10 Questions
What taxonomic family do humans belong to?
Hominidae
Which species are humanity's closest living relatives?
Chimpanzees and bonobos
When did our evolutionary paths permanently diverge from those of bonobos and chimpanzees?
6 to 8 million years ago
What marked the early hominids timeline in terms of cranial capacity?
Gradual expansion of cranial capacity
What physical change did not occur in human evolution according to the text?
Development of sharper teeth
What was the brain capacity of Sahelanthropus tchadensis?
Approximately 380 cm^3
Which hominid species is known for being the first to create and use stone tools?
Homo habilis
When did Homo sapiens originate?
Around 315,000 years ago
Which hominid species is closely related to humans and Neanderthals and left behind some of their DNA in the modern human and Neanderthal genomes?
Denisovans
Which hominid species had a cranial capacity of about 1000 cm^3 and was the first to travel and colonize vast regions in Europe and Asia?
Homo erectus
Study Notes
- Sahelanthropus tchadensis is the oldest known human ancestor, dating back to around 7 million years ago.
- Its braincase was smaller than a typical human's, with a volume of approximately 380 cm^3.
- Australopithecus afarensis, which lived between 3.8 million and 2.9 million years ago, is the oldest known human ancestor to walk upright.
- The most famous fossil of this species is named Lucy, discovered in Ethiopia in 1974.
- Australopithecus afarensis had a brain capacity between 380 and 530 cm^3.
- Australopithecus is a genus of early hominids that includes several species, including anamensis and robustus.
- Homo habilis, which means "handy man," is the first hominid species known to create and use stone tools. Its cranial capacity was about 750 cm^3.
- Homo erectus, meaning "upright man," had a cranial capacity of about 1000 cm^3 and was the first hominid to travel and colonize vast regions in Europe and Asia.
- Homo heidelbergensis, which lived between 600,000 and 200,000 years ago, was the intermediary stage between Homo erectus and modern humans.
- Humans and Neanderthals were closely related species that both evolved from Homo heidelbergensis and interbred.
- Modern humans have about 2% Neanderthal DNA in their genomes.
- Neanderthal brains were larger than modern human brains, but their intellectual capacity is uncertain.
- Neanderthals went extinct around 40,000 years ago.
- Homo sapiens, the scientific name for modern humans, originated in Africa around 315,000 years ago.
- Humans radiated out of Africa and populated six of Earth's seven continents around 50,000 years ago.
- Denisovans are a mysterious hominid species closely related to humans and Neanderthals. Their existence is based on a small selection of bone fragments found in Asia, and their taxonomic status is uncertain.
- Denisovans left behind some of their DNA in the modern human and Neanderthal genomes due to interbreeding.
Learn about the evolution and classification of early hominids, including their relation to modern humans and other primate species. Explore the ancestral hominid species and their significance in the evolution of modern humans.
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