Study Guide- Early Humans

What are the names of the three prehistoric eras ?

Paleolithic, Mesolithic and Neolithic

What term is used to describe each era based upon the tools that were

made and used ?

Old, middle and new stone age

What scientific family classification do early human

ancestors and humans belong to ?

Hominid

What are the 2 genus names of hominids ?

Australopithecus and Homo

What are the 3 species of the genus Homo and what does each name mean ?

Homo habilis – Handy Man

Homo erectus= Standing Man

Homo Sapien = Wise man

Which Hominid was first to control fire, migrate and use a hand axe ?

Homo Erectus

Which Hominid created fire ?

Homo Sapiens

What are the two types of homo sapiens ?

Neanderthal and Cro Magnon

What were the defining features of hunter

gatherer societies ?

Paleolithic ( Stone Age): small groups, gather plants, seeds,

fruits, nuts; men hunted; painted caves, learned to use

fire to cook, developed language

What steps did humans take in developing tools and how did these tools improve their

lives ?

Old Stone Age – tools of stone , sharpened one side using another rock, other

side = handle – called choppers, used for food ;cut, chop or scrape roots, bones,

meat (Homo Habilis)

Hand Axe from flint used to break tree limbs, dig , cut

animal hides(Homo Erectus) same tools for variety of

purposes

Attach wooden handles creating spears to hunt larger

animals like deer, horses, bison and mammoths (Homo

Sapiens )

How did climate and geologic changes affect human development ?

1.6 million yra Ice Ages lasting 10,000 years created land bridge: Migrations from Africa to Asia to SE Asia and

Europe took place

Colder climate led to using animal skins to sew clothing, using caves for shelter and then building shelters called pit shelters then tents, wood,

stone and bones

Colder climate led to man making fire

Warmer climate led to new plants growing; wheat and barley growing wild drew people to settle where grains grew

Humans learned how seeds could be used to grow own crops; changing plants and

animals to be more useful to humans = domestication = shift to gathering to food producing is Neolithic

Revolution

What were some basic ingredients to the

agriculture revolution ?

Climate change to make newer plants

Understanding how to grow and domesticate

plants and animals

Language to share knowledge

Tools

Use of fire

How did the agricultural revolution of the Neolithic

era change human culture ?

Stability from growing and raising plants and animals and using animals for tasks

( carry, pull)

Not just survival means time to make clothes, build

permanent settlements, growth in population, towns,

religious ceremonies ( megathliths = huge stone

monuments maybe for religion

Surplus of crops to trade and store

Time to specialize: tool makers, builders, fishers, craftspersons, priests and

leaders

Environment changed as animals forced out with land being used to farm, plants

and trees cleared

Pottery to store food, weaving baskets and cloth

Where were early humans thought to live first and where and why did they

migrate to other locations ?

1.6 million yra Ice Ages lasting 10,000 years created a land bridge: humans moved from Africa to Asia to SE Asia and

then Europe

Who are some of the archaeologists and

anthropologists who found some of the earliest remains

of early humans and their communities ?

Mary Leakey

Donald Johanson (found Lucy)

Louis Leakey (homo habilis bones)

Raymond Dart (Taung - child skull of australopihtecine)

What were some of the most famous

archaeologist excavation sites and names of

remains they found ?

The Otzal Alps of Italy : Otzi the Iceman found

Terra Amata - site of homo erectus hunters and gatherers

Catal Huyuk in Turkey - a neolithic town

France - Caves of Lascaux - art