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Australopithecus Afarnsis (Southern Ape)
The Australopithecus Afarnsis is the earliest modern human. Australopithecus Afarnsis lived 3 - 4 million years ago in Africa. They were around 3 feet tall and looked like apes with long arms and a rounded head. They had a fairly small brain compared to us humans. They had not yet made and used tools. Some special skills that Australopithecus Afarnsis had were they were biped, which means they walk on two feet. This made it easier to gather and carry food. They were the first hominids. -
Homo Habilis (Handy Man)
Homo Habilis lived 1.5 - 2 million years B.C.E. in Africa. Homo Habilis was around 4 feet tall and their brains were twice the size of Australopithecus Afarnsis’ brains. Some tools that they made were chopping tools, sewing needles, and grinding tools. Homo Habilis’ biggest skill was tool making. They were the first hominids to make and use tools. This skill was important because tools helped Homo Habilis survive. Homo Habilis is Latin for handy man. -
Homo Erectus (Upright Man)
Homo Erectus lived 1.8 – 2 million years ago in Asia and Europe. Homo Erectus was about 5 feet tall with round, smooth foreheads. Some tools Homo Erectus used are the hand ax and fire. Fire was their most important tool, it would scare off animals. Homo Erectus’ biggest skills were making fires, tool making, and traveling. Homo Erectus were nomads. -
Homo Sapiens Neanderthalensis (Neanderthals)
Homo Sapiens Neanderthalensis lived in Africa, Europe, and Asia 2 million years ago. Homo Sapiens Neanderthalensis’ have hunched backs.Their hands and arms dragged on the ground, kind of like apes. Some of the tools they used were knives, scrapers, and spear points. Tool making was their biggest skill. -
Homo Sapiens Sapiens (Early Modern Humans)
Homo Sapiens Sapiens lived 35,000 – 12,000 B.C.E. in Europe, Africa, Asia, and Australia. They later spread out into North and South America. Homo Sapiens Sapiens had high, rounded skulls, small teeth, a large brain and slender bones. They created engraving and sculpting tools, and sewing needles. One skill Homo Sapiens Sapiens had was making tools.
