THE HISTORY OF THE EARTH and PREHISTORIC MAN

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THE HISTORY OF THE EARTH and PREHISTORIC MAN
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HISTORY OF THE EARTH

• Modern Science believes that the EARTH has
  existed for approximately 4.54 BILLION YEARS.
• (That is 4 540 000 000 years.)
• Earths HISTORY is divided into many DIFFERENT
  PERIODS in order to distinguish what was
  happening on EARTH at the time.

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How do we measure the Earths Age?

• The EARTHS AGE is measured using the GEOLOGIC
  TIME SCALE, which is basically the BIGGEST
  TIMELINE EVER.

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GEOLOGIC TIME SCALE
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UNITS OF MEASUREMENT

• The Geologic Time Scale uses several different
  UNITS OF MEASUREMENT.
• From largest to smallest, they are
• SUPEREONS
• EONS
• ERA
• PERIOD
• EPOCH
• AGE

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Where Are We Now?

• We are currently in the
• PHANEROZOIC eon
• CENOZOIC era
• QUARTERNARY period
• HOLOCENE epoch
• SUBATLANTIC age

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How Long Have People Walked the Earth?

• DINOSAURS died off approximately 65 MILLION years
  ago.
• The FIRST HUMAN-LIKE HOMINIDS walked the earth
  approximately 3 MILLION years ago.
• No matter what youve seen on TV or in the
  movies, HUMAN BEINGS NEVER LIVED AT THE SAME TIME
  AS DINOSAURS.

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A Timeline from 245 MYA to the PRESENT
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3 MILLION YEARS AGO

• All sorts of ANIMALS existed on the earth.
• HOMINIDS emerged from PRIMATES.
• Scientists believe ALL HUMAN LIFE BEGAN IN
  AFRICA.
• What were the differences between HOMINIDS and
  PRIMATES?
• Hominids could WALK UPRIGHT.
• The BONES in Hominid HANDS were joined
  differently, allowing more DEXTERITY.

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MEET LUCY!

• We know about the EARLY HUMANS due to the
  discover of LUCY!
• LUCY was discovered in 1974 in HADAR, ETHIOPIA.
  That is in AFRICA.
• About 40 of Lucys SKELETON was recovered.
• Her SPECIES is called the AUSTRALOPITHECUS.
• Lucys REMAINS are estimated to be 3.2 MILLION
  years old.
• She is named Lucy after a song by THE BEATLES.

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How did Scientists Learn from Lucy?

• http//www.youtube.com/watch?vSKYjpetqYWI
• This is a video interview with DONALD JOHANSON,
  one of the scientists who discovered Lucy.

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How did Scientists Learn from Lucy?

• Lucy was around 3 FEET TALL and weighed about 50
  LBS.
• We know Lucy was an ADULT because of the WEAR ON
  HER WISDOM TEETH as well as the WAY HER CRANIAL
  BONES ARE JOINED.

• We know Lucy was FEMALE because of LATER FOSSIL
  DISCOVERIES.
• She DIED by the EDGE OF A LAKE did she DROWN?
  Was she attacked by an ANIMAL?

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What might Lucy have looked like when she was
alive?
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AUSTRALOPITHECUS vs. HOMO ERECTUS
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How do we learn about Prehistory?(No one wrote
anything down, then!)

• ANTHROPOLOGISTS are SCIENTISTS who STUDY
  HUMANKIND, from prehistory to today.
• To learn about PREHISTORIC MAN, anthropologists
  use two things
• FOSSILS REMAINS OF LIVING THINGS
• ARTIFACTS THINGS WHICH WERE MADE BY HUMAN BEINGS

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THE STONE AGE and HOMO HABILIS

• The STONE AGE refers to the period in which
  HOMINIDS used STONE to make TOOLS.
• The hominids of this time were called HOMO
  HABILIS, which means HANDY MAN.
• They were TALLER and SMARTER than Lucy.
• They were HUNTER/GATHERERS, which means they DID
  NOT know how to GROW FOOD.
• Instead they PICKED UP WHAT THEY COULD FIND and
  HUNTED FOR ANIMALS with their STONE TOOLS.
• Homo Habilis DID NOT how to MAKE FIRE.

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NOMADISM

• Because HOMO HABILIS were HUNTER/GATHERERS, they
  could not STAY IN ONE PLACE.
• They had to MOVE AROUND to find FOOD and ANIMALS
  TO HUNT.
• This is called being NOMADIC.
• Remember NOMADNO HOME

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HOMO ERECTUS

• HOMO HABILIS evolved into a new type of hominid
  HOMO ERECTUS
• Homo Erectus means WALKING MAN.
• Approx. SAME SIZE as MODERN MAN.
• HOMO ERECTUS figured out how to MAKE FIRE.
• COOKING FOOD reduced DISEASE.
• Homo Erectus gathered around the FIRE and FORMED
  COMMUNITIES.

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• TOOL-MAKING SKILLS improved.
• Started making AXES and KNIVES.
• No longer had to worry about FREEZING TO DEATH.
• Began to LEAVE AFRICA approximately 1 MILLION
  years ago.
• Did not use BOATS they crossed the oceans ON
  FOOT because it was the ICE AGE.

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NEANDERTHALS

• After HOMO ERECTUS came the NEANDERTHALS.
• Closely related to MODERN MAN.
• They are named after the NEANDER VALLEY in
  GERMANY where the first FOSSILS were found.
• At first assumed to be UNINTELLIGENT and BRUTISH,
  but this was because they didnt realize the
  SKELETON had ARTHRITIS.

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NEANDERTHAL NEWS!

• http//www.nydailynews.com/news/world/neanderthal-
  model-made-70-000-year-old-bones-article-1.1191670
  
• Check it out! This was in yesterdays news! It
  just goes to show that we are never done learning
  about Prehistoric Man!

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CRO-MAGNON

• CRO-MAGNON were CONTEMPORARIES of the
  NEANDERTHALS. This means they LIVED AROUND THE
  SAME TIME.
• Cro-Magnon lived in EUROPE.
• Learned to CURE and STORE FOOD for the WINTERS.
• Learned to FISH with NETS.

• Built TRAPS to CATCH FOOD while they were busy
  doing SOMETHING ELSE.
• Made CLOTHING and JEWELRY.
• Invented the BOW and ARROW.

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CAVE PAINTINGS

• A very strange thing the CRO-MAGNON did which NO
  HOMINIDS HAD DONE BEFORE was PAINT.
• They painted on the INSIDE of CAVE WALLS.
• One Cro-Magnon man would ADD TO THE PAINTINGS
  left by another.

• Mostly these paintings were of ANIMALS and of
  PEOPLE HUNTING THEM.
• Why did the Cro-Magnon do this?
• RELIGIOUS CEREMONY?
• SYMPATHETIC MAGIC?
• RITE OF PASSAGE?
• TO SAY I WAS HERE, like we do today with
  grafitti?