HHMI

Great Transitions
 Before we start, let’s discuss these questions from the “before
watching the film” section. Feel free to fill in your worksheet as
we talk.

1. Which physical and behavioral characteristics do you think

distinguish humans from other primates? List three key ones.
2. Charles Darwin hypothesized that humans and the African great
apes all descended from a common ancestor. What evidence would
you expect to find in the fossil record to support this hypothesis?
3. A “tool” is defined as “an instrument or device that is held by the
hands and used to perform a particular task or function.” Think
about the tools you have used so far today. What is the most
primitive tool you have used today and why? What is the most
advanced tool you have used and why?
 A few more things before starting the film…
• The term “bipedality” comes up a lot in the film
• Bipedality = the ability to walk upright on
two legs
• We can classify organisms using the
terms to the right. This is called
taxonomy.
• Each species has a scientific name,
made from its genus and species. For
example, when talking about humans,
we are referred to as homo sapiens
(homo = genus, sapiens = species)
The “tree of life” is massive! All organisms are
related, the question is how closely are they related?
Zooming in on our closest relatives, most of
whom are now extinct
Next steps…
• Watch the film and complete the worksheet (submit when done)

• After, start the Human Evolution Gizmo about skulls

• We will have some more class time on Thurs/Fri to complete this