KEY CONCEPT Humans appeared late in Earth’s history.

Humans share a common ancestor with other primates. Primates are mammals with flexible hands and feet, forward-looking eyes (3-D) and enlarged brains and opposable thumbs. Ex. Lemurs, monkeys, apes, humans

Primates evolved into prosimians and anthropoids. Prosimians are the oldest living primates. They are mostly small and nocturnal. Ex. Tarsiers, lemurs, lorises, bushbaby Most primitive primate, mainly nocturnal and small Evolved 40 million years ago

Anthropoids are humanlike primates. They are subdivided into the New World monkeys, Old World monkeys, and hominoids. Hominoids are divided into hominids, great apes (orangutans, chimpanzees, and gorillas), and lesser apes (gibbons) Hominids include living and extinct humans. Walk upright, long lower limbs, opposable thumb, large brain.

Bipedal means walking on two legs. foraging carrying infants and food using tools Walking upright has important adaptive advantages.

There are many fossils of extinct hominids. Most hominids are either the genus Australopithecus or Homo. The Homo genus first evolved 2.4 million years ago. H. neanderthalensis- 200,000 to 30,000 years ago in the Neander Valley of Germany

Modern humans arose about 200,000 years ago. Homo sapiens fossils date to 200,000 years ago. Ethiopia Human evolution is influenced by a tool-based culture. There is a trend toward increased brain size in hominids. Australopithecus afarensis Homo habilis Homo neanderthalensis Homo sapiens