Homo HabilisMonique Di Gregorio, Isabelle

Wawrzon, Veronica Hewitt

Appearance• Homo Habilis has increased cranial

capacity, a change in shape of the head and larger brain compared to previous ancestors

• They have smaller molar and premolar teeth

• Have a more humanlike foot• They have hand bones that suggest an

ability to manipulate objects with precision. • Australopithecine-like body with a more

human-like face• They are short and have disproportionately

long arms compared to modern humans

Skull and Brain Size

• Homo Habilis do not have heavy crests and projecting brow ridges

• Their Foramen Magnum is located in the centre of the skull base, showing that this species walked on two legs

• Their brains average 610 cubic centimetres in size.

• Their brain case is fuller and more rounded due to expansion of the brain

• Beginnings of a slight forehead were appearing

• The face of Homo Habilis had a small, arched brow ridge and was smaller and shorter than those of earlier ancestors

Hands

• Homo Habilis had dexterous hands

• Their finger bones are slightly curved and are in-between the curved finger bones of quadrupedal apes and the straight finger bones of modern humans

• The proportions of their finger bones suggest the human-like ability to form a precision grip.

Teeth

• The premolar and molar crowns of Homo Habilis are narrower.

• Homo Habilis’ jaw is smaller than those of their earlier ancestors

• Their teeth are arranged in a more rounded arc like those of modern humans

• Their teeth became smaller and more human-like, although the incisors were still relatively large.

Diet• Chemical analysis and marks on

tools suggests that Homo Habilis were mainly vegetarian eating fruit and plants, but also ate some meat and insects, making them omnivorous. Their feeding strategies changed according to the climate becoming drier and cooler. They ate meat by by scavenging from animal carcasses, which sometimes got them in trouble with predators.

Habitat• Homo Habilis lived in a

predominantly grassland environment. Archaeological findings of this species suggests an early and wide distribution, predominately throughout eastern and southern Africa. The species evolved at a time when traditional forest foods like fruit were becoming scarce in Africa, which forced animals to seek out new nutritional sources.

Well Preserved Fossils• Lower jaw and teeth fossils were discovered in 1960 as well as 1.8 million year

old foot bones • Fragmentary skull, partial foot and juvenile mandible in 1960 by L.S.B. Leakey-

specimen named ‘George’ in 1963• Lower jaw fragment, teeth, and upper mandible possibly from a female dating

1.7 million years old by N. Mbuika in 1963• Deformed cranium was discovered in 1968• Roughly deformed cranium dating 1.8 million years old, discovered in October

1968 by Peter Nzube- over 100 small fragments could not be assigned a location in the reconstruction by Kreger in 2005- specimen was named “Twiggy”

• Mandible discovered by B. Ngeneo in 1972• Fragments of skeleton from a small adult specimen in 1972 by J. Kimengech• Mandible fragment (with severe periodontal disease) discovered by K. Kimeu-

also a complete cranium in 1973• 1.9 million year old skull discovered in 1973 by Kamoya Kimeu• Significant fragments of the upper and lower limbs in 1986 by Tim White and

Donald Johanson• Important upper and lower limbs in 1986 by Tim White and Donald Johanson• Specimen of an adult habilis made of 3 pieces of cranium dating 1.74 million

years old1.8 million year old partial skeleton discovered in 1986 by Tim White• Mandible fragment found by William Kimball • Right humerus by H. Mutua

Location of Discoveries

• East Africa• Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania• Hadar Ethiopia• Swartkrans, South Africa• Ilret, Kenya• Variety of locations along the Rift Valley• Republic of Georgia• Koobi Fora Ridge located on the eastern shore of

Lake Turkana in Kenya

First Discovery of Homo Habilis• The discovery and description of this species is credited to both

Mary and Louis Leakey in 1960 in Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania. • It was initially called “Johnny’s Child” after their son but later

changed to “Handy Man” by Richmond Dart because of its dexterous ability to use tools.

• Richard named the fossil for its "ability to make tools" and that habilis means "skillful”

• The Leakey’s eroded land to obtain fossils and found the tools said to be used by Homo habilis before discovering the species itself in 1960

• The first specimen consisted of a nearly complete left parietal, a fragmented right parietal, most of the mandibular body (including thirteen teeth), an upper molar, and twenty-one finger, hand, and wrist bones

• The specimen was unearthed by anthropologist Louis Leakey's son, Jonathan Leakey, at Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania, on November 4, 1960

• Richard Leakey describes the discovery and naming of the first habilis in ‘The Making of Mankind’ produced in 1981

Age of Homo Habilis• Lived from approximately 2.3 to 1.4

million years ago at the bbeginning of the Pleistocene period to the late Pliocene period

• It was considered the earliest example of the Homo species until 2010 when Gautengensis was discovered which is a Homo species believed to be even older.

• Homo habilis is the oldest Hominin able to use tools yet discovered

Aspects which set Homo habilis fossils apart from Australopithecines

• Less protruding face, jaw and brow ridge which created a more human-like facial appearance• Evidence that some speech developed- looked at throat• Brain capacity was 35% to 50% larger but considerably smaller than Homo sapiens• Foreman magnum not directly but positioned further underneath the skull- more time spent walking upright• Had slimmer hips- advanced bipedalism• Whites in the eyes• More sophisticated wellbeing- first human with the ability to use tools, Habilis means skillful• Scientists have marked habilis as the beginning of the Homo line, where hominids are recognised as breaking off

from the australopithecine classification• Large aspect in the determination of where the beginning of the Homo line is- had much to do with the level of

encephalization (amount of brain mass exceeding that related to an animal's total body mass) taking place in habilis, as there is evidence of strong movements toward a modern brain size

• Louis Leakey had suggested that it had not even evolved from Australopithecus while some scientists believe that Homo habilis is not a separate species

• Reduced post canine, incisor tooth size in particular (elongated molars) and the jaw is pulled under the brain• Teeth were arranged in a more rounded arc like those of modern humans• Legs longer than arms- still not as long as Homo sapiens• Smaller/ finer hair resulting to exposed skin• The average male was five foot tall and weighed 45 kg which is slightly larger than Australopithecines• Had languages to an extent which is evident by looking at brain structure/size• Presence of a precision grip (determined from the hand bones and finger proportions), which provides the

anatomical basis for tool making

A Day in the Life• Around 2 million years ago, Homo Habilis roamed the

areas of Southern and Eastern Africa, Kenya and Ethiopia. They woke in their grassland environment, ready to face a new day. Eyes are peeled for predators as some meat is scavenged by a near-by carcass. With the use of their strong teeth and specially made tools by their dexterous hands, this isn’t much of an effort. Later on, their bipedalism makes it easy to search for berries and reach for insects. After a strenuous day, Homo Habilis rests in a place that will keep them and their off-spring safe and warm for the night.

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