. Origin and Evolution of Man Mammals evolved in the early Jurassic period, about million years ago (mya). Hominid evolution occurred in Asia and Africa. Hominids proved that human beings are superior to other animals and efficient in making tools and culture.
The earliest fossils of the prehistoric man like Ramapithecus and Sivapithecus lived some mya and were derived from ape like Dryopithecus . Dryopithecus and Ramapithecus were hairy and walked like gorillas and chimpanzees. Ramapithecus is regarded as a possible ancester of Australopithecus and therefore of modern humans. They were vegetarians (Fig .
) . Australopithecus lived in East African grasslands about mya and was called the Australian ape man. He was about . meters tall with bipedal locomotion, omnivorous, semi erect, and lived in caves.
Low forehead, brow ridges over the eyes, protruding face, lack of chin, low brain capacity of about – cc, human like dentition, lumbar curve in the vertebral column were his distinguishing features. Homo habilis lived about mya. Their brain capacity was between – 800cc, and was probably vegetarian. They had bipedal locomotion and used tools made of chipped stones.
Homo erectus the first human like being was around . mya and was much closer to human in looks, skull was flatter and thicker than the modern man and had a large brain capacity of around cc. Homo erectus probably ate meat Homo ergaster and Homo erectus were the first to leave Africa. Neanderthal human was found in Neander Valley, Germany with a brain size of cc and lived between , - , , years ago.
They differ from the modern human in having semierect posture, flat cranium, sloping forehead, thin large orbits, heavy brow ridges, protruding jaws and no chin. They used animal hides to protect their bodies, knew the use of Fig . Evolution of Man Ramapithecus Homo sapiens Neanderthal man Homo erectus Australopithecus Homo habilis XII Std Zoology Chapter XII Std Zoology Chapter Evolution ii. Seasonal isolation – In this type of isolation,