Episode 2 In the Beginning

Human Prehistory and the First Civilizations

Dr Brian M Fagan (2003)

Film Review

Primates are an order of mammals divided into Anthropoids (apes, humans and monkeys) and Prosimians (lemura and other pre-monkeys).

The suborder hominidae differentiated from chimpanzees 7-5 million years ago. The date can be determined fairly precisely from a genetic mutation found in all hominidae in blood albumin. The most prominent hominidae species was Autralopithicus. It’s believed hominidae evolved as Africa became drier and jungle regions were increasingly transformed into grasslands (savanna). As savanna dwellers, hominidae were exposed to numerous predators and had to stand upright to survive (it helped them run faster). It was also much harder to find food on the savanna, and early hominids became much more dependent on meat than their chimpanzee relatives.

Fossil finds:

• 1924 – Taung South Africa Australopithecus africanus skeleton dating 3-7 million years ago
• 2002 – Toumai Chad hominid skull 6-7 millions years ago (debatable whether ape or hominid)
• 1992 Ethiopia – Ethiopia Ardipithecus ramidis, earliest hominid skeleton discovered (dating from 4 to .5 million years ago) walked upright.
• 1978 Kenya – Australopithecus afarenis 3.8 million years ago 3.5-4 feet tall. Nicknamed Lucy.
• 1978 Kenya – Mary Leaky discovered Australopithecus footprints dating 2.5 million years ago show evidence of slow rolling gait (unlike modern humans).

Human brain size increased along with social intelligence as hominids gradually figured figured out how to find and catch meat.

Three million year ago Australopithecus aferenis split into two different lines, with one becoming true humans who made tools.

https://www.kanopy.com/en/pukeariki/watch/video/15061946/15061950