The next Family to
come after these Earliest Humans, was the Homo
family (of which H. sapiens (Modern Humans)
is a later member), about 2.4 million years ago (mya) Meanwhile, the Families
of the Earliest Humans - Australopithecus
and Paranthropus lived near the Homo family. However, these earlier Families had little
interaction with the Homo
Family. About two mya, several distinctive
members (who had larger brains than the previous Early Humans) of the Homo Family appeared – H. gautengensis, H. habilis, and H. rudolfensis. With his larger teeth, H. guatengensis specialized in eating plants. Slimmer H.
habilis (“Handy Man”) could make simple stone tools, while stocker and
heavier H. rudolfensis ate grass
roots.
About 1.8 mya, H. ergaster and H. erectus
of the Homo Family appeared. These Early Humans developed a complex tool
making culture, such as using hammer stones to break open nuts. Furthermore because of the hot African climate,
their bigger brains needed more cooling.
Therefore these Humans possessed more sweat glands and was less hairy.
Then
H. erectus did something remarkable: She migrated out of Africa to Eurasia, adapting to the new places with strange
plants and animals. Since the seasons in
Eurasia were more pronounced and cooler, H.
erectus was forced to become more inventive: She discovered fire. From the evidence found in the campfires of Peking
Man of Asia, H. erectus built and
used fire about 1.8 mya. This gave Her a
means to cook food and keep warm, which meant that She could master the
environment.
The Early Homo Family urges us to leave the safety of our homes and venture
out in the unknown. They will show us how
to meet the challenges of new ways of living.
With their help, we can discover our own inner fires, thereby changing
our own lives.
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