The first fossil representative of the human genus Homo was Homo habilis (the tool maker). They were existed in africa about 3.5 million years ago. The extinct species of Homo are called the prehistoric men.
- They were 4 to 5 feet tall in height.
- They walked erect and were about 40 to 50 kg in weight.
- They were omnivorous.
- The cranial capacity was about 700cc.
- They made sharp tools of stone and used them for hunting and defence.
- They were more intelligent and cunning.
- They led community life in caves.
Homo erectus : During 1.7 million years ago Homo erectus were appeared. They were called Java man. This was discovered by Eugene Dubois in Java in 1891 and Peking man from central capacity of Java man was about 750-900cc and Peking man was 850-1300cc.
- They were mainly big game hunters.
- They used fire and progressed with time using high quality stone tools.
- They stood uprite and about 5 feet tall.
- They used rudimentary language.
- They are among the first group of fossils to be found in Europe and Asia.
- They lived in groups in caves.
Homo sapiens neanderthalensis (Neanderthal Man) : It was first found in Neanderthal valley near Durseldorf in Germany (1856) and later in Europe, Africa and west Asia. It lived about 70000 to 40000 years ago almost all over the world. It shows following features :
- It resembled modern man but was relatively short , stocky and heavily built.
- They made tools and used animals for clothing.
- The skull was large with thick cranial walls, prominent supra orbital ridges and a receding forehead.
- They lived in caves and buried their dead.
- They used fire for cooking and protection. Fire kept them warm and discouraged carnivorous animals from entering their caves.
- Their cranial capacity ranged from 1350-1700cc. They have short stature and about 5feet in height.
- They were capable of communicating each other and had developed primitive type of social life,religion and culture.
- It is usually belived that they become extinct due to the cold weather or possibly due to tough compitation . Cro- Magnons may have killed the Neanderthals. It is also possible that the two groups interbred and the Neanderthals lost their identity.
Cro-Magnon Man : Cro-Magnon man appeared in Europe about 34000 years ago. It was an early form of Homo sapiens. Its fossils are identical as that of modern human skeleton.
- They resembled modern man in size and appearance.
- They were good hunters and used stone tools,weapons,spears and arrows.
- They used to live in caves and have left beautiful pictures of animals on the cave walls in France and Spain.
- They used animals for clothing.
- They were 5 to 6 feet tall and have erect posture.
- They have flat forehead without supra orbital ridges.
- Their cranial capacity was about 1600cc.
- They have prominent chin and narrow nose.
Modern Man :
About 10,000 years ago man emerged from dark caves, built huts of animal skins into open and began a sedentary communal life. they spread all over the world and became a dominating species. They domesticated animals, learned to plant crops,store food and brought cultural revolution with superior intelligence. Brain is believed to be one of the important charcterstics that allows Homo sapiens to dominant the biological world today. They have erect posture. The hands help in skilled work , create new things and write. brain has superior intelligence and memory, thinking and creating power, coordination of facts and events. The hand and brain make man superior animal and dominant species.
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