Human Evolution: The

Complete story of our

existence

Presented by: Group 2

BSED SOCIAL STUDIES 2

Definition of
terms
Australopithecus
Australopithecus is a genus of
extinct primates that lived in
Africa between approximately
4.18 and 2 million years ago. They
are closely related to modern
humans and are considered to be
early hominins, representing a
group of species that played a
significant role in the evolution of
humans.
Homo Habilis
Homo Habilis Homo habilis,
meaning 'handy man,' is an
extinct species of archaic
human that lived in sub-
Saharan Africa from about 2.4
to 1.5 million years ago. It is
considered one of the earliest
members of the human genus
and is known for its association
with the first known use of
stone tools.
Homo Sapiens
Homo sapiens Homo sapiens is
the scientific term for modern
humans, defining the species
to which all living human
beings belong. It is derived
from the Latin words meaning
"wise man." Homo sapiens is
the only surviving member of
the genus Homo.
 Hominin
Hominin’ refers to any bipedal
species closely related to
humans

Paleoanthropologies
Paleoanthropologists –
scientists who study human
evolution
Neanderthals
Neanderthals are an extinct
group of archaic humans,
classified as a distinct
species (Homo
neanderthalensis) or
sometimes as a subspecies
of Homo sapiens. They are
known from skeletal
remains found primarily in
Europe.
Denisovans
Denisovans are an extinct
species or subspecies of
archaic humans closely
related to modern humans.
They lived in Asia during the
Lower and Middle Paleolithic
eras, and our first
significant insights into
them came from genetic
analyses in 2010.
Homo Naledi
Homo naledi is an extinct
species of archaic human that
was discovered in 2013 in the
Rising Star Cave system in
Gauteng province, South Africa.
It is characterized by a unique
combination of both primitive
and modern anatomical features.
The name "naledi" means "star"
in the Sotho language, indicating
its significance in the
understanding of human
1. How do fossils discoveries, such
as those of Australopithecus and
homo habilis, shape our
understanding of early human
evolution?
 Australopithecus, one of the earliest known
hominins, exhibited a combination of ape-
like and human-like features, indicating a
bipedal lifestyle while still retaining
adaptations for climbing. Meanwhile, Homo
habilis showed a notable increase in brain
size and is associated with the use of stone
tools, marking a transition towards more
complex behaviors.
Whether primeval man, when he possessed
very few arts of the rudest kind, and when
his power of language was extremely
imperfect, would have deserved to be called
man, must depend on the definition which
we employ. In a series of forms graduating
insensibly from some ape-like creature to
 It seems to me more likely that H[omo] habilis and H.
erectus, as well as some of the australopithecines, were all
evolving along their own distinct lines by Lower Pleistocene
times. This would mean that their shared common ancestor
must be sought in the more remote past and that when
such examples of the parent stock are found they will not
much resemble any one of the three subsequent branches.
—Louis Leakey
In conclusion, fossil discoveries like Australopithecus and
Homo habilis are pivotal to our understanding of early
human evolution. They illuminate critical aspects of our
ancestral lineage, showcasing the anatomical features that
bridge the gap between apes and modern humans. By
revealing evolutionary relationships and providing
evidence of early tool use and bipedalism, these fossils
help us piece together the timeline of human development.
Furthermore, they underscore the adaptive strategies
employed by our ancestors in response to environmental
challenges, enriching our knowledge of the complexities of
2. What role did genetic mutations
and natural selection play in the
development of modern humans
from earlier hominids?
2.• Genetic mutations introduced new traits, while
natural selection favored those that improved
survival and reproduction, such as those involved
in brain function and development.
• Humans are primates. Physical and genetic
similarities show that the modern human species,
Homo sapiens, has a very close relationship to
another group of primate species, the apes.
Humans and the great apes (large apes) of Africa
-- chimpanzees (including bonobos, or so-called
“pygmy chimpanzees”) and gorillas -- share a
common ancestor that lived between 8 and 6
million years ago. Humans first evolved in Africa,
and much of human evolution occurred on that
continent. The fossils of early humans who lived
2.• Evolution does not change any single individual.
Instead, it changes the inherited means of growth
and development that typify a population (a group
of individuals of the same species living in a
particular habitat). Parents pass adaptive genetic
changes to their offspring, and ultimately these
changes become common throughout a
population. As a result, the offspring inherit those
genetic characteristics that enhance their chances
of survival and ability to give birth, which may
work well until the environment changes. Over
time, genetic change can alter a species' overall
way of life, such as what it eats, how it grows, and
where it can live. Human evolution took place as
new genetic variations in early ancestor
3. How did changes in climate and
environment over a million of years
influence human evolutionary
adaptation, such as bipedalism and
brain size?
3.
Natural selection was not always a
matter of ‘survival of the fittest’ but
also survival of those most adaptable
to changing surroundings.

Diverse species have emerged over

the course of human evolution, and a
suite of adaptations have
accumulated over time, including
upright walking, the capacity to make
tools, enlargement of the brain,
prolonged maturation, the emergence
of complex mental and social
3.
Brain enlargement during human evolution
has been dramatic. During the first four
million years of human evolution, brain size
increased very slowly. Encephalization, or
the evolutionary enlargement of the brain
relative to body size, was especially
pronounced over the past 800,000 years,
coinciding with the period of strongest
climate fluctuation worldwide. Larger brains
allowed hominins to process and store
information, to plan ahead, and to solve
abstract problems. A large brain able to
produce versatile solutions to new and
diverse survival challenges was, according to
the variability selection hypothesis, favored
 4. How did interbreeding between
homo sapiens, neanderthals and
denisovans contribute to the genetic
diversity of modern humans?
4.The availability of edible insects in East Asia aided the
spread of the unaggressive, highly cooperative
Neanderthals, who interbred with H. sapiens in Asia,
resulting in a higher admixture of Neanderthal DNA in
East Asian populations. Geographical variation in
degree of interbreeding between H. sapiens and
Neanderthals likely contributed to neurological and
behavioral differences in modern humans. Similarly,
people with Denisovan genetic admixture were better
able to dwell in mountainous regions, allowing their
genetic legacy to cross the Himalayas and persist in
Southeast Asian and Oceanian H. sapiens. In the Sub-
Saharan region, unaffected by Denisovan or
Neanderthal interbreeding, H. sapiens interbred with H.
heidelbergensis, because high humidity militated
 5. What are some of the key
anatomical differences between
modern humans (homo sapiens) and
other extinct human species, such as
Neanderthals and Homo erektus?
5. Everyone on the planet today, whatever they
look like and wherever they live is classified
by biologist in the species homo sapiens. But
some commentators are now suggesting that
the extinct neanderthals have a heavy brows
and big noses.
The physical traits of homo sapiens include a
high and rounded (globular) brain case and
relatively narrow pelvis.
Measurements of our braincase and pelvic
shape can reliably separate a modern human
from neanderthal - their fossils exhibit a
longer, lower skull and wider pelvis.
The three types tiny bones of our middle ear,
vital hearing, can be readily distinguished
6. How did the development of
tools, language and culture
influence the evolution of early
human societies and behavior?
6.
Tools for catching and processing game
were the biggest game changers.
Projectile weaponry played a role in
furthering the survival of our ancestors.
The Neandertals were close encounter
hunters and fighters whereas Homo
sapiens developed projectile weapons
which allowed them to hunt from a safer
distance. Homo sapiens were also more
successful in developing tools for
processing the hides and furs for clothing.
The tailored their clothing. So far, no
evidence has been found to support
Neandertal tailoring (but they did use fur
 As things became more complicated
around them, humans needed a more
complex system to convey information to
one another.
The idea here is that language was
created to help humans survive. Why?
One, humans needed to communicate
with each other in order to hunt, farm
and defend themselves successfully from
the surrounding harsh environment.
Being able to communicate using
language gave the human species a
distinct survival advantage. And two,
language was needed for social
 7. What recents advancement in DNA
analysis and ancient genomicshave
revealed new insights into the
migration pattern and evolution of early
humans populations?
7.DNA has developed from a niche area that has
recently been transformed into a very lucrative
and rising area of study and has truly advanced
our understanding of the evolutionary history of
many species. Ever since the emergence of aDNA
analysis, bone and teeth have been the most
researched substrates to retrieve an efficient
amount of DNA from the specimen. The majority
of paleontological hard tissues consist of
relatively low levels of endogenous DNA
Species Phylogenies The potential to link extinct
and extant species via molecular phylogenies is
one clear study path offered by ancient DNA
7.Archaic Hominis The abundance of newly
accessible ancient human genetic data has been
helpful in shifting our picture of the human past
from one of long-term population continuity and
isolation to one in which movement and
population mixing have played considerably major
roles

Paleopathology aDNA from microorganisms,

including pathogens and commensals, can give
insights about peoples’ health, as well as shifts in
diet and ecology of the diseases.
Adaptation From several studies, it has been
 8. What is the significance of the
discovery of Homo naledi and other
newly identified species in
understanding the complexity of human
evolution?
8.• The first homo naledi were discovered by cavers in
a remote almost inaccessible chamber deep within
the rising star cave system
• Homo naledi displayed a unique combination of
human and non human traits throughout it's
skeleton
• It much more primitive. The species small brain
and the shape of its upper body are more similar
to the pre human australopithecines and the very
early human species homo habilis
• The mixture of traits of homo naledi highlights
once again the complexity of the human family
tree prof stringer
• Homo naledi highlights, once again, that we can't
think of human evolution in terms of ape-like
 9. How does the study of comparative
anatomy and genetics between humans
and our closest living relative like
chimpanzees and banobos help us trace
our evolutionary history?
9.• comparative anatomy, the comparative study of
the body structures of different species of
animals in order to understand the adaptive
changes they have undergone in the course of
evolution from common ancestors.
• Darwin and other 19th-century biologists found
compelling evidence for biological evolution in
the comparative study of living organisms, in
their geographic distribution, and in the fossil
remains of extinct organisms.
• The amount of information about evolutionary
history stored in the DNA and proteins of living
things is virtually unlimited; scientists can
reconstruct any detail of the evolutionary history
of life by investing sufficient time and laboratory
Thank
You