Recent development of Homo Habilis

Homo Habilis (Handi Man)

Recent Development of Homo Habilis:

While scientists used to think that H. Habilis was the ancestor of Homo Erectus, recent discoveries in 2000 of relatively late 1.44 million years old Homo Habilis and a relatively early 1.55 million years old H. Erectus from the same area of northern Kenya (Lake Turkana) challenged the conventional view that these species evolved one after the other. Instead, this evidence - along with other fossils - demonstrate that they coexisted in eastern Africa for almost a half million years. 

Structure:

Homo Habilis, which means "handi man" is an extinct species of hominid that lived approximately 2.4 to 1.4 million years ago during the early Pleistocene epoch. Fossils of Homo Habilis was first discovered by L. S. B. Leaky in 1964.

    Homo Habilis is considered as the important transitional species in human evolution, as it represents a significant step in development of the Homo genus and the emergence of traits associated with modern humans.

 

Important geographical distribution:

Olduvai Gorge - Tanzania

Omo, East Turkana - Kenya

Hadar - Ethiopia 

Characteristics of Homo Habilis:

Brain size: 

Homo Habilis had relatively larger brain compared to its predecessors, cranial capacity was around 550 to 700 cc. This increase in brain size suggests improved cognitive ability. 

Dentition:

While Homo Habilis had smaller teeth compare to earlier hominids, they still exhibited some primitive features, such as larger molars. This indicates that they had an omnivorous diet, including meat and plant materials. 

Tool use:

One of the defining characteristics of Homo Habilis was its use of tools. It is believed to be the first hominid species to manufacture and use tools, typically made from stone. These tools were primarily used for cutting and processing plant materials and possibly for hunting or scavenging.

Bipedalism:

Like later hominids, Homo Habilis was adapted for walking upright on two legs (bipedalism), which free from its hands for tool use and other activities.

Social Behaviour:

It is not clear that how Homo Habilis organized itself socially, but it likely lived in small groups or family units. 

Habitat:

Fossil evidence suggests that Homo Habilis lived in a variety of habitats, including woodlands and grasslands, and they may have been adaptable to changing environmental conditions.

Homo Habilis is an important species in the study of human evolution because it represents the early stages of the development of traits that would eventually lead to the emergence of automatically and behaviorally modern humans. It marks a significant step in the evolutionary path that eventually let to out species, Homo Sapiens.