hominids

Nobody has found the missing link between modern humans and our animal ancestors yet.

Paleontologists have discovered some fossils which belong to a group of creatures that we call hominids.

Hominids looked like apes and had small brains. We know they walked on two legs and used stone tools.

Scientists believe that our ancestors looked like them. The earliest hominids, we know of, lived in Africa.

That was between 4 million and 800 000 years ago.

They are called australopithecines which means “southern apes”.

Australopithecines walked upright like us but had much smaller brains and were shorter than modern humans.

Early hominids spent most of their time on the ground looking for food. They ate mainly plants and little meat. Scientists learned that fact by studying their teeth.

Austrolopithecines had flat faces and climbed trees to hide from predators such as the sabre-toothed cat.

Archaelogists found some choppers and hammers made from pebbles which austrolopithecines knew how to make and use.

In 1964, paleontologist Louis Leaky discovered some fossils of an unknown then hominid. It was 1,7 million years old.

The fossils belonged to a 27 kg. female with a larger brain. Scientists named her “Lucy” and put her in another category of human-like creatures called Homo habilis. Homo habilis means “handy man”.

“Handy man” lived in nowadays Kenya and Tanzania and was able to hold objects firmly. Homo habilis used tools and probably ate more meat compared to the early australopithecines.

Olduval Gorge, on the Serengeti plains, is where archaelogists found most of the hominid fossils we know about.

Africa

Lucy

stone tools

Hominid

Homo Habilis

fossils – Lucy

Olduvai Gorge

sabre-toothed cat

ancestors – an early type of plant or animal from which others have evolved

paleolontologists – scientists who study the forms of life existing in former geologic periods

fossils – any remains of a living thing of a former geologic age

hominids – any primate of the family Hominidae, which includes modern man

Prehistory dates back to when people used stone tools and didn’t know how to write.

It is divided into two major periods called Paleolithic Age and Neolithic Age. The word “prehistory” means the time when people were unable to write their history down.

The first hominids appeared in eastern Africa about 2 million years ago. Scientists call them australopithecines.

They mark the beginning of Paleolithic Age. People were nomads and they used to hunt and forage for their own food.

They didn’t have permanent homes and lived in caves or under cliffs.

Early people wore clothes made from animal skin and didn’t know how to cook their food.

They had simple tools made of stone and animal bones. These tools were very primitive but helped them survive the harsh conditions of their everyday lives. Prehistoric people died young and had no effective medicine.

Gradually, people learned how to make more sophisticated tools and clothes. They also started building houses and living in communities.

Eventually, humans learned how to work the land, build villages and establish trade routes between settlements.

The prehistoric period (Paleolithic Age + Neolithic Age) came to an end with the invention of writing which happened at different times in different places.

For example, in South-west Asia writing came around 3000 BC.

Everything we know about this period we owe to archaeologists.

Prehistoric people didn’t leave written records so scientists have to dig carefully to look for artefacts.

When they happen to find a piece of broken pottery, a tool or foundations of settlements, archaeologists build an archaeological site and start studying the evidence.

Their job is to figure out the purpose of the artefact and work out the dates of the remains they find.

Hominids

Neolithic House

Stone Tools

Prehistoric Art

Mammoth Shelter

Nobody has found the missing link between modern humans and our animal ancestors yet.

Paleontologists have discovered some fossils which belong to a group of creatures that we call hominids.

Hominids looked like apes and had small brains. We know they walked on two legs and used stone tools.

Scientists believe that our ancestors looked like them. The earliest hominids, we know of, lived in Africa.

That was between 4 million and 800 000 years ago.

They are called australopithecines which means “southern apes”.

Australopithecines walked upright like us but had much smaller brains and were shorter than modern humans.

Early hominids spent most of their time on the ground looking for food. They ate mainly plants and little meat. Scientists learned that fact by studying their teeth.

Austrolopithecines had flat faces and climbed trees to hide from predators such as the sabre-toothed cat.

Archaelogists found some choppers and hammers made from pebbles which austrolopithecines knew how to make and use.

In 1964, paleontologist Louis Leaky discovered some fossils of an unknown then hominid. It was 1,7 million years old.

The fossils belonged to a 27 kg. female with a larger brain. Scientists named her “Lucy” and put her in another category of human-like creatures called Homo habilis. Homo habilis means “handy man”.

“Handy man” lived in nowadays Kenya and Tanzania and was able to hold objects firmly. Homo habilis used tools and probably ate more meat compared to the early australopithecines.

Olduval Gorge, on the Serengeti plains, is where archaelogists found most of the hominid fossils we know about.

ancestors – an early type of plant or animal from which others have evolved

paleolontologists – scientists who study the forms of life existing in former geologic periods

fossils – any remains of a living thing of a former geologic age

hominids – any primate of the family Hominidae, which includes modern man

Prehistory dates back to when people used stone tools and didn’t know how to write.

It is divided into two major periods called Paleolithic Age and Neolithic Age. The word “prehistory” means the time when people were unable to write their history down.

The first hominids appeared in eastern Africa about 2 million years ago. Scientists call them australopithecines.

They mark the beginning of Paleolithic Age. People were nomads and they used to hunt and forage for their own food.

They didn’t have permanent homes and lived in caves or under cliffs.

Early people wore clothes made from animal skin and didn’t know how to cook their food.

They had simple tools made of stone and animal bones. These tools were very primitive but helped them survive the harsh conditions of their everyday lives. Prehistoric people died young and had no effective medicine.

Gradually, people learned how to make more sophisticated tools and clothes. They also started building houses and living in communities.

Eventually, humans learned how to work the land, build villages and establish trade routes between settlements.

The prehistoric period (Paleolithic Age + Neolithic Age) came to an end with the invention of writing which happened at different times in different places.

For example, in South-west Asia writing came around 3000 BC.

Everything we know about this period we owe to archaeologists.

Prehistoric people didn’t leave written records so scientists have to dig carefully to look for artefacts.

When they happen to find a piece of broken pottery, a tool or foundations of settlements, archaeologists build an archaeological site and start studying the evidence.

Their job is to figure out the purpose of the artefact and work out the dates of the remains they find.

hominids – the first human-apes that came down from the trees and started walking on two legs

nomads – people who have no permanent home but move from place to place in search of food

forage – to search for food

primitive – simple

archaeologists – a person who studies human history through analysis of artefacts

artefacts – an object made by a human being of historical interest

archaeological site – is a place where we can find physical remains of past human activities