Key Points
Key Points: Prior to Ape Man
| Feature | Dryopithecus | Ramapithecus |
|---|---|---|
| Geological age | Middle Miocene to early Pliocene (≈20 million years ago) | Pliocene (≈12–14 million years ago) |
| Place of discovery | North Africa and Europe | Shivalik Hills (India) and Africa |
| Body posture | Semi-erect | More upright, man-like |
| Jaws and teeth | Broad jaws, large canines, 5-cusped molars | Smaller delicate jaws, semi-circular dental arch |
| Brain and ancestry | Brain size 500–700 cc; common ancestor of apes and humans | Small brain; considered earliest direct ancestor of humans |
Key Points: The Ape Man
| Feature | Australopithecus africanus | Homo habilis | Homo erectus |
|---|---|---|---|
| Discoverer | Raymond Dart (1924) | Louis Leakey (1960) | Eugène Dubois (1891) |
| Geological age | Pliocene–Pleistocene (~2 mya) | Pleistocene (1.6–1.8 mya) | Pleistocene (~1.7 mya) |
| Place | Taung, Africa | Olduvai Gorge, Africa | Java; also China & Africa |
| Height | ~150 cm | 120–150 cm | ~150 cm |
| Cranial capacity | ~600 cm³ | ~680 cm³ | ~900 cm³ |
| Posture | Almost erect | Fully erect | Fully erect |
| Jaw & teeth | Human-like teeth, no chin | Lighter jaw, modern dentition | Heavy jaw, large teeth, no chin |
| Diet | Omnivorous | Omnivorous | Omnivorous |
| Tools | Used pebbles/bones | First stone tool-maker | Advanced tools; used fire |
| Significance | Early hominid | “Handy man” | Direct ancestor of modern man |
Key Points: The Early Man
| Feature | Neanderthal Man(Homo sapiens neanderthalensis) | Cro-Magnon Man(Homo sapiens fossilis) | Modern Man(Homo sapiens sapiens) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age | 150,000 – 25,000 years ago | 50,000 – 20,000 years ago | ~11,000 years ago to present |
| Discovery | Neanderthal Valley, Germany (1856) | Cro-Magnon, France (1868) | France, Java, South Africa |
| Height | < 150 cm, short and stout | ~180 cm, tall and sturdy | Variable, generally tall |
| Cranial capacity | ~1450 cm³ | ~1660 cm³ | ~1350–1400 cm³ |
| Skull features | Low forehead, heavy brow ridges, no chin | High forehead, reduced brow ridges, prominent chin | High forehead, reduced brow ridges, well-developed chin |
| Posture | Fully erect | Fully erect | Fully erect |
| Tools | Well-made flint tools | Advanced stone tools, ornaments | Highly advanced tools & technology |
| Lifestyle | Cave dweller, nomadic | Cave dweller, hunter | Settled life, agriculture & domestication |
| Culture | Buried dead, primitive language | Art, ornaments, religious beliefs | Advanced language, culture & civilisation |
| Evolutionary status | Extinct | Direct ancestor of modern man | Present-day human |
Key Points: Stages of Human Evolution
| Ancestor | Time | Key Features |
|---|---|---|
| Dryopithecus | 20-25 mya | Ape-like, hairy, ate soft fruits/leaves, large brain |
| Ramapithecus | 14-12 mya | More man-like, walked erect, teeth like modern man |
| Australopithecus | 4-1.8 mya | First ape man; East Africa; hunted with stones; brain 400-600 cc |
| Homo habilis | 2.5-1.4 mya | First hominid; East Africa; brain 650-800 cc; did not eat meat |
| Homo erectus erectus | 1.5 mya | Java man; brain 900 cc; probably ate meat |
| Homo erectus pekinensis | 1.5 mya | Peking man; brain 850-1200 cc; used fire for cooking |
| Homo sapiens neanderthalensis | 1,00,000-40,000 yrs ago | Neanderthal man; brain 1400 cc; buried dead; extinct 25,000 yrs ago |
| Homo sapiens (Cro-Magnon) | 34,000 yrs ago | Brain 1650 cc; most intelligent; stone age; Palaeolithic |
| Homo sapiens sapiens | 75,000-10,000 yrs ago | Modern man; cave art; agriculture ~10,000 yrs ago; civilisation began |
Key Points: Social Behaviour in Human Evolution
- Family systems and cooperation replaced competition.
- Long childhood helped cultural learning.
- Speech improved communication.
- Tools and fire increased survival.
- Culture and technology developed.
Concepts [10]
- Scientific Perspectives on Human Origins
- Place of Man in the Animal Kingdom
- Early Human Ancestors > Prior to Ape Man
- Early Human Ancestors > The Ape Man
- Early Human Ancestors > The Early Man
- Man Vs Ape
- Average Cranial Capacities of Apes and Men
- Stages of Human Evolution
- Social Behaviour in Human Evolution
- The Man of Future
