BEFORE THE NEOLITHIC REVOLUTION: HOMINIDS AND SKILLSSocial Studies for 8th E.G.B.

Teacher: Mauricio Torres

What is a Hominid?

Hominids are a group that includes humans and their closest relatives.

All walk upright on two feet. Humans are the only hominids that live today.

Background

With the Ice Age: The north African tropical forest began to

retreat, being replaced first by open grasslands and eventually by desert (the modern Sahara).

This forced tree-dwelling animals to adapt to their new environment or die out.

Some primates adapted to a partly or fully ground-dwelling life.

Bipedalism

Some Hominids adapted to this challenge by adopting bipedalism: walking on their hind legs.

This gave their eyes greater elevation, the ability to see approaching danger further off, and a more efficient means of locomotion. 

It also freed the forelimbs (arms) from the task of walking and made the hands available for tasks such as gathering food.

Lucy

The first hominids were called by scientists: Australopithecines.

The oldest fossil found was that of “Lucy”, in Ethiopia.

Homo Habilis

At some point the bipedal primates developed handedness, giving them the ability to pick up sticks, bones and stones and use them.

Two million years ago emerged a new hominid: homo habilis.

They were the first to make stone tools. In other words, these primates

developed the use of primitive technology.

Homo Erectus

Also around two million years ago, another hominid appeared: homo erectus.

The name was given because they walked fully upright.

They had larger brains and bones, smaller teeth and different characteristics from other hominids.

They were the first to use fire! They also built more complex

tools. It’s also suspected that they were

the first to develop spoken language.

Homo Sapiens

Around a hundred thousand years ago, a new group emerged: homo sapiens… the “Wise Man”.

They evolved further than their predecessors and split into two categories: Homo sapiens Homo neanderthalensis

Both species migrated out of Africa and settled different parts of Europe and Asia.

They also developed the first real signs of culture.

One happy family

Sahelanthropus Sahelanthropus

tchadensis Orrorin

Orrorin tugenensis Ardipithecus

Ardipithecus kadabba Ardipithecus ramidus

Australopithecus Australopithecus

anamensis Australopithecus

afarensis Australopithecus

bahrelghazali Australopithecus

africanus

Australopithecus garhi Australopithecus sediba

Paranthropus Paranthropus

aethiopicus Paranthropus boisei Paranthropus robustus

Kenyanthropus Kenyanthropus platyops

Homo Homo gautengensis Homo habilis Homo rudolfensis Homo ergaster Homo georgicus Homo erectus Homo cepranensis Homo antecessor Homo heidelbergensis Homo rhodesiensis Homo neanderthalensis Homo sapiens idaltu Homo sapiens (Cro-

Magnon) Homo sapiens sapiens

Ask yourself

What skills did humans develop in order to outlive their own “cousins”?

Bibliography

For further reading, use your books and check pages 28 through 31.

Burstein, S. M., & Shek, R. (2012). World History (Teacher´s Edition). In H. McDougal (Ed.). Orlando, Florida, US.: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.

Ellis, E. G., & Esler, A. (2009). World History. (P. Hall, Ed.) Upper Saddle River, New Jersey, US: Pearson Education INC.