Genus Homo

1. Genus Homo

2. • Hominin = a habitually bipedal primates.

3. Early Hominins
• All the early hominins were found in
Africa. They all were relatively small
brained and used comparatively simple
technology.

4. Emergence of Genus Homo
• Around 2.2 million years ago, we start
seeing the emergence of Genus Homo
in Africa.

6. Genus Homo: the generalities
• Larger brains than Early Hominins
• Skulls are less ape-like.
• More complex culture, including the use
of stone tools.

7. Homo habilis
• Homo habilis (literally:
handy man) is one of
the earliest members of
Genus Homo to be
identified.
• Despite having a larger
brain then earlier
hominins, Homo habilis
still had archaic
features.

8. Archaic Features
• Brow Ridges
• Sloping Forehead
• Prognathism
• Lack of a chin

9. Homo habilis
• Had an average brain size of around
680ml, nearly 50% larger than previous
hominins.
• First fossil we associate with the use of
stone tools.

10. Homo habilis skull (left)
vs. Australopithecus (right)

11. Stone Tools

12. Homo ergaster 1.9-1.4 mya
• Homo ergaster is a
possible ancestor of
Homo erectus and
possibly also an
ancestor of Homo
heildebergensis.

13. Homo erectus 1.8 mya to
50,000 years ago.

14. Homo erectus
• Larger brain: 1000ml on average (and
as large as 1250ml).
• Prominent brow ridges and prognathism

15. Migration
• Homo erectus is widely believed to be
the first hominin to migrate out of Africa.

16. “Tuang Child” Endocast

17. Endocast Reconstruction of
Homo erectus

18. Brain Regions

19. Speech
• The bones attached to the larynx and
pharynx indicate Homo erectus had the
ability to make the sounds necessary for
speech…
• Furthermore the neural structures for
speech production and recognition are
present in the brains of Homo erectus.

20. Homo heidelbergensis
• Found about 400-
600,000 years ago
• Was possibly the
first hominin to bury
their dead.
• May be the direct
ancestor of both
Homo sapiens and
Neanderthals.

21. Homo neanderthalensis
• Homo neanderthalensis or
Neanderthals: between 225,000 and
28,000 years ago.
• Neanderthals lived through the
Pleistocene a period characterized by a
series of glacial advances (Ice Age).

22. Neanderthals
• Large brains
• Heavy brow ridges
and sloping
forehead
• Built heavier and
stockier than
contemporary
humans

24. Neanderthal Adaptations to
the Cold
• Short, stocky bodies: conserved heat in
the core.
• Long, broad noses would have warmed
the cold air that they inhaled.

25. Humans vs. Neanderthal

26. Interbreeding?
• There is evidence that the majority of
people of non-African origin have
between 2 and 4% Neanderthal DNA.
• This means, that modern humans and
Neanderthals were the same species.
They should be referred to as Homo
sapiens sapiens and Homo sapiens
neanderthalensis.

27. Modern Humans
• Modern Humans (Homo sapiens)
probably emerged around 150,000
years ago.
• Have flat faces
• Lack heavy brow ridges
• Have “globular” skulls rather than
elongated ones.
• Presence of a chin

28. Modern Humans
• The earliest anatomically modern
humans are found in Africa.

29. Modern Human Skull

31. Bering Strait Land Bridge