Hominids, or humans and species with humanlike characteristics, have been found in Eastern Africa
One of the earliest hominids are the australopithecines that lived 4.5 million and 1 millions years ago
African Beginnings
Lucy- 4 feet tall, walked on two legs, and used hands to hold things
Variations of Australopithecines show that they lived in different places (forests and grasslands)
Paleolithic Era
-Homo Habilis
Lived 2.5 million years ago in Africa
Walked upright, larger brain in a rounder skull, and smaller face and jaws
Made tools (homo habilis means handy person)
This marked the beginning of the Paleolithic Era which began about 2.5 million years ago and ended 10,000 years ago
Lived only in Africa
Ate mostly plants and meat
Got meat by hunting or from leftover animals
Lived in grassy areas near water sources and trees
-Homo Erectus
Lived 1.9 millions years ago in Africa
Homo erectus means “upright person”
Larger and stronger than earlier hominids
Made better tools like stone axes and spears
First hominid to master use of fire
Used fire from lighting or volcanoes but also started fires
They used fires to cook and keep animals away, and stayed in colder places
Developed some speech, worked better, traveled farther in groups, hunted, shared food and solved problems together
Beyond Africa
About 2 million years ago, the Earth’s climate turned colder and drier
Animals and hominids migrated to settle outside of Africa
Bones and stone tools of homo erectus have been found in Asia and Europe
Homo erectus were better at survival
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