Origin and evolution of humans
From ape-like Dryopithecus to modern Homo sapiens, human ancestors became upright, made tools and grew bigger brains: 650 to 800 cc in Homo habilis to 1400 cc in Neanderthals.
Stages of human evolution
| Stage | When | Brain size | Key features |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dryopithecus and Ramapithecus | About 15 million years ago | Not given | Hairy; walked like gorillas and chimpanzees; Ramapithecus more man-like, Dryopithecus more ape-like |
| Man-like primates of East Africa | About 3 to 4 million years ago | Not given | Fossils from Ethiopia and Tanzania; probably not taller than 4 feet; walked upright |
| Australopithecines | About 2 million years ago | Not given | East African grasslands; hunted with stone weapons but mainly ate fruit |
| Homo habilis | About 2 million years ago | 650 to 800 cc | First hominid; probably did not eat meat |
| Homo erectus | About 1.5 million years ago | About 900 cc | Fossils found in Java (1891); probably ate meat |
| Neanderthal man | 1,00,000 to 40,000 years ago | About 1400 cc | Near East and Central Asia; hides to cover the body; buried the dead |
| Homo sapiens | Modern form during the ice age, 75,000 to 10,000 years ago | Not given | Arose in Africa, spread across continents into distinct races |
The sequence to remember
Brain sizes in the links belong to the stage the arrow points to.
Milestones of modern humans
- Prehistoric cave art developed about 18,000 years ago. You can see such paintings at the Bhimbetka rock shelters in Raisen district, Madhya Pradesh.
- Agriculture began about 10,000 years ago, and humans started living in settlements.
- After that, the story is the history of human civilisation.
- Main trends across the stages: upright posture, larger brain, use of tools, change from fruit to a mixed diet with meat, and care of the dead.
Two names students mix up
Both were hairy and walked like gorillas and chimpanzees.
The Bhimbetka rock shelters near Bhopal, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, preserve paintings of animals, hunting and dancing made by early humans. A school trip there is a walk through the last chapter of human evolution.
2 marks: “Give the brain capacities of Homo habilis, Homo erectus and Neanderthal man.” Homo habilis 650 to 800 cc; Homo erectus about 900 cc; Neanderthal man about 1400 cc.
3 marks: “Trace the evolution of humans from Dryopithecus to Homo sapiens.” Dryopithecus and Ramapithecus (15 mya), upright man-like primates (3 to 4 mya), Australopithecines (2 mya, stone weapons), Homo habilis (650 to 800 cc), Homo erectus (900 cc, meat), Neanderthal (1400 cc, burial), Homo sapiens (Africa, ice age).
D R A H E N S: Dryo, Rama, Australo, Habilis, Erectus, Neanderthal, Sapiens. Brains grow 650, 900, 1400.