''Homo habilis'' ("handy man", "skillful person") is a species of the genus ''Homo (genus)'', which lived from approximately 2 million to 1.5 million years ago at the beginning of the Pleistocene. The definition of this species goes back to Louis Leakey who found fossils in Tanzania, East Africa, in 1964. ''Homo habilis'' is arguably the first species of the ''Homo'' genus to appear. In its appearance and morphology, ''H. habilis'' was the least similar to modern humans of all species to be placed in the genus ''Homo'' (except possibly ''Homo rudolfensis''). ''Homo habilis'' was very short and had disproportionately long arms compared to modern man. It is thought to have descended from a species of Australopithecine hominid. It may have had a more immediate ancestor in the form of the somewhat more massive and ape-like, ''Homo rudolfensis''. ''Homo habilis'' had a brain slightly less than half of the size of modern man. These early human ancestors were small, on average standing no more than 1.3 m tall. ''Homo habilis'' shared the earth with many other ''Homo''-like bipedal primates, such as Paranthropus, which were also highly successful, some prospering for many millennia. However, ''H. habilis'', with its early tool innovation and less specialized diet, proved to be a precursor of an entire line of new species, whereas ''Paranthropus boisei'' and its relatives disappeared from the later fossil record. ''Homo habilis'' is thought to have mastered the Oldowan era (Early Paleolithic) tool case which utilized stone flakes. Though these stone flakes were primitive by human standards, they were more advanced than any tools that had ever previously existed, and they gave ''H. habilis'' the edge it needed to prosper in hostile environments previously too formidable for primates. However, ''H. habilis'' was not the master hunter that its descendants proved to be, as there is ample fossil evidence that ''H. habilis'' was a major staple in the diet of large predatory animals such as ''Dinofelis barlowi'', a large predatory Felidae similar to a leopard. ''H. habilis'' used tools primarily for scavenging, such as cleaving meat off of carrion, rather than defence or hunting. ''Homo habilis'' is thought to be the ancestor of the lankier and more sophisticated, ''Homo ergaster'', which in turn gave rise to the more human appearing species, ''Homo erectus''. There is debate over whether ''H. habilis'' is a direct human ancestor, and over how many known fossils are properly attributed to the species. There is little evidence that ''Homo habilis'' controlled fire, buried its dead, hunted cooperatively, used language (any more advanced than gestures) or studied its environment in the manner of its later descendants. There is large amount of controversy about the classification of ''H. habilis'' into the''Homo'' genus. Like ''Homo rudolfensis'', ''H. habilis'' lacked many of the things that were unique only to later hominins such as slim hips for walking long distances, a sophisticated sweating system, narrow birth canal, legs longer than arms, noticeable whites in the eyes, smaller hairs resulting in naked appearance and exposed skins, etc. Many scientists think ''H. habilis'' and its close relative ''H. rudolfensis'' to be more ape like despite their larger brains and bipedal locomotion than that of earlier species and is being re-thought on their classification into the ''Homo'' genus. ==External link== *[http://www.mnh.si.edu/anthro/humanorigins/ha/a_tree.html Early Human Phylogeny (Smithsonian Institution)] early hominids Pleistocene
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Homo habilis
''Homo habilis'' ("handy man", "skillful person") is a species of the genus ''Homo (genus)'', which lived from approximately 2 million to 1.5 million years ago at the beginning of the Pleistocene. The definition of this species goes back to Louis Leakey who found fossils in Tanzania, East Africa, in 1964. ''Homo habilis'' is arguably the first species of the ''Homo'' genus to appear. In its appearance and morphology, ''H. habilis'' was the least similar to modern humans of all species to be placed in the genus ''Homo'' (except possibly ''Homo rudolfensis''). ''Homo habilis'' was very short and had disproportionately long arms compared to modern man. It is thought to have descended from a species of Australopithecine hominid. It may have had a more immediate ancestor in the form of the somewhat more massive and ape-like, ''Homo rudolfensis''. ''Homo habilis'' had a brain slightly less than half of the size of modern man. These early human ancestors were small, on average standing no more than 1.3 m tall. ''Homo habilis'' shared the earth with many other ''Homo''-like bipedal primates, such as Paranthropus, which were also highly successful, some prospering for many millennia. However, ''H. habilis'', with its early tool innovation and less specialized diet, proved to be a precursor of an entire line of new species, whereas ''Paranthropus boisei'' and its relatives disappeared from the later fossil record. ''Homo habilis'' is thought to have mastered the Oldowan era (Early Paleolithic) tool case which utilized stone flakes. Though these stone flakes were primitive by human standards, they were more advanced than any tools that had ever previously existed, and they gave ''H. habilis'' the edge it needed to prosper in hostile environments previously too formidable for primates. However, ''H. habilis'' was not the master hunter that its descendants proved to be, as there is ample fossil evidence that ''H. habilis'' was a major staple in the diet of large predatory animals such as ''Dinofelis barlowi'', a large predatory Felidae similar to a leopard. ''H. habilis'' used tools primarily for scavenging, such as cleaving meat off of carrion, rather than defence or hunting. ''Homo habilis'' is thought to be the ancestor of the lankier and more sophisticated, ''Homo ergaster'', which in turn gave rise to the more human appearing species, ''Homo erectus''. There is debate over whether ''H. habilis'' is a direct human ancestor, and over how many known fossils are properly attributed to the species. There is little evidence that ''Homo habilis'' controlled fire, buried its dead, hunted cooperatively, used language (any more advanced than gestures) or studied its environment in the manner of its later descendants. There is large amount of controversy about the classification of ''H. habilis'' into the''Homo'' genus. Like ''Homo rudolfensis'', ''H. habilis'' lacked many of the things that were unique only to later hominins such as slim hips for walking long distances, a sophisticated sweating system, narrow birth canal, legs longer than arms, noticeable whites in the eyes, smaller hairs resulting in naked appearance and exposed skins, etc. Many scientists think ''H. habilis'' and its close relative ''H. rudolfensis'' to be more ape like despite their larger brains and bipedal locomotion than that of earlier species and is being re-thought on their classification into the ''Homo'' genus. ==External link== *[http://www.mnh.si.edu/anthro/humanorigins/ha/a_tree.html Early Human Phylogeny (Smithsonian Institution)] early hominids Pleistocene
Homo habilis
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