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World History
Beginnings
The Origin of Humans and Early Human Societies
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Created by
RJ Anglo
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Cards (35)
How long have anatomically modern humans been around?
Roughly
200,000
years
What is the main tool historians use to study the past?
Writing
How can scientists date things that happened before writing?
Through techniques like
radiocarbon
dating and
potassium-argon
dating
What do archaeologists study to learn about prehistory?
Fossils
,
tools
, and
artifacts
from
burial sites
Why is our understanding of history constantly evolving?
Because
new discoveries
and
techniques
can
challenge
what we
thought
we
knew
What is
prehistory
?
The
period
before
written records
existed in a
culture
or
society
What is history?
The period after the invention of
written records
in a
culture
or
society
How long have anatomically modern humans been around (estimated)?
Between
200,000
and
300,000
years
What is the main tool historians use to study the past?
Written records
Why do historians need to be careful with written records?
Records may be in a
dead language
, or transmitted
orally
and
changed
over time
What do archaeologists study to learn about the past?
Fossils
,
artifacts
(
human-made
items) from ancient
structures
and
burial sites
How do archaeologists estimate the age of artifacts?
Techniques
like
carbon dating
,
stratigraphic dating
, with help from
linguists
and
geneticists
Why is it difficult to create detailed stories about the distant past?
There are
limited sources
and
uncertainty
in interpreting evidence
How should historians approach historical evidence?
Carefully
read
,
source
,
interpret
,
contextualize
, and
compare
with other sources
Why is history constantly evolving?
New
discoveries
and
tools
can challenge our understanding of the past
When did Homo sapiens evolve?
Between
200,000
and
300,000
years ago
When did Homo sapiens develop language?
Around
50,000
years ago
When did Homo sapiens begin migrating out of Africa?
Between
70,000
and
100,000
years ago
What is unique about Homo sapiens compared to other species?
Successfully
populated
and
adapted
to diverse
environments
globally
What is a hominid?
An
early humanlike
creature
When did hominids diverge from other primates?
Between
2.5
and
4 million
years ago
What shared trait did all hominids have?
Bipedalism
(walking upright)
What are two theories about why hominids evolved?
Aridity
hypothesis: adapted to
dry
climates
Savannah
hypothesis: adapted to
living
on
ground
due to
shrinking forests
When did hominids start making tools?
Approximately
2.3 million
years ago (
Homo habilis
)
When did some hominids migrate out of Africa?
Around
1 million
years ago (
Homo erectus
)
What is the family that includes human beings?
Hominidae
(meaning human-like)
How are Hominidae further divided?
Hominini
(includes humans) and
Ponginae
(orangutans)
When did humans diverge from chimpanzees?
About
5 million
years ago
What were early hominins like?
Arboreal simians
(lived in trees, ate fruit, walked on four legs/knuckle-walked)
Why did hominins come down from the trees? (Possible reason)
Aridity
or
savanna
hypothesis: fewer trees due to climate change
Give an example of an early hominin.
Australopithecus afarensis (
Lucy
)
How can we tell about hominin diet from their skulls?
Size
and
shape
of jaw muscles (e.g., sagittal crest for tough food)
What advancements did Homo erectus have compared to earlier hominins?
Used
fire
and
stone tools
What 3 things contributed to Homo sapiens' success?
Tools
,
fire
, and
language
When did Homo sapiens start migrating out of Africa?
Around
100,000
years ago