Human evolution has undergone a record of changes during the past 15 million years.

i) Name the different species of mankind in chronological order from primitive to modern man.

ii) When were the primitive caves developed?

iii) Narrate the life led by an early man-like hominids.

Dryopithecus

They were more ape-like. They ate leaves and fruits and have a hairy body. Walked like gorillas and chimpanzees.

Appeared around 20-25 million years ago.

Ramapithecus

They have teeth like modern man. They were more man-like.

Appeared around 14-15 million years ago.

Australopithecus

Their fossils found in East Africa. They are four feet tall and walked upright. They ate fruit and their brain capacity was 400-600 cc.

Appeared around 3-5 million years ago.

Homo habilis

They are the first human-like. Their brain capacity was 600-800 cc. They did not eat meat and their fossils found in Africa. Appeared about 2 million years ago.

Homo erectus

They are also known as Java man. They ate meat and their brain capacity was 900 cc. Appeared about 1.5 million years ago.

Neanderthal mam

Their brain capacity is 1400 cc. They used hides to protect their body and buried their dead. Appeared about 100,000 years ago.

Homo sapiens

They are the modern man. They started human civilization, agriculture and cave art. Appeared about 75,000-10,000 years ago.

(ii) primitive caves developed around 18,000 years ago.

A variety of cave painting was done by Cro-Magnon man. Cro-Magnon man was the ancestor of the modern living man.

(iii) Hominids are classified in the genus Australopithecus and genus Homo habilis.

Life led by hominids—

i. They hunted with stone weapons.

ii. Fossils found in East Africa.

iii. They did not eat meat.

iv. They walked upright.