THE HOMINID BRANCH OF THE

PRIMATE TREE IS ONLY A FEW MILLION

YEARS OLD
Evolution of Primates

The Primates include a wide

variety of organisms,
including lemurs, tarsiers,
monkeys, and apes.

The earliest primates raised

65 m.y.a. and they were
probably arboreal (tree-
dwellers)
HUMANS AND CHIMPANZEES

• Diverged from a common ancestor, probably

between 5 and 7 million years ago.
• Chimpanzees and humans are phylogenetic
cousins since both have a common ancestor,
which was a small arboreal mammal primate.
PALEOANTHROPOLOGY

• Is the study of human origins and evolution focuses on this

tiny slice of biological history.If we compress the history of
life to a year, the human branch has only existed for less than
18 hours. Paleoanthropologists have unhearthed fossils of
approximately 20 species of extinct hominids, species that
are more closely related to humans.
 TIME LINE FOR HOMINID SPECIES

Hominins did not evolve in a

straight line leading directly to
Homo sapiens. At times several
hominin species coexisted, and
some must have been dead ends
that did not give rise to new
lineages.

Hominin diversity increased

dramatically in the period
between 4 and 2 million years
ago. By 1 million years ago, only
species of Homo existed.
Eventually, all Homo species
except one—our own—ended in
extinction.
TIME LINE FOR HOMINID SPECIES
1. According to the picture, indicate the name or names of the
species of hominins that coexisted at the following ages.
• 3.5 millions of years ago
• 2.0 millions of years ago
• 1.5 millions of years ago
• 4.5 millions of years ago

2. Indicate the range of time each of the following species

were on the Earth according to the timeline.
• Australopithecus africanus
• Homo habilis
• Paranthropus boisei
• Australopithecus afarensis
 CHARACTERISTICS IN EVOLUTION OF HOMININ
SPECIES

BIPEDALISM
Paleoanthropologist suggest
there are two characteristics
that made hominins diverge
from other apes.
INCREASED
BRAIN SIZE
 CHARACTERISTICS IN EVOLUTION OF HOMININ
SPECIES

BIPEDALISM

The ability hominins

developed to walk upright,
using only the hind limbs.

Such feature gave possibility

to humans for gathering
food, handling tools, and
protect from predators
nearby and catch preys.
 CHARACTERISTICS IN EVOLUTION OF HOMININ
SPECIES

INCREASED
BRAIN SIZE
Brain size increased as the
hominin species emerged as
a consequence of the
creativity, social interaction
and reduction in
comsumption of raw proteins
because of cooking.
 CHARACTERISTICS IN EVOLUTION OF HOMININ
SPECIES

Neanderthals

A Species which is closely

related to Homo sapiens
species. Both Species could
have interbreed about 40000
years ago, but Neanderthals
were not as creative and
very reduced capability of
symbolic thought.