Homo Habilis-
meaning- dexterous man
time- 2.33 to 1.44 million years ago (overlap with paranthropus)
Brain size- 550 cm3 to 687 cm3 (150% of australopithecus,smallest human size - 855 cm3)
Location- East and South Africa
physical characters-
About 2.2 million years ago, at about the same time as the first appearance of Australopithecus robustus, a new creature appeared, displaying more human-like characteristics than any preceding it. Fossil remains of this type of hominid, Homo habilis, were first discovered in 1960 by Jonathan Leakey at Olduvai Gorge in east Africa. In 1986, Donald Johanson and Tim White found additional fossils at Olduvai Gorge, including arm and leg bones.
The ancestors of Homo habilis dealt with late Pliocene climate changes in a daring manner. They risked encounters with saber-toothed cats, hyenas, and other predators by increasingly becoming predators themselves. Habilis supplemented nourishment from gathering fruits, berries and nuts, by also scavenging and hunting.
Homo habilis had a slimmer build and smaller teeth than any of the australopithecines. Significantly, habilis also had a larger brain of 600 to 800 cc, and hands with fully opposable thumbs. Its remains are often accompanied by simple stone tools: choppers, hammer stones, scrapers and flakes. Homo habilis (dexterous man) was typically 5 feet tall and weighed about 50 kgs.
Oldowan toolsThe very earliest stone tools have been associated with Homo habilis and are termed Oldowan, after Olduvai Gorge where they were first found. Early Oldowan tools are estimated to date back to about 2.5 million years ago and consist of crudely flaked chopper cores. These chunky flakes were produced by direct percussion using a suitable hammer stone, something like a piece of granite. The hammer stone would then have been used to touch up the initial flake and produce a finer cutting edge. It is possible that development of the earliest tool-making techniques predated Homo habilis, which would make some of the australopithecines the first tool makers.
The simple tools made by Homo habilis included those with sharp edges for cutting through hide to reach the meat of prey animals. Clubs, sharpened sticks, and edged stones could be used not only against prey, but as defensive weapons. Meat provided a compact source of protein and calories. The increase in meat consumption by Homo habilis required an adaptation of the digestive system, with a proportionally larger stomach and smaller intestine than the australopithecines.
The relatively large brain size of Homo habilis likely resulted in an extended period of helplessness for habilis infants. Since brain size at birth is restricted by the size of the pelvic opening, there would need to be a lengthy childhood during which the habilis brain grew to adult size. This extended childhood provided the time necessary to learn special skills such as toolmaking and coordinated hunting.
The stereoscopic vision that these early members of the Homo genus inherited from their arboreal ancestors suited their hunting endeavors. Like the leopards and saber-toothed cats they began to compete with, the bipedal hunters had forward-looking eyes that gave them superior depth perception.
This species is thought to be the ancestor of the lankier and more sophisticated Homo ergaster, which in turn gave rise to the more human-appearing species Homo erectus.
meaning- dexterous man
time- 2.33 to 1.44 million years ago (overlap with paranthropus)
Brain size- 550 cm3 to 687 cm3 (150% of australopithecus,smallest human size - 855 cm3)
Location- East and South Africa
physical characters-
The ancestors of Homo habilis dealt with late Pliocene climate changes in a daring manner. They risked encounters with saber-toothed cats, hyenas, and other predators by increasingly becoming predators themselves. Habilis supplemented nourishment from gathering fruits, berries and nuts, by also scavenging and hunting.
Homo habilis had a slimmer build and smaller teeth than any of the australopithecines. Significantly, habilis also had a larger brain of 600 to 800 cc, and hands with fully opposable thumbs. Its remains are often accompanied by simple stone tools: choppers, hammer stones, scrapers and flakes. Homo habilis (dexterous man) was typically 5 feet tall and weighed about 50 kgs.
Oldowan toolsThe very earliest stone tools have been associated with Homo habilis and are termed Oldowan, after Olduvai Gorge where they were first found. Early Oldowan tools are estimated to date back to about 2.5 million years ago and consist of crudely flaked chopper cores. These chunky flakes were produced by direct percussion using a suitable hammer stone, something like a piece of granite. The hammer stone would then have been used to touch up the initial flake and produce a finer cutting edge. It is possible that development of the earliest tool-making techniques predated Homo habilis, which would make some of the australopithecines the first tool makers.
The simple tools made by Homo habilis included those with sharp edges for cutting through hide to reach the meat of prey animals. Clubs, sharpened sticks, and edged stones could be used not only against prey, but as defensive weapons. Meat provided a compact source of protein and calories. The increase in meat consumption by Homo habilis required an adaptation of the digestive system, with a proportionally larger stomach and smaller intestine than the australopithecines.
The relatively large brain size of Homo habilis likely resulted in an extended period of helplessness for habilis infants. Since brain size at birth is restricted by the size of the pelvic opening, there would need to be a lengthy childhood during which the habilis brain grew to adult size. This extended childhood provided the time necessary to learn special skills such as toolmaking and coordinated hunting.
The stereoscopic vision that these early members of the Homo genus inherited from their arboreal ancestors suited their hunting endeavors. Like the leopards and saber-toothed cats they began to compete with, the bipedal hunters had forward-looking eyes that gave them superior depth perception.
This species is thought to be the ancestor of the lankier and more sophisticated Homo ergaster, which in turn gave rise to the more human-appearing species Homo erectus.
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