Early Hominids

What are hominids?

• Take your best guess!• What do you think they looked like?• Could they help you save money on your car

insurance?

Early Hominids• Scientists called prehistoric

humans hominids• Scientists that study prehistoric

humans are called Paleoanthropologists–“Paleo” means ancient

(STEM!!!!)

What do think is important for us to know about the early hominids?

• There are five types of hominids• What should we know?

Hominids• Australopithecus afarensis, “Lucy”• Discovered in 1974 by Donald Johanson

in Africa• This hominid skeleton was 3 million

years old• “Lucy” was shorter than most humans

are today, their brains were 1/3 the size of ours, and no tools have been found

• “Lucy” was a biped

Lucy

Think about it…

• What BASIC skills are important for humans to have

• What tools do you think are most important for survival?

• Why is fire important?

Homo habilis• Louis and Mary Leakey

discovered another group of Hominids between 1962 and 1964, the “Homo habilis” or “handy man”

• The “Handy Man” lived about 1.5 to 2 million years ago

• Brain was twice the size of Lucy’s

• Made very simple tools• Tools helped handyman live

better and longer

Homo Erectus• Homo erectus, or “Upright

man”• Discovered in 1891 by

Eugene Dubois• Lived 1.8 million to 200,000

years ago• Tall, strong, and thinner

than the hominids before him

• Used tools and fire• Built fire

Homo sapiens Neanderthalensis

• Discovered in 1856• Remains have been found in

Africa, Near East, Europe, and Parts of Asia

• Lived 230,000 to 30,000 years ago

• “Upright man” was strong, and had a large brain

• Skilled toolmakers• Organized Hunting• Sense of Community

Homo sapiens neanderthalensisRecreation of why they might have looked like

Homo sapiens sapiens

• Discovered in 1879• Lived 35,000 to 12,000 years

before the common era (BCE)• Looked like us• Made tools, shelter, clothing• Tools were made for

engraving and sculpting, and made needles for sewing

• Hunters-spear thrower, bow & arrow

Hominids

What did they leave behind?

• Early humans left behind a record of their lives through artwork

• Why do we think they did this? Be a social scientist!