PEOPLING OF THE WORLD PREHISTORY – 2500 BC
Ms. Carmelitano
IMAGINE THE WHOLE HISTORY OF THE EARTH AS A 24-HOUR CLOCK
If the present is “midnight” what “time” do you think human beings came into being?
STUDYING THE PAST
Little is known about early human species because they had no writing Historians call this time pre-history
Instead of studying written records, scientists study: Fossils Bones Artifacts: Human-made objects
Tools Jewelry
THE EARLY HUMAN
It was once believed that the “birth place” of the human species was Asia
In the 1930’s that all changed! Louis S. B. Leakey
Believed Africa was the birth place of humans
In the 1930’s he found fossil evidence of human beings in Sub-Saharan Africa; Tanzania
TANZANIA AFRICA MAP
THE EARLY HUMAN
Mary Leakey 1978 Found prehistoric
footprints that resembled those of modern humans in volcanic ash in Tanzania
(Homo Habilis)
THE DISCOVERY OF “LUCY”
Anthropologist Donald Johanson studied in Ethiopia
1974 – Discovered a complete skeleton of an adult female hominid (Australopithecus) Lived 3.5 million years ago Oldest, most complete hominid
found to that date
THE EVOLUTION OF HUMANS
Evolution A gradual process in which something
changes into a different and usually more complex or better form
THE EVOLUTION OF HUMANS
THE EVOLUTION OF HUMANS
Human evolution: the process of change by which people originated from apelike ancestors.
Hominid – A human that walks upright (on 2 feet) Lucy and the Leaky footprints came from
Hominids, they walked on two feet Bipedalism – or the ability to walk on two
feet
TRAITS OF HUMANS
Physical and behavioral traits shared by all people originated evolved over a period of six million years.
human traits: bipedalism large and complex brain ability to make and use tools capacity for language complex symbolic expression, art, and
elaborate cultural diversity
HUMAN ERAS
The first eras of human existence can be separated into two sections Paleolithic: Old Stone Age from 2.5 million to
8000 B.C. Hominid Species first emerged Hominid Species began to use stone tools
intelligently Fire is discovered (Homo-Erectus)
Mesolithic: Middle Stone Age Homo Sapiens first emerged Advance in the use of stone tools
PALEOLITHIC – THE FIRST PEOPLE
Australopithecus Existed: 4 million BCE
Homo Habilis 2.5 million B.C.E
B.C.E. – means ‘before common era’ C.E. or A.D. – means ‘common era’ Homo: Human
Homo-Erectus: Existed 1.6 million BCE “Upright man”
MESOLITHIC PERIOD
Homo Sapiens: “wise man” Modern Humans The first Homo-sapiens evolved in Africa
100,000 and 400,000 years ago Homo Sapiens: Neanderthal
200,000-30,000 BCE Homo Sapiens Cro-Magnon
40,000-8,000 BCE
HUMAN FAMILY TREE
http://humanorigins.si.edu/evidence/human-family-tree