186AUSTRALOPITHECUS AFARENSIS HOMO HABILIS HOMO ERECTUSTIMELINE OF HOMINIDS
Dated: 2.3–1.6 mya
Tools found with
fossil remains
that had large
skulls.Dated: over 4 mya
Fossils found in
Africa with very low
forehead and
projecting face.Dated: 1.8 mya–300,000 ya
Fossils in Africa,
Europe, and Asia
found with long,
low skulls and
large molar teeth.Early people
From the limited fossil records, historians can only make
suggestions at the possible origins of humans. There were
many different hominids—“ape-men” that walked upright—
but over five million years all but one became extinct. Only
the successful Homo sapiens survived to roam the Earth.
OUT OF THE FORESTS
Many historians think that more
than five million years ago
(mya), apelike creatures moved
out of the forests of Africa to live
on open ground. To survive,
they learned to stand and walk
upright to see farther and move
quickly, leaving their hands free
to carry possessions and learn
new skills. About one mya,
early people migrated out of
Africa and spread out across
the continents.AUSTRALIA
Reached here about
60,000 years ago (ya)AFRICA
Lived here
over 4 myaEUROPEASIAINDIAN
OCEANPACIFIC
OCEANNORTH
AMERICA
Reached here
about 40,000 yaSOUTH
AMERICAHISTORY AND POLITICS
Reached here
about 1 mya