Humans belong to a group of primates called ___ (aka ___). Modern humans are the only living ones.
hominins (hominids)
Hominins are (were) ___
bipeds
An ___ ___ posture freed up the hands to carry objects such as tools, food, and young. An ___ ___ also allowed for a better view of predators, important when hominins moved out of the forests and into the savannas.
upright bipedal
upright bipedal
Molecular and fossil evidence suggests that hominins diverged from the ancestors of the chimps around ___ to ___ million years ago.
5, 8
Sahelanthropus tchadensis
Ardipithecus ramidus
Ardi
grasping, ape
trees
Australopithecines
southern ape
Chimps
ape-like
short, long
Australopithecus afarensis
Lucy
small
footprints
Australopithecus africanus
Paranthropus
Homo habilis
human
brain
Small
brow ridge, teeth
Homo naledi
Homo erectus
upright man
brain
5, 6
runners
homo erectus
stone tools
Homo ergaster
Probable direct ancestor of modern humans and neanderthals
Homo heidelbergensis
Homo neanderthalensis
ice ages
heavily, endurance
Heavy, low, long
brain, teeth
Homo neanderthalensis
Homo floresiensis
hobbits
fire, elephants, rats
Denisovan
-Modern humans
-Originated in Africa
-Archaic H. sapiens appeared in Africa about 300-250,000 years ago
Fully modern humans (Homo sapiens sapiens) had evolved by 50-60,000 years ago (at least)
Homo sapiens
- Includes passing on knowledge from generation to generation including language and history
Cultural Evolution
Language is unique to which species
modern humans
modern humans have inherited many useful features from our ancestors including ___ ___ ___ and ___ ___
color binocular vision, grasping hands