australopithecines

Provides information on the career of paleoanthropologist Donald Johanson, known for his 1974 discovery of "Lucy" the oldest, best preserved skeleton of any erect-walking human ever found; answers questions about human origins; and includes photographs and profiles of over fifty of the most significant early human fossils.

Examines human evolution by considering the central issues of paleoanthropology and its evidence. Covers topics such as ancestors, migration, diversity, anatomy, society, bipedalism, tools, customs, and culture. Includes close-up photographs of evidence of Pre-australopithecines, Austalopithecines, and Homo species.

Hypothesizes that the onset of the modern Ice Age in Africa caused climatic changes that forced human predecessors, the Australopithecus, out of the trees, allowing for the development of large-brained, land-dwelling Homo sapiens.