HOMO HABILIS

=Genus Homo= The word homo is Latin for "human". The genus is estimated to be about 2.5 million years old, evolving from Australopithecine ancestors. Today ''Homo sapiens'' (modern humans) are the only surviving species of this genus. However, there were several other ''Homo'' species, all of which are now extinct. While some of these species could be our direct ancestors, most of them are probably our "cousins", having diverged from a common ancestor in our family tree. The appearance of ''Homo'' genus also coincides with the first evidence of stone tools -the beginning of the Palaeolithic Era (Stone Age). =''Homo habilis''= (the handy man) [image:http://i.imgur.com/yuj7O8T.png?1] ''H. habilis'', the "handy man", was so called because of evidence of tools found with its remains. ''Habilis'' existed between 2.4 and 1.5 million years ago. These tools are called '''Oldowan''' tools and are simple pebble tools made from water worn cobbles about 8-9cm in diameter. The tools were most likely used by hominids to make a scavenging lifestyle more efficient. Oldowan tools allowed hominid's to more easily and quickly remove meat and bones from a carcass and carry away from other potentially dangerous scavengers to a safer '''‘home base’'''. This made the addition of meat to their diet a more efficient practice. It also meant that they could break open bones, giving them access to the highly nutritious, high energy bone marrow. [image:http://i.imgur.com/ZlqTWjI.png?2] The brain shape is more humanlike than in other earlier Hominins. The bulge of Broca's area, essential for speech, is visible in one habilis brain cast, and indicates it was possibly capable of rudimentary speech (although a developed language was unlikely). There is actually a great deal of variation in the cranial capacity of ''H. habilis'', so much so that many scientists argue they should be divided into two distinct species (''H. habilis'' and ''H. rudolfensis'') ''H. habilis'' is thought to have been about 127 cm tall and about 45 kg in weight, although females may have been smaller. With a relatively larger brain, than the ''Australopithecines'', ''Homo habilis'' is the first definite human ancestor. ''Homo habilis'' is considered to be the first member of the genus homo for two main reasons. First, their larger brain size and second, the presence of tools indicates that the large brains were capable of more complex thought processes. ''H. habilis'' marked a trend in hominid evolution toward larger brains and more intelligence. In addition to this larger brain size, ''H habilis'' remains have reduced molars, premolars and a clearly bi-pedal foot structure.