The Ape Man

Discovery and age:

Australopithecus africanus was discovered by Raymond Dart in 1924 at Taung in Africa. It belonged to the Pliocene to Pleistocene period and existed about 2 million years ago.

Physical features:

• Height was about 150 cm.
• Cranial capacity was about 600 cm³.
• It had human-like teeth but lacked a chin.
• The face and jaw still showed some primitive features.
• The posture was almost erect, indicating a transition toward upright walking.

Food and habits:

• It was omnivorous.
• It is believed to have used simple natural objects such as pebbles and bones.

Evolutionary importance:

Australopithecus africanus is considered an early hominid that showed a mixture of ape-like and human-like features. It is important because it marks a transitional stage in the path toward more advanced humans.

A-B: Australopithecus atricanus (African ape man): restoration and skull

Discovery and age:

Homo habilis was discovered by Louis Leakey in 1960 at Olduvai Gorge in Africa. It belonged to the Pleistocene and lived about 1.6 to 1.8 million years ago.

Physical features:

• Height ranged from 120 to 150 cm.
• Cranial capacity was about 680 cm³.
• It had a lighter jaw and more modern dentition than earlier forms.
• It stood fully erect.

Food and habits

• It was omnivorous.
• It is regarded as the first stone tool-maker.

Evolutionary importance:

Homo habilis is often called the handy man because of its association with early stone tools. Its improved hand use and larger brain indicate an important advance in intelligence and adaptation.

A-B: Homo habilis: skull (reconstructed) in front (A), and side (B) views

Discovery and age:

Homo erectus was discovered by Eugène Dubois in 1891 in Java. Fossils were also found in China and Africa, and the form lived about 1.7 million years ago during the Pleistocene.

Physical features:

• Height was about 150 cm.
• Cranial capacity was about 900 cm³.
• It had a heavy jaw, large teeth, and no chin.
• It stood fully erect.

Food and habits:

• It was omnivorous.
• It used advanced tools.
• It also used fire, which marks a major step in human cultural development.

Evolutionary importance:

Homo erectus is considered a direct ancestor of modern humans in many school-level evolutionary summaries. It shows a clear advance in body organisation, intelligence, mobility, and survival techniques.

A-B: Homo erectus erectus (Java ape man): A. skull; B. restoration

A-E: Some tools of prehistoric ape man: A. axe; B. spear head; C. scraper; D. polished axe; E. cutter