Most scientists agree that humans, apes, and monkeys share a common ancestor based on evidence from fossils that show traits of both humans and apes. Primates first evolved from mouse-like mammals and include humans, apes, monkeys and lemurs. While chimpanzees are humans' closest living relative, the earliest hominids showed the ability to walk upright and had smaller teeth, flatter faces and larger brains than other primates. Over time, hominids such as Australopithecines, Homo habilis and Homo erectus appeared with increasingly advanced traits and tool usage, until only Homo sapiens exist today.

1. Humans and Other Primates

2. Theories
 Most scientists agree that there is
enough evidence to support the
theory that humans, apes, and
monkeys share a common
ancestor
 Many fossils of organisms show
traits of both humans and apes

3. Primates
 Primates: a group of mammals that
includes humans, apes, monkeys, and
lemurs
 Have opposable thumbs (5 flexible
fingers)
 Have binocular vision (eyes are
located on front of head and provide
3-D vision

5. First primates
Ancestors of
primates were
mouse-like
mammals that
were active at
night, lived in
trees, and ate
insects

6.  First primates did not exist until
dinosaurs died out
 Chimpanzee is the closest living
relative of humans
 This doesn’t mean that humans
descended from chimps
 Means that humans and chimps had a
common ancestor

9. Hominids
 Humans are in a family separate from
other primates
 Hominids: includes only humans and
their human-like ancestors
 Main characteristic that separates
hominids from other primates is
bipedalism walking up right on two
feet

11. Hominids Through Time
 Scientists have named at least 18
types of hominids
 Earliest hominids
 Ability to walk upright, smaller teeth,
flatter faces, larger brains that earlier
primates
 Oldest hominid fossils have been found
in Africa

12. Australopithecines
 Members of this
group were
similar to apes
but different in
several ways
 Some may have
used stone tools
 Climbed trees,
but walked on
two legs

13. Variety of Early Hominids
 Global Hominids
 About 2.3 million years ago, new group of
hominids appeared
 Larger and more complex brains, rounder
skulls, and flatter faces that earlier
hominids
 Showed advanced tool-making abilities
 Walked upright

14.  Members of group
Homo, which includes
modern humans (Homo
Sapiens)
 Early member of this
group was Homo
hablis, which lived 2
million year ago
 Homo erectus appeared
a million years later and
grew as tall as modern
humans

16. Recent Hominids
 As recently as 30,000 years ago, two
types of hominids may have lived in the
same areas at the same time
 Both had largest brains of any hominid
 More advanced tools, clothing, and art
 Modern humans may have descended
from one of these two types of hominids

17.  Neanderthals
 Lived in Europe and
western Asia
 Hunted large animals,
made fires, and wore
clothing
 Disappeared 30,000
years ago and no one
knows what caused
their extinction

18.  Early and Modern
Humans
 Modern humans
are classified as
Homo sapiens
 Earliest group
existed in Africa
 Of all known
hominids, only
Homo sapiens exist
 Seem to be the
first to create art