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Period: 3 BCE to 2 BCE
Australopithecus afarensis
The Australopithecus afarensis (Latin: "Southern ape from Afar") is a direct ancestor of humans. The lived from 3.9 to 2.9 million years ago. The famous Lucy skeleton is a 3.2 million year old Australopithecus afarensis female. Australopithecus afarensis remains have only been discovered in Eastern Africa. -
Period: 2 BCE to 1 BCE
Homo habilis
Homo habilis (Latin: "handy man" or "skillful person") lived between 2.2 and 1.5 million years ago. Homo habilis is the oldest known member of the genus Homo. Homo habilis was on average 4'3 and had much longer arms, relative to its size, than modern humans. The first Homo habilis remains unearthed by Jonathan Leakey in Tanzania on November 4, 1960.