THE PREHISTORY WORKSHOP
PALEOANTHROPOLOGY AND ARCHAEOLOGY FOR HISTORY STUDENTS
Frank Martos. Highlands School, Seville.
THE FIRST HOMINID: THE AUSTRALOPITHECUS AFARENSIS
The Palaeolithic age begins around 4 millions of years ago, with the appearance of the oldest hominid, the AUSTRALOPITHECUS AFARENSIS (C. 4.000.000-2.500.000 years ago).
Australopithecus afarensis is one of the longest-lived and best-known early human species—paleoanthropologists have uncovered remains from more than 300 individuals! Found between 3.85 and 2.95 million years ago in Eastern Africa (Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania), this species survived for more than 900,000 years, which is over four times as long as our own species has been around.
It is best known from the sites of Hadar, Ethiopia (‘Lucy’, AL 288-1 and the 'First Family', AL 333); Dikika, Ethiopia (Dikika ‘child’ skeleton); and Laetoli (fossils of this species plus the oldest documented bipedal footprint trails).
Similar to chimpanzees, Au. afarensis children grew rapidly after birth and reached adulthood earlier than modern humans. This meant Au. afarensis had a shorter period of growing up than modern humans have today, leaving them less time for parental guidance and socialization during childhood.
AUSTRALOPITHECUS were NOMADS and lived from hunting, fishing and gathering fruit and seeds.
they lived in small groups formed by a few families, what assured their surval and success in difficult situations.
TYPES: A. ANAMENSIS, ETHIOPICUS, AFRICANUS, ROBUSTUS, BOSEI.
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