Who s Who on the Family Tree

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1 Name Time Period Characteristics: Skull: Brain: Physical size and type: Walked upright: Environment type: Social interaction: Technology: Diet:

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3 Australopithecus afarensis Meaning: 'Southern Ape of Afar' after the Afar region of Ethiopia. Lived: million years ago. Range: East Africa. Diet: Soft fruit, nuts, seeds, tubers and bird eggs. Size: M: 152cm / 45kg F: 107cm / 28 kg. Brain Size: 35% the size of a modern brain.

4 Australopithecus afarensis walked upright like a human, but its body proportions were like those of a chimpanzee. Like chimps, afarensis had a small brain, long, dangly arms, short legs and a cone-shaped torso with a large belly. Around 3.2 million years ago, this bipedal ape roamed a mixed habitat of savannah and woodland beside lakes and floodplains. It foraged for fruit, seeds and nuts and may even have eaten some meat. Australopithecus afarensis probably climbed into trees to avoid sabre-toothed cats like Dinofelis and to sleep in safety at night.

5 This hominid seems to have lived in social groups of between 20 and 30. These groups were probably like those of chimpanzees, with dominance hierarchies in which each individual knows their place. Male afarensis probably cooperated to drive away predators. Once mature, females may have joined other troops of afarensis.

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7 Time Period Name 3.9 to 3.0 million years ago Australopithecus afarensis Southern Ape from Afar (Ethiopia). herbivore--soft fruit, nuts, seeds, tubers and bird eggs. 35% the size of a modern brain. bipedal--walked upright. small brain, long, dangly arms, short legs and a cone-shaped torso with a large belly. savannah and woodland beside lakes and floodplains. social groups of between 20 and 30. each individual knows their place. females may have joined other troops.

8 Paranthropus boisei Meaning: 'Near man of Boise' after Charles Boise, financial patron of the Leakey family. Lived: million years ago. Range: East Africa (Ethiopia, Tanzania, and Kenya). Diet: Nuts, tubers, termites, possibly papyrus roots. Size: M: 137cm / 49kg F: 124cm / 34kg Brain Size: 39% the size of a modern brain.

9 This vegetarian ape-man had a big, flat face with a massive jaw. It lived at a time when forests were vanishing from East Africa, creating a shortage of food such as soft fruit. Paranthropus boisei coped with the shortage by evolving a massive jaw and huge teeth to chomp tough-to-chew foods such as nuts, roots, seeds and tubers. These hard, gritty foods were more abundant in the open woodland and grasslands that boisei called home. Paranthropus boisei may have lived in groups organized in harems, in which one male mated with many females. Males were easy to spot amongst a harem of females; they were much more muscular with much bigger faces.

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11 Time Period Name million years ago Paranthropus boisei Near man of Boise. herbivore--nuts, tubers, termites, possibly papyrus roots. 39% the size of a modern brain. big, flat face. massive jaw and huge teeth. open woodland and grasslands. groups organized in harems male with many females.

12 Homo habilis Meaning: 'Handy man'. Lived: million years ago. Range: Eastern and southern Africa. Diet: Omnivorous diet. Size: M: 131cm / 37kg F: 100cm / 32 kg. Brain Size: 47% the size of a modern brain

13 Homo habilis had a short body and long ape-like arms like the australopithecines. But they were distinguished from earlier hominids by their big brain (c. 630 cubic centimeters) and small teeth. The species evolved in Africa at a time when traditional forest foods like fruit were becoming scarce forcing animals to seek out new nutritional sources. Homo habilis ate meat by scavenging from animal carcasses. But snatching meat from under the noses of fearsome predators like lions was a risky business.

14 However, Homo habilis had a secret weapon: stone tools. Crude stone implements were used to smash open animal bones and extract the nutritious bone marrow. Homo habilis lived in East Africa at the same time as Paranthropus boisei. But they occupied different ecological niches and so were not direct competitors. While habilis was an omnivore, boisei survived on a hard-to-chew vegetarian diet.

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16 Time Period Name million years ago Homo habilis Handy man. omnivore. 47% the size of a modern brain. big brain and small teeth. traditional forest foods becoming scarce. ate meat by scavenging and extracting nutritious bone marrow stone tools.

17 Homo ergaster/homo erectus Meaning: - 'Workman' / Homo erectus - 'Upright man' Lived: ergaster c.600,000 years ago / erectus million - c.30,000 years ago. Range: Africa, Asia, one example in Europe. Diet: Omnivorous with large quantities of meat. Size: M: 180 cm / 66 kg. F: 160 cm / 56 kg. Brain Size: 74% the size of a modern brain

18 Homo ergaster was tall and muscular. Slim hips and long legs enabled this species to walk long distances. Their skin was smooth to cool themselves through sweating, meaning they no longer had to pant to keep cool. Homo ergaster probably obtained food by scavenging or by chasing animals across the savannah until they died from exhaustion. This species was among the first to leave Africa and colonize other continents. After ergaster leaves Africa, it becomes known as Homo erectus.

19 In Asia, Homo erectus lived in the bamboo forests and may have made tools such as staffs and spears from this strong, versatile material. Homo erectus begins the process of learning how to control fire.

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21 Time Period c.600,000 years ago 1.8 million - c.30,000 years ago Name Homo ergaster Homo erectus Homo ergaster 'Workman. Homo erectus - 'Upright man. omnivore with large quantities of meat. 74% the size of a modern brain. tall and muscular, slim hips and long legs enabled this species to walk long distances. skin was smooth to cool themselves through sweating, meaning they no longer had to pant to keep cool. among the first to leave Africa and colonize other continents. control fire. stone tools.

22 Homo heidelbergensis Meaning: 'Heidelberg Man'. Lived: 600, ,000 years ago. Range: Africa, Europe. Diet: Omnivorous with a heavy reliance on meat. Size: M: 180cm / 80kg F: 157cm / 51kg. Brain Size: 93% the size of a modern brain.

23 Homo heidelbergensis inhabited Africa and Europe 600, ,000 years ago. Males were tall, as much as 180cm (6'0") in some cases, and very muscular. Their faces were sometimes very large, and most had projecting brow ridges and a sloping braincase that housed a brain nearly the size of a modern human's. Male heidelbergensis were noticeably bigger than the females.

24 They were proficient hunters. In Europe, they seem to have targeted large animals to hunt. Horses, hippos and rhinos were all on the menu for heidelbergensis. About 300,000 years ago at present day Boxgrove in England, heidelbergensis manufactured huge numbers of stone tools to butcher big game animals.

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26 Time Period Name 600, ,000 years ago Homo heidelbergensis 'Heidelberg Man'. omnivore with a heavy reliance on meat. 93% the size of a modern brain. tall, very muscular. faces were sometimes very large, projecting brow ridges and a sloping braincase. proficient hunters, targeted large animals to hunt. stone tools.

27 Homo neanderthalensis Meaning: 'Man from the Neander Valley'. Lived: 230,000-28,000 years ago. Range: Europe, Central Asia, Middle East. Diet: Relied heavily on meat. Size: M: 166cm / 77kg F: 154cm / 66kg. Brain Size: 12% larger than a modern brain.

28 Neanderthals were as formidable as the Ice Age environment they lived in. Their short squat physique was an ideal body shape for conserving heat. But despite their small stature, they had big, powerful muscles - a sign of the demanding lifestyle they led. They looked out at their harsh world from under a bony ridge that arched across their foreheads. Set in the middle of their long faces was a long projecting nose that distanced the delicate tissues of the brain from the frozen Ice Age air.

29 They were skilled hunters, cooperating together in hunting parties. Neanderthals exploited the natural landscape to surround their quarry and make a kill at close range. This hunting practice left many Neanderthals with painful injuries. Neanderthals were capable of speech, but their communication skills were not as advanced as our own. They also seemed to lack an understanding of abstract concepts such as art.

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31 Time Period Name 230,000-28,000 years ago Homo neanderthalensis 'Man from the Neander Valley'. omnivore--relied heavily on meat. 12% larger than a modern brain. short squat physique was an ideal body shape for conserving heat bony ridge that arched across their foreheads. long projecting nose that distanced the delicate tissues of the brain from the frozen Ice Age air. skilled hunters, cooperating together in hunting parties, kill at close range, painful injuries. capable of speech. lack an understanding of abstract concepts. stone tools.

32 Homo sapiens Meaning: 'Knowing man'. Lived: 150,000 - present. Range: Worldwide. Diet: Generalized diet. Size: M: 175 cm / 65kg F: 161 cm / 54 kg. Brain Size: c.1350cc.

33 Our own species, Homo sapiens, evolved in Africa around 150,000 years ago. Homo sapiens have a characteristic look: their faces are small and tucked under a high, domed braincase. They have small eyebrow ridges and their lower jaw ends in a prominent chin. On average, their bodies are less muscular than those of earlier hominids. The appearance of modern humans coincides with the appearance of highly crafted tools, efficient food-gathering strategies and a complex social organization.

34 Early modern humans lived in mobile groups and established extensive social networks to trade goods and exchange gifts. These networks probably developed for the purpose of securing future favors when times were hard. And it seems that times were indeed hard for some of the first modern humans. During the last Ice Age, humans were pushed to the edge of extinction, perhaps by famine and drought caused by a sharp drop in global temperatures. For these early modern humans, an increased reliance on social alliances and creativity was key to their survival.

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36 Time Period Name 150,000 - present Homo sapiens 'Knowing man'. omnivore--generalized diet. faces are small and tucked under a high, domed braincase, small eyebrow ridges, lower jaw ends in a prominent chin. less muscular than those of earlier hominids. highly crafted tools, efficient food-gathering strategies and a complex social organization. mobile groups, extensive social networks to trade goods and exchange gifts. increased reliance on social alliances and creativity was key to their survival. stone, copper, bronze, iron, steel and computer tools. abstract thought and critical thinking.