Fossils Human Evolution

Human Evolution, lengthy process of change by which people originated from apelike ancestors. Scientific evidence shows that the physical and behavioral traits shared by all people evolved over a period of at least 6 million years.
A. From Ape To Man
Fossils from several different early australopith species that lived between 4 million and 2 million years ago clearly show a variety of adaptations that mark the transition from ape to human. The very early period of this transition, prior to 4 million years ago, remains poorly documented in the fossil record, but those fossils that do exist show the most primitive combinations of ape and human features.
Fossils reveal much about the physical build and activities of early australopiths, but
This skull cast is a composite of bone fragments from different individuals of this species. The lighter portions represent bone fragments, and the missing pieces are filled in to reveal what an entire skull probably looked like.
One of the most complete specimens of A. afarensis found so far was announced in 2006. A team led by Ethiopian scientist Zeresenay Alemseged unearthed the partial skeleton of a three-year-old female at Dikika in the Afar region of Ethiopia. Nicknamed “Selam,” the Dikika child dates from around 3.3 million years ago. The well-preserved bones provide previously undocumented details of the skull and skeleton. Some features such as the shape of the shoulder blades, the long, curved fingers, and the semicircular ear canals involved in balance are more apelike, suggesting an adaptation for climbing trees. However, the leg bones and feet indicate an ability to walk upright even at an early age. The shape of the brain was preserved and its size indicates the species grew to adulthood more slowly than chimpanzees, a characteristic of later hominids, including modern humans. The hyoid bone that supports the tongue was found, as well. The bone is crucial to speech in modern humans but the shape in the Dikika child is like that found in modern great apes, and not
This illustration depicts Australopithecus afarensis (center), the earliest of the three species; Homo erectus (left), an intermediate species; and Homo sapiens (right), a modern human. H. erectus and modern humans are much taller than A. afarensis and have flatter faces and much larger brains. Modern humans have a larger brain than H. erectus and an almost flat face beneath the front of the braincase.

Neandertal Bones
A Neandertal skull, top right, and several bones were found at the La-Chapelle-aux-Saints rock shelter in southwestern France in 1908. Another Neandertal skull, bottom right, was found at the nearby La Ferrassie site in 1909. The remains found at La-Chapelle-aux-Saints, marked by arthritis and disease, did much to reinforce a conception of the Neandertal as a slouching, degenerate human form. Scientists now believe Neandertals were a strongly built and intelligent species that thrived in Europe for more than 150,000 years. HOMO HABILIS

Miniature Human Species
Australian researchers stand with a life-size illustration of a miniature human species that lived on the Indonesian island of Flores until at least 18,000 years ago. The species, Homo floresiensis, stood only about 1 m (3.3 ft) tall and had a tiny brain, yet it was intelligent enough to make stone tools. The illustration shows a male who has successfully hunted a giant