Early Human Evolution

Early Humans

Emergence of Early Humans

• Approximately 6-8 million years ago, human-like species emerged in Africa
• Early humans shared characteristics with apes, but had more advanced cognitive abilities
• Bipedalism (walking on two legs) was a key adaptation, freeing hands for other tasks

Early Human Species

• Sahelanthropus tchadensis: 7 million years ago, one of the earliest known human ancestors
• Australopithecus afarensis: 4 million years ago, known for "Lucy" fossil discovery
• Homo habilis: 2.8 million years ago, first species to use tools
• Homo erectus: 1.8 million years ago, controlled fire, hunted, and gathered
• Homo sapiens: 200,000 years ago, modern humans emerged in Africa

Early Human Societies

• Nomadic hunter-gatherers: Early humans lived in small, mobile groups, surviving on wild resources
• Division of labor: Men hunted, women gathered, and children helped with childcare and foraging
• Shelters and tools: Early humans used caves, tents, and simple tools made of stone, wood, and bone

Cognitive and Cultural Developments

• Language and communication: Early humans developed complex language and communication systems
• Art and symbolism: Early humans created art, used symbols, and developed spiritual beliefs
• Social organization: Early humans developed social hierarchies, with leaders and division of labor

Early Humans

Emergence of Early Humans

• Emergence of human-like species in Africa approximately 6-8 million years ago
• Early humans shared characteristics with apes, but had more advanced cognitive abilities
• Bipedalism (walking on two legs) was a key adaptation, freeing hands for other tasks

Early Human Species

• Sahelanthropus tchadensis: one of the earliest known human ancestors, lived around 7 million years ago
• Australopithecus afarensis: lived around 4 million years ago, known for "Lucy" fossil discovery, and had a brain size of around 35-55% of modern humans
• Homo habilis: first species to use tools, lived around 2.8 million years ago, and had a brain size of around 40-60% of modern humans
• Homo erectus: controlled fire, hunted, and gathered, lived around 1.8 million years ago, and had a brain size of around 60-90% of modern humans
• Homo sapiens: modern humans emerged in Africa around 200,000 years ago, with a brain size of around 1300-1500 cc

Early Human Societies

• Nomadic hunter-gatherers: early humans lived in small, mobile groups, surviving on wild resources, with a population of around 10-30 people
• Division of labor: men hunted, women gathered, and children helped with childcare and foraging, which allowed for more efficient use of resources
• Shelters and tools: early humans used caves, tents, and simple tools made of stone, wood, and bone, which provided protection and enabled them to gather resources more efficiently

Cognitive and Cultural Developments

• Language and communication: early humans developed complex language and communication systems, which allowed for cooperation and social interaction
• Art and symbolism: early humans created art, used symbols, and developed spiritual beliefs, which provided a sense of identity and community
• Social organization: early humans developed social hierarchies, with leaders and division of labor, which allowed for more efficient use of resources and cooperation

Learn about the emergence of early humans, their characteristics, and key adaptations. Explore the different species, including Sahelanthropus tchadensis and Australopithecus afarensis.