The Story of PREHISTORY This is the story of our world before people learned to write.

Africa is where it all started Find HADAR on the map. It is in Ethiopia in eastern Africa. More than 3 million years ago, a creature by the name of AUSTRALOPITHECUS AFARENSIS, we’ll call her “LUCY” learned to walk on two legs, not four! Lucy was short, just over 3 feet tall. Her bones, now fossils are pictured at the left. Her fossil was discovered by an ANTHROPOLOGIST named Johananson in 1974.

The Origin of Species -- Lots of changes over lots of years Anthropologists have learned that Homo, the animal family to which you and I belong, began about 2.5 million years ago - a half million years after Lucy, but also in Africa.

Map of Hominid Fossils found in Africa Look at all the places in Africa where anthropologists have found Hominid fossils!!! I have a green backpack on!

Homo Habilis 2.5 million years ago Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania Mr. Homo Habilis, you can call him “Tool Man” was good with his hands. He’s the first to make tools. Look at the way he turned a stone into a tool

Homo Erectus 1.5 million years ago BIG news about Homo Erectus! He stands up all of the time. Look at his LONG, STRONG legs. Look how much larger his brain has grown. He cooperates with others to hunt. He and his people have spread over all of Africa and moved north in Europe and east into much of Asia.

Homo Erectus gains a great new skill By 750,000 years ago, Homo Erectus learns to master fire. How does this make his life better? different? Can you name three ways?

Two Kinds of Hominids live in Europe, but only one survives Let’s meet our closest Homo ancestors. Neanderthal man comes first. You’ve probably seen GEICO’s cave man on TV! He’s NOT DUMB! He can talk. He hunts in groups. He decorates his caves with art. He cares for the sick. He buries his dead with gifts. But for some reason, he loses out to his rival, Cro-Magnon Man

Cro-magnon Man Look familiar? Not that different from us! He’s even smarter than Neanderthal – which is probably why he won out. What were his smarts? He invented clothing that fit. He invented needles made from bird bones, and thread from tendon fiber He invented weaving to make fabric He invented musical instruments He began to trade He painted in the caves where he lived

Cromagnon’s Art Talent

Homo Sapiens Sapiens Now that brings us up to date! We are all Homo Sapiens Sapiens.