I Love Ancient History

The First Humans - 

Hominids 

"Great apes" 

65 Million Years Ago

Dinosaurs died out about 65 million years ago. The first human like hominids did not appear until around 3 million years ago. 

Thus, no matter what you may have seen in the movies, early man did not live during the same period in history as dinosaurs

3 Million Years Ago

3 million years ago, our planet was teeming with life

3 million years ago, our planet was teeming with life!

There were deer, giraffes, hyenas, sheep, goats, horses, elephants, camels, beavers, cave lions, ants, termites, woolly mammoths, saber-toothed tigers, giant sharks, dogs with huge teeth, and all kinds of birds and plants and fish.

Very Early Humans

 It was during this time that the higher primates, including apes and early man, first appeared. There was a difference between apes and man. Early human-like hominids could stand upright. Apes could not.Their hands were different, too. Ape hands were made for climbing and clinging. Man’s hands were jointed differently, which allowed them to make and use tools.

How do scientists know about an early man who lived 3 million years ago?

Lucy told them!

Lucy

In 1974, a skeleton was found in Africa. The bones were those of a female, about 20 years old or so when she died. Scientists named her Lucy. About 3 million years.ago, when Lucy was alive, she was about 4 feet tall and weighed about 50 pounds. Scientists suspect that she fell into a lake or river and drowned.

Scientists are like detectives. They can tell a great deal from a skeleton, whether it's one year old or 3 million years old!