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Early Hominid Ancestors

The world history of the human race began about 2 million years ago with our earliest hominid ancestors, Australopithecus, Homo habilis, and erectus.
Acheulean Tradition
The Acheulean Tradition is an Old World Lower Paleolithic culture, dated from 1.4 million years ago to 100,000 years ago.
Afar Triangle
The Afar Triangle is the name given to the region of Ethiopia, Africa, known for the identification of very old hominid remains, especially the Australopithicus afarensis.
Australopithecus
Australopithecus is one of several species of hominid animals (human-like) who may or may not be Homo sapiens direct ancestor.
Bipedal Locomotion
Bipedal locomotion means walking on two legs in an upright position.
Clactonian Tradition
The Clactonian Tradition refers to the stone tools of the Lower Paleolithic period (ca. 500,000 to 100,000 BP) in Europe, made by Homo erectus.
Hominid Sites Around the World
From Aaron Valenzuela and Mary Reed, two students of Anne Pike-Tay at Vassar, pictures and information on many of the important hominid sites of the world.
Hominid
Hominid is the word used by paleontologists up until recently to refer to humans and our immediate ancestors.
Hominin
Over the last few years, the word ‘hominin’ has crept into the public news stories about our human ancestors. This is not a misspelling for hominid; this reflects an evolutionary change in the understanding of what it means to be human.
Koobi Fora
From Rutgers University, information about this ancient site perhaps dated as old as 2.3 million years, including maps, pictures of the hominid skulls recovered there, and planned field schools.
Oldowan Tradition
The Oldowan Tradition is the name given to a pattern of stone-tool making by our hominid ancestors, some 2.5 million years ago.
Olduvai Gorge (Tanzania)
Olduvai Gorge in Tanzania is an ancient hominid archaeological site in Tanzania, excavated by the Leakeys in the mid-1950s.
Osteodontokeratic
The term osteodontokeratic was invented by the Australian archaeologist Raymond Dart, to describe the tool kit of our hominid ancestor Australopithecus africanus. Great name,isn't it? Too bad he was wrong.
Predicting the Location of Hominin Sites in Africa and Asia
Researchers from the University of Bristol have formulated a method of predicting where well-preserved paleolithic archaeological sites might be located, using geomrphology, climate, and vegetation. From the ever-creative Archaeological Data Service.
Ramapithecus
Ramapithecus is one of our pre-human ancestors from between 12 and 14 million years ago.

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