FIRST HUMANS

        The Australopithecus were the first humanlike creatures who could walk in an upright posture with their hands free, as indicated by the fossils found in Tanzania and Ethiopia. It is believed

that climatic changes, nutritional adaptations and energy storage for

movement contributed to bipedalism. In any case, their short legs and long

arms are seen as indications that they were only occasional walkers. Their cranium was very different from ours, and their brain was the size of a chimpanzee's. 

       There is no proof that they used stone tools. Perhaps they made simple tools with sticks, but they lacked the intelligence to make more sophisticated utensils.

Adaptation to the Environment

        The climatic changes that occurred during the Miocene probably transformed the tropical rainforest into savannah. Various species of hominins left their habitats in the trees and went down to the grasslands in search of food. It is conjectured that the first hominins began to stand up to see over the grasslands. Archaeological Findings The fossil skull of a child was found in 1924 in the Tang mine (South Africa). The remains included the face with a jaw and tooth fragments as well as skull bones The brain cavity had been replaced with fossilized minerals. Later, in 1975, footprints of hominins were found in Laetoli (Tanzania). It is believed that more than three million years ago, after a rain that followed a volcanic eruption, various specimens left their tracks in the moist volcanic ash.

The emergence of Homo habilis, which had a more humanlike appearance than Australopithecus,

in eastern Africa, showed important anatomical modifications that allowed advancement,

especially in the creation of various stone tools, such as flaked pebbles for cutting and scraping

and even hand axes. The bipedal posture for locomotion was established, and the first signs of

language appeared. Stone technology became possible thanks to the notable increase in brain size

in Homo habilis. In turn, the anatomical development of Homo erectus facilitated its migration

towards areas far from its African origins, and it appears to have populated Europe and Asia, where

it travelled as far as the Pacific Ocean. Homo erectus was capable of discovering fire, a vital element

that improved human nutrition and provided protection from the cold.

  Homo habilis.

       The appearance of Homo habilis in eastern Africa between 2 and 15 million years ago marked a significant advancement in the evolution of the human genus. The increased brain size and other anatomical changes together with the development of stone technology were substantive developments in this species, whose name means 'h
andy man'. Although it fed on carrion, it was still not capable of hunting on its own.

THE BRAIN

         The cranial cavity of Homo habills was larger than  that of Australopithecus, reaching a cerebral development of between 650 and 800 cubic centimetres . It is believed that this characteristic was key in developing the capacity of making tools, considering that it had half the brain size of modern humans.

Homo erectus

        The 'erect man' is native to East Africa, and its age is estimated at 18 million years.

It was the first hominin to leave Africa. In a short time it populated a great part of

Europe. In Asia it reached China to the east and the island of Java to the southeast. Much

of what is known about this species was learned from a finding called Turkana Boy near

Lake Turkana, Kenya, in 1984. This species was tall and had long limbs. The brain of this

specimen was larger than that of Homo habilis, and it could have made the fundamental

discovery of making fire.