THE EARLIEST HUMANS© Student Handouts, Inc.

HOW DO WE KNOW? Archaeology: the study of fossils and artifacts

to learn about prehistory and early people Artifacts: Any object made by people from the

past Fossil: preserved traces of animals and plants

from the past Primary Source: the actual object used by the

people from the past Examples: tools, pottery, bones, statues, ancient

writing Secondary Source: A record of the past made

at a later time Examples: stories, articles, books

KEEPING TRACK OF TIME B.C.: Before Christ (time before Jesus Christ

was born) B.C.E. : Before Common Era (time before

Jesus Christ was born) A.D.: Anno Domini (time after Jesus Christ

was born) C.E.: Common Era (after Jesus Christ was

born)

THE BIGGER THE NUMBER IN BC/BCE, THE LONGER AGO IT WAS!

FOSSIL EVIDENCE FOR EVOLUTION Paleontology

Study of prehistoric life of all forms, typically using fossils

Paleoanthropology Study of prehistoric human life (and human

ancestry), typically using fossils Charles Darwin, On the Origin of Species,

1859 Found plant and animal evidence that supported

his theory of natural selection: Individuals better suited for the environment they live

in will survive to reproduce

Here’s what we know!

LUCY (AUSTRALOPITHECUS) “Lucy” is the name for the oldest human

ancestral fossilized bones found Human-like ancestor who could walk on two

legs for short periods of time Discovered in Africa (modern-day Ethiopia)

http://www.history.com/videos/prehistoric-humans-cross-the-atlantic#lucys-giant-leap

HUMAN EVOLUTION Homo habilis (handyman)

2.4 to 1.4 million years ago Fossils found in southern and eastern Africa Used simple bone and stone tools

Homo Naledi- somewhere in between! Homo erectus

1.8 million years ago to 70,000 years ago First human ancestor to walk fully upright Some made complex stone tools Descendants were humans and neanderthals http://www.history.com/videos/prehistoric-human

s-cross-the-atlantic#homo-erectus

WHERE DID LUCY AND HANDYMAN LIVE?

This migration is called the Out Of Africa Theory

Stop here!

NEANDERTHALS Homo sapiens neanderthalensis 400,000 to 30,000 years ago FIRE Lived in Europe and Asia

Comparison of human and Neanderthal DNA shows that humans are not descended from Neanderthals, but descended from a common ancestor

http://www.history.com/videos/prehistoric-humans-cross-the-atlantic#discovering-neanderthal

HUMANS – HOMO SAPIENS“Homo” (Latin) means “man” or “human”

“Sapiens” (Latin) means “wise” or “intelligent”

“Homo sapiens” = “wise man” or “wise human”

Humans and Neanderthals both considered “sapiens”

HUMANS – HOMO SAPIENS SAPIENS – “US”

Fully modern humans (like us) in Africa by around 60,000 years ago Culture, language, music, etc.

“Out of Africa” theory Humans began spreading throughout, and out of,

Africa beginning around 60,000 years ago Early human migrations

Humans left Africa By 10,000 years ago, modern human beings had

spread all over the globe

HUMANS AND NEANDERTHALS Studies have shown that human DNA and

Neanderthal DNA are very different. New studies coming out every few years about

the possibility of interbreeding between Cro Magnon and Neanderthal

THE QUESTION REMAINS: Would the offspring of Neanderthal/Cro Magnon

be fertile? Mule/Horse Problem

http://www.history.com/videos/prehistoric-humans-cross-the-atlantic#discovering-neanderthal

EARLY HUMAN MIGRATIONS: ROUTE OF MDNA

Numbers are thousands of years before the present.

← Africa

↑North America

REVIEW QUESTIONS1. What has archaeogenetics told us about

Neanderthals?2. Who was Mitochondrial Eve?3. Who was Y-chromosomal Adam?4. Describe the “Out of Africa” theory.5. What parts of the world were the first to be

settled by modern humans? The last?