Human Evolution: Tracing Our Ancestors Through Time

🌍Humans have been evolving for 3.7 billion years, with our ancestors becoming more recognizable over time.

🐒About 6 million years ago, our ancestors split from chimpanzees and evolved into hominins.

🚶‍♀️By 1 million years ago, upright-walking hominins like Lucy appeared, resembling us more closely.

🌍Exploring nine sites from around the world can give us insights into humanity one million years ago.

🧠The ability to cooperate, hunt, and adapt to new environments played a major role in our ancestors' success.

How long have humans been evolving?

—Humans have been evolving for 3.7 billion years.

When did our ancestors split from chimpanzees?

—Our ancestors split from chimpanzees about 6 million years ago.

When did upright-walking hominins appear?

—Upright-walking hominins like Lucy appeared about 3 to 4 million years ago.

What can we learn from exploring nine sites from around the world?

—Exploring these sites can give us insights into what humanity was like one million years ago.

What factors contributed to our ancestors' success?

—The ability to cooperate, hunt, and adapt to new environments played a major role in their success.

00:00Humans have been evolving for 3.7 billion years, with our ancestors becoming more recognizable over time.

06:39Paranthropus boisei, a robust Australopithecus, lived in Olduvai Gorge in Tanzania roughly 1.3 million years ago.

08:50Hand axes, known as Acheulean hand axes, were the defining tool of the period one million years ago.

11:16The presence of Acheulean hand axes at Peninj in Tanzania suggests their use for woodworking.

13:09Homo erectus likely travelled from Africa to China, demonstrating their adaptability.