Ardipithecus ramidus, an early hominin specimen.
- Significance: provides insight into early bipedalism and mixed locomotion (ground and arboreal) before full commitment to terrestrial life.
3\,\text{million years ago}: Lucy lives
- Note: Lucy is a famous specimen of Australopithecus afarensis.
- Significance: strong evidence for bipedalism in early hominins and a step toward later genus Homo.

2\,\text{million years ago}: Beginning of the Paleolithic Era
- Homo Habilis (Handy Man) & Homo Erectus (Upright Man) appear
- Early use of tools and perhaps fire
- Significance: transition to more advanced tool use, increased brain size, and possible control of fire marks a major cognitive and cultural shift.

0.4\,\text{million years ago}: Neanderthal appears
- Neanderthal will go extinct around 40{,}000 years ago
- Significance: Neanderthals represent a distinct human lineage with sophisticated tools and cultural adaptation; their extinction precedes modern Homo sapiens dispersal.

200{,}000 years ago: Homo Sapiens appears
- More complex tools and weapons; controlled use of fire; controlled use of language
- Animism probably appears
- People survive as hunter-gatherers
- Significance: emergence of anatomically modern humans with advanced cognition, language, and social organization; set stage for cultural expression and global dispersal.

12{,}000 years ago: The Neolithic Revolution
- The domestication of plants and animals results in the development of farming
- Probable development of polytheism
- Significance: transition from nomadic hunter-gatherer societies to settled agricultural communities; leads to population growth, food surplus, and social complexity, including religion shaping ritual and daily life.

City-states lead to the creation of civilization
Organized government
Complex religions
Public works
Arts and architecture
Job specialization and the creation of social classes
The development of writing
Discussion Question: In prehistoric times, how did human interaction affect such things as: gender roles; class distinctions; the environment?
- Implications to consider: evolution of social structures, gender dynamics, economic organization, environmental impact from farming and settled life, and the origins of writing and administration.

Bipedalism as a foundational adaptation that enables tool use and later cognitive development.
Australopithecines (e.g., Australopithecus afarensis) as precursors to Homo species.
Ardipithecus ramidus (Ardi) as evidence of early mixed locomotion and an intermediate stage toward fully bipedal life.
Homo habilis and Homo erectus represent advancements in tool-making, cognition, and possible control of fire.
Neanderthals illustrate regional human variation and cultural adaptation prior to Homo sapiens; their extinction marks a transition to modern human dominance.
Homo sapiens bring complex language, ritual (animism/polytheism), and social organization that pave the way for agriculture and civilization.
Neolithic Revolution shows how technology (domestication) transforms economy, social structure, and religion.
The progression toward city-states and civilizations highlights the interconnectedness of governance, religion, culture, technology, and writing.

Timeline order and approximate dates for major milestones: 10 mya, 7 mya, 4.4 mya, 3 mya, 2 mya, 400k ya, 200k ya, 12k ya.
Definitions and examples of key terms: bipedalism, Australopithecine, Ardi (Ardipithecus ramidus), Lucy (Australopithecus afarensis), Homo habilis, Homo erectus, Neanderthal, Homo sapiens, Animism, Neolithic Revolution, polytheism.
How technological and cultural innovations (tools, fire, language, farming) interrelate with social organization (hunter-gatherer societies to agriculture to city-states).
Ethical, philosophical, and practical implications: shifts in gender roles, class distinctions, environmental impact of farming, and the origins of organized religion and writing.