proto-humans
Prehistoric human precursors
Proto-humans are the earliest ancestors in the human evolutionary lineage—species that preceded modern humans but showed key developments toward becoming human.
The term covers hominids like Australopithecus and early Homo species who walked upright, used primitive tools, or displayed other human-like traits: Proto-humans left footprints in volcanic ash millions of years ago.
In fiction, proto-human often describes caveman-like creatures.
Human evolutionary family members
- ancestorsThose from whom one descends
- bipedalismWalking on two limbs
- AustralopithecusExtinct hominin genus
- Homo erectusExtinct bipedal human ancestor
fossils · common ancestor · evolutionary tree · missing link · adaptation · natural selection · speciation · descent
Preserved ancient organism traces
- excavationAct of unearthing
- artifactsHuman-made historical objects
- stone toolsShaped rocks for tasks
- sitesDesignated places or locations
sediment layers · dating methods · Leakey · Johanson · Lucy · stratigraphy · carbon dating
Tropical grassland, sparse trees
- AfricaSecond-largest continent
- PleistoceneAncient glacial geological period
- PlioceneLate Neogene epoch
- climate changePlanetary atmospheric transformation
Ice Age · grasslands · Rift Valley · habitat · ecosystem · megafauna · drought · woodland
Manipulating objects purposefully
- huntingPursuing wild game
- gatheringCollection of people meeting
- foragingSeeking wild food sources
- social groupsCollections of affiliated individuals
communication · migration · cooperation · scavenging · shelter building · food sharing · territoriality · pair bonding
Head's bone casing
- skeletonInternal supportive framework
- jawBone holding teeth
- brow ridgeBone prominence above eyes
- pelvisBony basin at waist
teeth · bone structure · brain size · opposable thumbs · spine curvature · femur · mandible · cranium
hominins
Human evolutionary family members
- ancestorsThose from whom one descends
- bipedalismWalking on two limbs
- AustralopithecusExtinct hominin genus
Homo erectus · fossils · common ancestor · evolutionary tree · missing link · adaptation · natural selection · speciation · descent · divergence
fossils
Preserved ancient organism traces
- excavationAct of unearthing
- artifactsHuman-made historical objects
- stone toolsShaped rocks for tasks
sites · sediment layers · dating methods · Leakey · Johanson · Lucy · stratigraphy · carbon dating
savanna
Tropical grassland, sparse trees
- AfricaSecond-largest continent
- PleistoceneAncient glacial geological period
- PlioceneLate Neogene epoch
climate change · Ice Age · grasslands · Rift Valley · habitat · ecosystem · megafauna · drought · woodland · paleoclimate
tool use
Manipulating objects purposefully
social groups · communication · migration · cooperation · scavenging · shelter building · food sharing · territoriality · pair bonding · child-rearing
skull
Head's bone casing
- skeletonInternal supportive framework
- jawBone holding teeth
- brow ridgeBone prominence above eyes
pelvis · teeth · bone structure · brain size · opposable thumbs · spine curvature · femur · mandible · cranium · dentition
- human originsHomo sapiens, hominins, hominids, Cro-Magnon, Neanderthals
proto-humansmodern humans
Our extant species
Homo sapiens · post-humans · descendants · posterity · cyborgs