THE

EARLY
MEN

THE APPEARANCE OF EARLY HUMANS

Scientists believe that Homo sapiens,

that is human beings, came into
existence about 100,000 years ago. so
many ancient skeletons suggest that
other beings, similar to humans, lived
nearly 4 million years before that time.
Human and pre-humans are called
hominids, two legged primates
Anthropologists called the early prehumans as Australopithecines southern
apes

Australopithecines, very early

human ancestors, spent some
of their time in trees.
Australopithecines had long,
curved fingers that helped them
grasp branches for climbing. In
this artists rendering, members
of a group of the species
Australopithecus africanus
forage for fruits and leaves in
the treetops, where they are
safe from such potential
predators as lions. Although
australopithecines were good
tree-climbers, they also walked

LUCY
The oldest known skeleton
was that of a female. She
was probably 3.5 feet tall
and may have lived about
4 million years ago. She is
one of the most complete
skeletons of an early
ancestor of humans ever
found. She walked upright.
20 years old when she died.

Australopithecus afarensis

Homo habilis man of skill

Lived during the first

quarter of the
Paleolithic period.
Their larger brains
indicate that they
were more
physically and
mentally advanced.

Homo erectus person who walks upright

They were food gatherers
women gathered fruits, nuts,
and seeds while men looked
for meat. By about 50,000
years ago, the males had
become hunters, using spears
to kills deer, pigs and rabbits.
They learned how to make fire
keep warm, cook food, and
scare away wild animals, and
enabled them to live in caves.
They also made clothing.
Developed speech.

Homo sapiens person who thinks

They were probably Neanderthals, Neander
Valley in Germany, where their remains were
first discovered. They stood about 5.5 feet tall.
Their brains were slightly larger than those of
modern human beings, & they had thick bones.
Neanderthals were nomadic hunter-gatherers
who used fire for warmth and for cooking their
food, but their tool making ability was more
sophisticated than those of Homo erectus. They
crafted stone, knives, spears, and bone tools.
They were advanced culturally.

Cro-Magnons
They were anatomically modern people.
They were the first people to inhabit in
Europe, living there at time when
glaciers covered much of the continent
and the climate was often bitterly cold.
They had high forehead, small brow
ridges, and a well defined chin.
Hunters and gatherers who lived off the
bounty of nature.