Lemurs, monkeys, apes, and humans, who are also known as mammals or mammalia, are also commonly classified as primates. About 70 billion years ago in the Sino-Zeic era, they are also called primates or primates. The first primates were small mammals that adapted to a sedentary life that had the ability to withstand various environmental conditions. They had to adapt to various environmental changes.
Primates
A unique feature of primates is their ability to move arms, legs and fingers more easily than other animal species. The ability to grasp with hands and feet, having five movable fingers, and having claws on the toes are also distinctive features. Fingernails or toenails are flat. They are not located like pointed nails. Skin is more sensitive. Having a brain larger than the size of the body, weak sense of smell, a small short chin, prolonged pregnancy, and sharp vision are some other characteristics.
Advanced primates
The ancestor of the higher primates was Proconsul, a small ape that lived 26 million years ago. A skull of this animal, about two feet high, has been found in East Africa. Fossils of relatives of these primates have also been found in Europe and India. Chimpanzees, gorillas, orangutans and gibbons are modern members of this genus.
The Hominid Family
The subfamily that started the human ancestor that broke off from the homind family is called hominin. They walk better than hominids. It is a perfect guide to the long journey of the human family. Due to climate change, the dense forests that covered the earth have thinned and grasslands have been created. Crossing large grasslands while moving from one forest to another was an advantage enjoyed by these human ancestors. In this way, fossil factors can describe how human development took place between 5 and 6 million years ago.
Ancestors
The ancestors of primates were small rodents that ate insects. Plesiadapis was first recognized as a primate. This animal lived 57 million years ago. It is in the territory of present-day Europe and North America. It is said that this squirrel-like animal lived on trees. More advanced primates appeared between 5 and 10 million years later. These primates were very similar to the lemurs we see today. Nothartus is such a lemur-like primate. Fruits and leaves are eaten. Head cm. Only 40. It is also said that the fingers of the front and rear claws were longer and were designed to grip the branches well.
During the Miocene
The period between 24-25 million years is called Miocene era. The remaining African apes at that time spread widely. They are called ‘Miocene apes’. From one part of them, the world’s first humans were born. According to this, the most primitive of the human family is the hominid. They are the ancestors of not only humans but also gorillas. The hominid family has a history of about 5 million years as a part of animals adapted to a special life process.
Austrolopithecus
Austrolopithecus is thought to have evolved from Aediputhecus. He is the earliest known human ancestor. According to the fossil records of this period, the first living beings with human characteristics were born in this period. Archaeologists first discovered an Austrolopithecus human fossil in 1974 in an excavation in Afar, Ethiopia.
Adipithecus ramidus
The earliest member of the human family was Ardipithecus ramidus. He lived 4.5 million years ago. Although he is the first member of the human family, anthropologists point out that he is not the first human. This animal looks like a chimpanzee. Unique feature
Walking on two feet. Adipithecus ramidus lived in forested areas. At night he slept in tree branches. During the day, he walked in the grass and dug up the tubers and ate them. A well-grown Adipithecus ramidus is 1.3 meters tall. was tall Weight is 50 kg.
Adipitachus broke down
A skull, teeth and fossilized bones of Adipithecus ramidus were also found in Ethiopia, Africa. That was in 1994. In 2001, evidence of a human older than Adipithecus ramidus was found in Ethiopia itself. This animal is named as Adipithacus Kadabba. This animal lived between 5.6 and 5.8 million years ago. The fossil bones of Adipithecus kadabba are also very similar to the fossil bones of Adipithecus ramidus. It is believed that there is a close relationship between the two. Kadabba is an Ethiopian tribal word. It means the first member of the family.
The first link
Austrolopithecus was the first link of man. But in the explorations carried out between the years 1977 and 2001, evidence of Adipitachus has been found. They lived between 5.8 – 4.4 million years ago. Thus, even though he received the facts of the first human being, he is not accepted as the first human being as he has not yet completed his studies. Adipitachus means land ape. This ape was found to be about 4 feet tall.
Lucy
This fossil found is of a woman. It was named ‘Lucy’. Fossils belonging to this species have been found in the village of Litote in Tanzania. ‘Lucy’ was a 3 1/2 foot tall human who lived 3.2 million years ago. There are several species of Austrolopithecus identified so far. After Austrolopithecus afrensis, to which Lucy belongs, fossil information of Austrolopithecus africanus, Austrolopithecus aethiopicus, Austrolopithecus boisei, Austrolopithecus robustus, Austrolopithecus boisei etc. has been found by anthropologists.
Homo habilis
The earliest member of the ‘Homo’ family lived between 2.3 and 1.4 million years ago. Homo halys is considered bipedal. Homo habilis was the first human to have a significantly developed brain. Fossil evidence was discovered in the 1960s at Oduwai Gorge in East Africa. He lived between 2.4 and 115 million years ago. This period belongs to the Pleistocene era. This is a very cold period on Earth. In addition to the fossils found at Oduwai Gate, fossils of this type of human have also been found in Tanzania, Ethiopia, South Africa and Kenya. Thus, the facts are revealed that Homo habilis was spread all over Africa. The beginning of the human family also took place during the Habilis period. Living in groups in rock caves, Habilis also developed the earliest familial relationships. He was called Homo Habilis because of the use of stone tools as a last resort and an attempt to start a culture. Accordingly, Habilas has been introduced as the ‘true human being’ i.e. the skilled and efficient human being.
Java man
The third stage of human evolution is the Homo erectus stage. This human lived between 2.5 – 1.5 million years ago. According to the fossil evidence, this human being born 1.6 million years ago has lived in North Africa, Southern Europe and then in South Asia and Java in Indonesia. The earliest Homo erectus fossils have been found in Java (present-day Indonesia) in Asia. Accordingly, the first Homo erectus is called ‘Java Man’. After this fossils have been found in many countries of the world. Heilburg, Hungary in Europe. Vardhasella, Petralo in Greece, Torralbal and Ambona in Spain and Terra Amata in France are some of these areas.
Straight man
Homo erectus has an important place in human evolution. They were called ‘Homo Erectus’, meaning ‘straight man’, because of their ability to draw upright. The time they lived in is called the Pleistocene. Environmental changes also took place during this phase, according to temperature changes. Many cultural changes in Homo erectus also occurred during this period.
Cerebrospinal fluid
Erectus, who had a developed brain, was engaged in domesticating animals and plants. In fulfilling their needs, the use of equipment has been at a certain advanced level. Evidence has been found that a weapon in the shape of a stone hand axe, a flat blade like a machete, flails used for cutting, etc., were used. There is evidence that Homo erectus used wooden tools in China and other East and Southeast Asia. The first facts about fire come from these humans. They may have recognized fire from a natural fire or from experience when a stone struck a stone. Erectus man inherited many great changes due to the urge to eat food burnt by fire. Facilitation of digestion led to new trends in human evolution. Changes occurred in the teeth and jaws. It is special for them to allocate a stone or a simple branch plant for their group. It was at this time that animal skins began to be shed to protect them from the cold.
Homo sapiens
Archaeologists show that 50,000 years ago, Homo sapien evolved from Homo erectus. Among them, Homo sapiens neanderthalensis or Neanderthal man is a subspecies descended from Homo sapiens. This subspecies was widespread in Europe and Asia between 35,000 – 75,000 years ago.
Homo neanderthalenis
Homo neanderthalenis or Neanderthals are said to have lived in Europe, Russia and the Middle East region. It was between 3,00,000 and 30,000 years ago. The first evidence of this man was found in the Neander Valley in Germany. Homo Neanderthalenis means Man from the Neander Valley. The first evidence of this human was found in 1865. Anthropologists point out that although Homo Neanderthalenes were not our direct ancestors, they were our distant cousins. They were also just another group of members of the human family.
Things done and said
Among these weapons of the Neanderthals are stone machetes, bladed spears, and flat weapons. They were the first to bury the dead in the process of human evolution. The food was cooked and eaten. Large eye sockets, a very wide nose, and a prominent chin are characteristic of Neanderthals. About 5 feet tall. A wide chest area. He had well-developed hands and feet. It has been confirmed to scientists by examining the skulls that there is a very good ability to speak. Primary level of faith beliefs also existed among them.
modern man
Modern man or Homo sapiens came from Africa. That was between 200,000 and 150,000 years ago. All humans belong to the subspecies Homo sapien sapien, the only evidence of a Homo sapien sapien outside of Africa has been found in Israel. It is said that that man appeared in Israel 90,000 years ago. 40,000 years ago, Homo sapiens began to spread throughout the world. Homo sapiens sapiens spread to Europe and Borneo. The idea of Homo sapien sapien means ‘intelligent man’, we humans today, Homo sapiens evolved from sapiens, if only a small amount.
The Clowes man
Homo sapiens Sapiens may have arrived in North Africa between 25,000 and 15,000 years ago. Homo sapiens are believed to have come from Siberia to Alaska by crossing the area where the Brain Sea is located, when the sea level decreased and the land surface rose during the Ice Age. The first humans discovered in North America are called ‘Clovis’ people. That was 13,500 years ago. Even more ancient human species have also been found.
Crow Magnum
Humans who built settlements in Europe are called ‘Cro Magnum’. They used weapons and tools like spears and nets. They wore clothes made of animal fur to cover the naked and to keep warm. Crow Magnum humans had a simple language. There was a culture. They painted the paintings in the caves. Cro Magnum humans can be called as the first painters in the world. Similar to us modern humans, these Cro Magnum humans had wide jaws. Forehead and head are wider. The nose is quite large.