Human Beginning in Africa

Human Beginnings in Africa

Sheron Earle/ 8th Grade

The Early Sites

Other Discovery Sites

Early Homonids

Australopithecus

• Name means “southern ape” • appeared in Africa about -5 million years ago • stood upright and walked on two legs • Brain was about one third the size of modern humans.

Homo habilis

• Name means “handy man”• Appeared in Africa about 2.4 million years ago • Used early stone tools for chopping and scraping • Brain was about half the size of modern humans

Homo erectus

• Name means “upright man” • Appeared in Africa about 2–1.5 million years ago • Used early stone tools like the hand ax • Learned to control fire • Migrated out of Africa to Asia and Europe

Homo sapiens

• Name means “wise man”
• Appeared in Africa about 200,000 years ago
• Migrated around the world
• Same species as modern human beings
• Learned to create fire and use a wide variety of tools

Neanderthalensis

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The Middle Stone Age

The Early Stone Age

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The Iron Age

The Later Stone Age

Africans Adapt to Different Environments