The History of the World Podcast, written and presented by Chris Hasler.

This is volume one, the prehistoric world.

Episode 3.

Homo Habolis. Oh, Last time on the History of the World Podcast we looked at the Australopithecies.

We looked at the archaeological discoveries

that led to our understanding of these pre-human animals

and began to start having an idea

about their physical stature.

We learned that although being bipedal that they would have spent a lot of their time in trees,

but would have been subject to environmental pressures forcing them to come out of the trees

and learn how to adapt to life on the ground.

We investigated how difficult it is for scientists to confidently classify whether it is our direct ancestor.

There is a lack of evidence in the fossil record.

But we did establish that it was more ape-like than human-like in its appearance.

We looked at how it had to evolve to become the robust parenthropines in one instance

and the first supposed type of human in another instance.

Homo habilis is thought to be the first living human species.

One thing that we associate with all human species is that they are skilled stone tool

producers so that would insinuate that Homo habilis manufactured the first stone tools.

Last time we were questioning whether Australopithecines had the intelligence, dexterity and requirement to manufacture stone tools themselves.

The reason why we ask this question is because we believe that subsequent species

chronologically speaking did use tools.

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