Major Milestones in Human Evolution

6 Million years ago: Becoming Bipedal

-The oldest evidence for walking on two legs comes from one of the earliest humans
known, Sahenlanthropus. Walking upright may have helped this species survive in the
diverse habitats near where it lived- including forests and grasslands.

4 Million years ago: Mostly Bipedal

-During this time, early human species lived near open areas and dense woods. Their
bodies had evolved in ways that enabled them to walk upright most of the time, but still
climb trees. As a result, they could take advantage of both hands.

2.6 Million years ago: Dawn of Technology

-The earliest tools were simple stone flakes and cores. For more than 2 million years,
early humans used tools to cut, pound, crush, and access new foods- including meat
from large animals.

800, 000 years ago: Control of Fire

-Control of fire provided a new tool with several uses- including cooking, which led to a
fundamental change in the early human diet. Early humans probably gathered around
campfires to socialize, to find comfort and warm, to share food and information, and to
find safety from predators.
-metallurgy
-pottery (culture sharing)

800, 000-200, 000 years ago: Rapid Increase in Brain Size

-Human brain size evolved most rapidly during a time of dramatic climate change.
Larger, more complex brains enabled early humans of this time period to interact with
each other and with their surrounding in new and different ways. As the environment
became more unpredictable, bigger brains helped our ancestors survive.
-survival of the fitness
-climate change will lead to unpredictable environments such as wild animals leaving a
particular area because water is running out. In turn, some paleo-anthropologists
believed that our ancestors that adapted to these changing environments survived and
those who could not, died out.

12, 000 years ago: The Turning Point

- Eventually, humans found they could control the growth and breeding of certain plants
and animals. This discovery led to farming and herding animals, activities that
transformed Earth’s natural landscapes- first locally, then globally.