Page 1
Theme1 From the Beginning of Time
Beginning of human existence
First man-like creatures originated Modern humans originated
(5.6 mya) (160,000 years ago)
Sources
Fossils stone tools cave paintings
• Fossils, stone tools and cave paintings help us to understand early human history.
• About 200 years ago, many scholars refused to accept these remains.
• This was due to their belief in the Old Testament of the Bible.
• According to this, human origin was regarded as an act of Creation by God.
• In 1856, workmen who were quarrying for limestone in the Neander valley (Germany) found a skull
and some skeletal fragments.
• They handed over their find over to Carl Fuhlrott, a local naturalist.
• He took the material to anatomist HermanSchaaffhausen at Bonn University.
• They jointly published a paper claiming that this skull represented a form of human that was
extinct.
• On 24 November 1859, Charles Darwin published On the Origin of Species.
• He argued that humans had evolved from animals
The Story of Human Evolution
• The story of human evolution is enormously long and complicated
• By about 24 mya,there emerged a sub group amongst primates called hominoids.(In Asia and
Africa)
• This included apes and humans.
• Hominids were evolved from hominoids and share certain common features. There are major
differences between the two also.
Hominoids Hominids
1
Smaller brain, larger body
Longer period of infant
development and dependency
Do not have a tail
Quadrupeds
Upright posture
Bipedal locomotion
Large brain,
Specialization of hand
Page 2
Theme1 From the Beginning of Time
Beginning of human existence
First man-like creatures originated Modern humans originated
(5.6 mya) (160,000 years ago)
Sources
Fossils stone tools cave paintings
• Fossils, stone tools and cave paintings help us to understand early human history.
• About 200 years ago, many scholars refused to accept these remains.
• This was due to their belief in the Old Testament of the Bible.
• According to this, human origin was regarded as an act of Creation by God.
• In 1856, workmen who were quarrying for limestone in the Neander valley (Germany) found a skull
and some skeletal fragments.
• They handed over their find over to Carl Fuhlrott, a local naturalist.
• He took the material to anatomist HermanSchaaffhausen at Bonn University.
• They jointly published a paper claiming that this skull represented a form of human that was
extinct.
• On 24 November 1859, Charles Darwin published On the Origin of Species.
• He argued that humans had evolved from animals
The Story of Human Evolution
• The story of human evolution is enormously long and complicated
• By about 24 mya,there emerged a sub group amongst primates called hominoids.(In Asia and
Africa)
• This included apes and humans.
• Hominids were evolved from hominoids and share certain common features. There are major
differences between the two also.
Hominoids Hominids
1
Smaller brain, larger body
Longer period of infant
development and dependency
Do not have a tail
Quadrupeds
Upright posture
Bipedal locomotion
Large brain,
Specialization of hand
Hominids belong to a family known as Homindae. Hominids are further divided in to branches
(genus) of which Australopithecus and Homo are important
Hominids
? Latin word ‘austral’
meaning ‘Southern’
? Greek word’pithekos’
Meaning ‘ape’.
? They retained many features of apes.
? They have a small brain size, heavier jaws
and larger teeth.
? Fossils discovered from Olduvai Gorge in
East Africa
? 5.6 mya
? Latin word Homo
Meaning ‘man’
? They have larger brain, jaws with a
reduced outward protrusion and smaller
teeth.
? 2.5 mya.
Types of Homo
Types of Homo Meaning Fossils found
Homo habilis 2.2mya Tool maker Omo,Ethiopia,Olduvai Gorge in East Africa
Homo erectus 1.8 mya Upright man Africa and Asia
Homo Sapiens 0.8 mya Wise man Africa ,Asia and Europe
Fossils of Homo sapiens.
? The earliest fossils of Homo sapiens from Europe have been found in Heidelberg, Germany and
were called Homo heildelbergensis.
? Fossils found in Neander valley were categorized as Homo neanderthalensis
Benefits of Bipedalism (Erect position)
1. Carrying objects- upright posture freed the arms to carry various objects(including offspring)
2. Visual surveillance -standing up provided better view of surroundings
3. Long distance walking was more efficient for biped than for a quadruped. (during hunting
and foraging)
4. Less energy is consumed while waking when compared to the movement of the quadruped
2
Australopithecus Homo
Page 3
Theme1 From the Beginning of Time
Beginning of human existence
First man-like creatures originated Modern humans originated
(5.6 mya) (160,000 years ago)
Sources
Fossils stone tools cave paintings
• Fossils, stone tools and cave paintings help us to understand early human history.
• About 200 years ago, many scholars refused to accept these remains.
• This was due to their belief in the Old Testament of the Bible.
• According to this, human origin was regarded as an act of Creation by God.
• In 1856, workmen who were quarrying for limestone in the Neander valley (Germany) found a skull
and some skeletal fragments.
• They handed over their find over to Carl Fuhlrott, a local naturalist.
• He took the material to anatomist HermanSchaaffhausen at Bonn University.
• They jointly published a paper claiming that this skull represented a form of human that was
extinct.
• On 24 November 1859, Charles Darwin published On the Origin of Species.
• He argued that humans had evolved from animals
The Story of Human Evolution
• The story of human evolution is enormously long and complicated
• By about 24 mya,there emerged a sub group amongst primates called hominoids.(In Asia and
Africa)
• This included apes and humans.
• Hominids were evolved from hominoids and share certain common features. There are major
differences between the two also.
Hominoids Hominids
1
Smaller brain, larger body
Longer period of infant
development and dependency
Do not have a tail
Quadrupeds
Upright posture
Bipedal locomotion
Large brain,
Specialization of hand
Hominids belong to a family known as Homindae. Hominids are further divided in to branches
(genus) of which Australopithecus and Homo are important
Hominids
? Latin word ‘austral’
meaning ‘Southern’
? Greek word’pithekos’
Meaning ‘ape’.
? They retained many features of apes.
? They have a small brain size, heavier jaws
and larger teeth.
? Fossils discovered from Olduvai Gorge in
East Africa
? 5.6 mya
? Latin word Homo
Meaning ‘man’
? They have larger brain, jaws with a
reduced outward protrusion and smaller
teeth.
? 2.5 mya.
Types of Homo
Types of Homo Meaning Fossils found
Homo habilis 2.2mya Tool maker Omo,Ethiopia,Olduvai Gorge in East Africa
Homo erectus 1.8 mya Upright man Africa and Asia
Homo Sapiens 0.8 mya Wise man Africa ,Asia and Europe
Fossils of Homo sapiens.
? The earliest fossils of Homo sapiens from Europe have been found in Heidelberg, Germany and
were called Homo heildelbergensis.
? Fossils found in Neander valley were categorized as Homo neanderthalensis
Benefits of Bipedalism (Erect position)
1. Carrying objects- upright posture freed the arms to carry various objects(including offspring)
2. Visual surveillance -standing up provided better view of surroundings
3. Long distance walking was more efficient for biped than for a quadruped. (during hunting
and foraging)
4. Less energy is consumed while waking when compared to the movement of the quadruped
2
Australopithecus Homo
Glaciation (Ice age)
The onset of glaciations, around 2.5 mya, brought major changes in climate vegetation. Reduction in
temperatures rainfall and expansion of grassland led to the extinction of Australopithecus. The species
that were better adapted to drier conditions were the representatives of Homo.
Modern Human Beings
There are 2 main theories for the origin of modern humans- Replacement model and Regional continuity
model
Regional continuity model Replacement model
(Multi regional origin) (Single region origin)
Early Humans: Ways of obtaining food
Early humans would have obtained food through gathering, hunting, scavenging and fishing.
• Gathering-Early humans collected plant foods such as seeds, nuts, berries, fruits and tubers.
• Scavenging- Early humans scavenged or foraged for meat of animals that had died or had killed by
other predators. Small mammals such as rodents, birds, reptiles and even insects were eaten by
early humans.
• Hunting-Hunting probably began by about 500,000 years ago.
3
Humans evolved simultaneously
in different parts of the World
from local archaic humans.
There is regional difference in
the features of modern humans.
Dissimilarities are due to
differences between Homo
heildelbergensis and Homo
neanderthalensis
Humans originated in Africa.
Archaic humans were replaced by
modern humans
Genetic and anatomical homogeneity
support this view
Similarity is due to origin from a
single region
The earliest fossils of modern
humans (from Omo in Ethiopia)
support this view
Page 4
Theme1 From the Beginning of Time
Beginning of human existence
First man-like creatures originated Modern humans originated
(5.6 mya) (160,000 years ago)
Sources
Fossils stone tools cave paintings
• Fossils, stone tools and cave paintings help us to understand early human history.
• About 200 years ago, many scholars refused to accept these remains.
• This was due to their belief in the Old Testament of the Bible.
• According to this, human origin was regarded as an act of Creation by God.
• In 1856, workmen who were quarrying for limestone in the Neander valley (Germany) found a skull
and some skeletal fragments.
• They handed over their find over to Carl Fuhlrott, a local naturalist.
• He took the material to anatomist HermanSchaaffhausen at Bonn University.
• They jointly published a paper claiming that this skull represented a form of human that was
extinct.
• On 24 November 1859, Charles Darwin published On the Origin of Species.
• He argued that humans had evolved from animals
The Story of Human Evolution
• The story of human evolution is enormously long and complicated
• By about 24 mya,there emerged a sub group amongst primates called hominoids.(In Asia and
Africa)
• This included apes and humans.
• Hominids were evolved from hominoids and share certain common features. There are major
differences between the two also.
Hominoids Hominids
1
Smaller brain, larger body
Longer period of infant
development and dependency
Do not have a tail
Quadrupeds
Upright posture
Bipedal locomotion
Large brain,
Specialization of hand
Hominids belong to a family known as Homindae. Hominids are further divided in to branches
(genus) of which Australopithecus and Homo are important
Hominids
? Latin word ‘austral’
meaning ‘Southern’
? Greek word’pithekos’
Meaning ‘ape’.
? They retained many features of apes.
? They have a small brain size, heavier jaws
and larger teeth.
? Fossils discovered from Olduvai Gorge in
East Africa
? 5.6 mya
? Latin word Homo
Meaning ‘man’
? They have larger brain, jaws with a
reduced outward protrusion and smaller
teeth.
? 2.5 mya.
Types of Homo
Types of Homo Meaning Fossils found
Homo habilis 2.2mya Tool maker Omo,Ethiopia,Olduvai Gorge in East Africa
Homo erectus 1.8 mya Upright man Africa and Asia
Homo Sapiens 0.8 mya Wise man Africa ,Asia and Europe
Fossils of Homo sapiens.
? The earliest fossils of Homo sapiens from Europe have been found in Heidelberg, Germany and
were called Homo heildelbergensis.
? Fossils found in Neander valley were categorized as Homo neanderthalensis
Benefits of Bipedalism (Erect position)
1. Carrying objects- upright posture freed the arms to carry various objects(including offspring)
2. Visual surveillance -standing up provided better view of surroundings
3. Long distance walking was more efficient for biped than for a quadruped. (during hunting
and foraging)
4. Less energy is consumed while waking when compared to the movement of the quadruped
2
Australopithecus Homo
Glaciation (Ice age)
The onset of glaciations, around 2.5 mya, brought major changes in climate vegetation. Reduction in
temperatures rainfall and expansion of grassland led to the extinction of Australopithecus. The species
that were better adapted to drier conditions were the representatives of Homo.
Modern Human Beings
There are 2 main theories for the origin of modern humans- Replacement model and Regional continuity
model
Regional continuity model Replacement model
(Multi regional origin) (Single region origin)
Early Humans: Ways of obtaining food
Early humans would have obtained food through gathering, hunting, scavenging and fishing.
• Gathering-Early humans collected plant foods such as seeds, nuts, berries, fruits and tubers.
• Scavenging- Early humans scavenged or foraged for meat of animals that had died or had killed by
other predators. Small mammals such as rodents, birds, reptiles and even insects were eaten by
early humans.
• Hunting-Hunting probably began by about 500,000 years ago.
3
Humans evolved simultaneously
in different parts of the World
from local archaic humans.
There is regional difference in
the features of modern humans.
Dissimilarities are due to
differences between Homo
heildelbergensis and Homo
neanderthalensis
Humans originated in Africa.
Archaic humans were replaced by
modern humans
Genetic and anatomical homogeneity
support this view
Similarity is due to origin from a
single region
The earliest fossils of modern
humans (from Omo in Ethiopia)
support this view
The evidence for the planned hunting comes from some sites:
1. Box grove in southern England
2. Schoningen in Germany
3. Dolni Vestonice in Czech Republic
? Sites near rivers have been chosen by them for planned hunting. Herds of migratory animals
crossed the river during their spring and autumn migrations. People knew the movement of these
animals and killed them.
Fishing -Fishing was also important, as is evident from the discovery of fish bones at different sites.
Early Humans: From Trees, to Caves and Open-air Sites
• By plotting the distribution of artefacts, we can find out the place of residence of the hominids.
• Thousands of flake tools and hand axes have been excavated at Kilombe and Olorgesailie(Kenya)
• In some areas, food resources were abundant and people visited repeatedly.
• People would leave traces of their activities and presence, including artefacts.
• The deposited artefacts would accumulate in one place.
• The places where less visited would have fewer artefacts. The artefacts may have been scattered
over the surface.
• Between 400,000 and 125,000 years ago, caves and open-air sites began to be used.
• In the Lazaret cave in southern France, a 12x4 metre shelter was built.Inside it were two hearths
and evidence of different food sources.
• At Terra Amata in southern France, flimsy shelters with roofs of wood and grass were built for
short term, seasonal visits.
• Pieces of baked clay and burnt bone along with stone tools have been found at some sites in
South Africa.
• We do not know these were the result of a natural bushfire or volcanic eruption or controlled use
of fire.
The uses of fire
To provide warmth and light inside caves
To harden wood
To scare away dangerous animals
For cooking
For flaking tools
4
Page 5
Theme1 From the Beginning of Time
Beginning of human existence
First man-like creatures originated Modern humans originated
(5.6 mya) (160,000 years ago)
Sources
Fossils stone tools cave paintings
• Fossils, stone tools and cave paintings help us to understand early human history.
• About 200 years ago, many scholars refused to accept these remains.
• This was due to their belief in the Old Testament of the Bible.
• According to this, human origin was regarded as an act of Creation by God.
• In 1856, workmen who were quarrying for limestone in the Neander valley (Germany) found a skull
and some skeletal fragments.
• They handed over their find over to Carl Fuhlrott, a local naturalist.
• He took the material to anatomist HermanSchaaffhausen at Bonn University.
• They jointly published a paper claiming that this skull represented a form of human that was
extinct.
• On 24 November 1859, Charles Darwin published On the Origin of Species.
• He argued that humans had evolved from animals
The Story of Human Evolution
• The story of human evolution is enormously long and complicated
• By about 24 mya,there emerged a sub group amongst primates called hominoids.(In Asia and
Africa)
• This included apes and humans.
• Hominids were evolved from hominoids and share certain common features. There are major
differences between the two also.
Hominoids Hominids
1
Smaller brain, larger body
Longer period of infant
development and dependency
Do not have a tail
Quadrupeds
Upright posture
Bipedal locomotion
Large brain,
Specialization of hand
Hominids belong to a family known as Homindae. Hominids are further divided in to branches
(genus) of which Australopithecus and Homo are important
Hominids
? Latin word ‘austral’
meaning ‘Southern’
? Greek word’pithekos’
Meaning ‘ape’.
? They retained many features of apes.
? They have a small brain size, heavier jaws
and larger teeth.
? Fossils discovered from Olduvai Gorge in
East Africa
? 5.6 mya
? Latin word Homo
Meaning ‘man’
? They have larger brain, jaws with a
reduced outward protrusion and smaller
teeth.
? 2.5 mya.
Types of Homo
Types of Homo Meaning Fossils found
Homo habilis 2.2mya Tool maker Omo,Ethiopia,Olduvai Gorge in East Africa
Homo erectus 1.8 mya Upright man Africa and Asia
Homo Sapiens 0.8 mya Wise man Africa ,Asia and Europe
Fossils of Homo sapiens.
? The earliest fossils of Homo sapiens from Europe have been found in Heidelberg, Germany and
were called Homo heildelbergensis.
? Fossils found in Neander valley were categorized as Homo neanderthalensis
Benefits of Bipedalism (Erect position)
1. Carrying objects- upright posture freed the arms to carry various objects(including offspring)
2. Visual surveillance -standing up provided better view of surroundings
3. Long distance walking was more efficient for biped than for a quadruped. (during hunting
and foraging)
4. Less energy is consumed while waking when compared to the movement of the quadruped
2
Australopithecus Homo
Glaciation (Ice age)
The onset of glaciations, around 2.5 mya, brought major changes in climate vegetation. Reduction in
temperatures rainfall and expansion of grassland led to the extinction of Australopithecus. The species
that were better adapted to drier conditions were the representatives of Homo.
Modern Human Beings
There are 2 main theories for the origin of modern humans- Replacement model and Regional continuity
model
Regional continuity model Replacement model
(Multi regional origin) (Single region origin)
Early Humans: Ways of obtaining food
Early humans would have obtained food through gathering, hunting, scavenging and fishing.
• Gathering-Early humans collected plant foods such as seeds, nuts, berries, fruits and tubers.
• Scavenging- Early humans scavenged or foraged for meat of animals that had died or had killed by
other predators. Small mammals such as rodents, birds, reptiles and even insects were eaten by
early humans.
• Hunting-Hunting probably began by about 500,000 years ago.
3
Humans evolved simultaneously
in different parts of the World
from local archaic humans.
There is regional difference in
the features of modern humans.
Dissimilarities are due to
differences between Homo
heildelbergensis and Homo
neanderthalensis
Humans originated in Africa.
Archaic humans were replaced by
modern humans
Genetic and anatomical homogeneity
support this view
Similarity is due to origin from a
single region
The earliest fossils of modern
humans (from Omo in Ethiopia)
support this view
The evidence for the planned hunting comes from some sites:
1. Box grove in southern England
2. Schoningen in Germany
3. Dolni Vestonice in Czech Republic
? Sites near rivers have been chosen by them for planned hunting. Herds of migratory animals
crossed the river during their spring and autumn migrations. People knew the movement of these
animals and killed them.
Fishing -Fishing was also important, as is evident from the discovery of fish bones at different sites.
Early Humans: From Trees, to Caves and Open-air Sites
• By plotting the distribution of artefacts, we can find out the place of residence of the hominids.
• Thousands of flake tools and hand axes have been excavated at Kilombe and Olorgesailie(Kenya)
• In some areas, food resources were abundant and people visited repeatedly.
• People would leave traces of their activities and presence, including artefacts.
• The deposited artefacts would accumulate in one place.
• The places where less visited would have fewer artefacts. The artefacts may have been scattered
over the surface.
• Between 400,000 and 125,000 years ago, caves and open-air sites began to be used.
• In the Lazaret cave in southern France, a 12x4 metre shelter was built.Inside it were two hearths
and evidence of different food sources.
• At Terra Amata in southern France, flimsy shelters with roofs of wood and grass were built for
short term, seasonal visits.
• Pieces of baked clay and burnt bone along with stone tools have been found at some sites in
South Africa.
• We do not know these were the result of a natural bushfire or volcanic eruption or controlled use
of fire.
The uses of fire
To provide warmth and light inside caves
To harden wood
To scare away dangerous animals
For cooking
For flaking tools
4
Early Humans: Making Tools
• The ways in which humans make tools require greater memory and complex organizational skills.
• The earliest evidence for the making and use of stone tools comes from sites in Ethiopia and
Kenya.
• The earliest tool makers were the Australopithecus.
• We do not know whether tool making was done by men or women or both.
• About 35,000 years ago, there were changes in human tool making.
• New kinds of tools such as spear-throwers and the bow and arrow were used for killing animals.
• The meat thus obtained was processed by removing the bones, followed by drying, smoking and
storage
• Thus, food could be stored for later consumption.
• Trapping of fur-bearing animals and the invention of sewing needles were other changes.
• The earliest evidence of sewn clothing comes from about 21,000 years ago.
• The punch blade technique was introduced to make small chisel-like tools.
It was now possible to make engravings on bone, antler, ivory or Wood
Modes of Communication: Language and Art
Language:
• Among living beings, it is humans alone that have a language.
• There are several views on language development. They are,
• 1.hominid language involved gestures or hand movements
• 2.spoken language was preceded by vocal but non verbal communication
• 3.human speech probably began with calls among primates
When did spoken language emerge? It has been suggested that
• 1. The brain of Homo habilis had certain features which would have made it possible for
them to speak. Thus language may have developed as early as 2mya.
• 2. The evolution of vocal tract was equally important. This occurred around 200,000 years ago
• 3 Language developed around the same time as art, that is, around 40,000-35,000 years ago.
Art:
• Hundreds of paintings have been discovered in the caves of Lascaux (/la-sko/) and
Chauvet(/show-vay/)in France and Altamira in Spain).(These include depictions of
bison,horses,ibex,deer,mammoths,rhinos, lions bears, panthers, hyenas and owls.
• We have no idea why they made these paintings.
• One of the explanations for these paintings is ritual.
• The act of painting was a ritual to ensure a successful hunt
• Another explanation is that these caves were meeting places for small groups of people or
locations for group activities. They shared hunting techniques and knowledge.
• Thus, Paintings served as the media for passing information from one generation to the next.
5
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