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History 1-1
Early Humans
13
History
8th Grade
12/08/2011

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Term
prehistory
Definition

period of time before people started writing

Term
hominids
Definition

human beings and the humanlike creatures that preceded them 

Term
archeology
Definition

study of prehistoric life

Term
anthropologists
Definition

people who study hominids-their physical features, development, and behavior; they compare hominid bones and fossil sizes

Term
radiocarbon dating
Definition

used to determine the age of a once-living organism; once-living things contain small amounts of radioactive carbon; because carbon decays at a known rate, archaeolgists can measure how much radioactive carbon has decayed and figure out when the plant or animal has died

Term
Aramis
Definition

a site in Ethiopia where the oldest hominid teeth were ever found by Gen Suwa

Term
"Lucy"
Definition

a 3.2 million year old hominid skeleton found at Hadar; most nearly complete skeleton of any erect-walking prehuman found up to that time

Term
Australopithecus
Definition

First prehuman hominids that date back 4.4 million years; also called "southern ape."  They stood 3.5 to 5.0 feet tall and walked on two legs; they had large faces that jutted out; small brains, flat noses, and large teeth; the back teeth were suitable for grinding food; they were nomads.

Term
Homo Habilis
Definition

Earliest of the 3 hominid groups; name means "person with ability"; lived about 1.5 million years ago.  Oldest hominids known to manufacture tools.  Larger brains indicate physical and mental advances.  Migrated and used gestures and grunts to communicate.

Term
Homo Erectus
Definition

Second oldest group; name means "person who walks upright."  First just food gatherers but learned to hunt using spears and clubs.  Learned how to make fire which helped for warmth, food, and scaring off predators.  Lived in caves.

Term
Homo Sapien
Definition

Name means "person who thinks"; all people living today belong to this species. 

Term
Ice Age
Definition

Four long periods of cold climate; temps fell below freezing, glaciers spread out from the Poles, scarring the landforms over which they crept.  Only middle latitudes remained warm enough to support human and animal life.  Humans responded to Ice Ages by migrating to warmer places, using clothing, and making fire.

Term
bipedalism
Definition

the ability to walk upright on two feet

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