A
Afar Region (Ethiopia) — discovery site of Lucy
(V1E2C4 — Lucy — Ch. 4/11)
Afar Triangle — important paleoanthropological region in Ethiopia
(V1E2C4 — Lucy — Ch. 4/11)
Ardipithecus / Ardi — early hominin genus; transitional anatomy
(V1E1C8 — Ardi — Ch. 8/8;
V1E2C10 — Other Discoveries — Ch. 10/11)
Australopithecine(s) — subtribe of hominins including Australopithecus and Paranthropus
(V1E2C2 — East Africa – 3 Million Years Ago — Ch. 2/11;
V1E2C7 — Physical Characteristics — Ch. 7/11;
V1E2C10 — Other Discoveries — Ch. 10/11;
V1E3C3 — Nutcracker Man and Johnny’s Child — Ch. 3/9;
V1E3C4 — Australopithecus or Homo habilis — Ch. 4/9;
V1E3C5 — Who Else Was Around Two Million Years Ago? — Ch. 5/9;
V1E3C7 — Encephalisation — Ch. 7/9;
V1E4C1 — Looking Forward — Ch. 1/12;
V1E4C3 — Java Man — Ch. 3/12;
V1E4C11 — Expansion — Ch. 11/12;
V1E4C12 — Tools and Communication — Ch. 12/12)
Australopithecus — early hominin group; link to genus Homo
(V1E1C7 — Other Discoveries — Ch. 7/8;
V1E2C10 — Other Discoveries — Ch. 10/11;
V1E3C4 — Australopithecus or Homo habilis — Ch. 4/9;
V1E3C5 — Who Else Was Around Two Million Years Ago? — Ch. 5/9)
Australopithecus afarensis — species including Lucy; probable maker of the Laetoli Footprints
(V1E2C5 — Australopithecus afarensis — Ch. 5/11)
Australopithecus africanus — species identified from the Taung Child fossil
(V1E2C6 — Taung Child — Ch. 6/11)
Australopithecus sediba — species from Malapa with a mosaic of Australopithecine and Homo-like traits
(V1E3C5 — Who Else Was Around Two Million Years Ago? — Ch. 5/9)
B
Berger, Lee Rogers — palaeoanthropologist who named Australopithecus sediba
(V1E3C5 — Who Else Was Around Two Million Years Ago? — Ch. 5/9)
Bipedalism — emergence in early hominins; environmental pressures
(V1E1C7 — Other Discoveries — Ch. 7/8;
V1E2C2 — East Africa – 3 Million Years Ago — Ch. 2/11;
V1E2C3 — The Laetoli Footprints — Ch. 3/11;
V1E2C5 — Australopithecus afarensis — Ch. 5/11;
V1E2C7 — Physical Characteristics — Ch. 7/11;
V1E2C9 — Why Were Australopithecines Bipedal? — Ch. 9/11)
Boise, Charles Watson — American businessman who sponsored the Leakeys’ Olduvai expedition; namesake of boisei
(V1E3C3 — Nutcracker Man and Johnny’s Child — Ch. 3/9)
C
Cookery — prehistoric cooking, hearths, food preparation and transmission of skills
(V1E4C9 — Fire — Ch. 9/12;
V1E4C10 — Cookery — Ch. 10/12)
Curnoe, Darren — Australian archaeologist and palaeoanthropologist who proposed Homo gautengensis
(V1E3C5 — Who Else Was Around Two Million Years Ago? — Ch. 5/9)
D
Dart, Raymond — discoverer of the Taung Child; proposer of Australopithecus africanus
(V1E2C6 — Taung Child — Ch. 6/11)
Dmanisi — Georgian site containing some of the earliest generally accepted evidence of humans outside Africa
(V1E4C7 — Other Discoveries — Ch. 7/12)
Dubois, Eugène — Dutch anatomist and discoverer of Java Man
(V1E4C2 — Eugene Dubois — Ch. 2/12;
V1E4C3 — Java Man — Ch. 3/12;
V1E4C4 — Contemporary Reaction — Ch. 4/12;
V1E4C5 — Peking Man — Ch. 5/12)
E
Encephalisation — process of increasing hominin brain size
(V1E3C4 — Australopithecus or Homo habilis — Ch. 4/9;
V1E3C7 — Encephalisation — Ch. 7/9;
V1E4C9 — Fire — Ch. 9/12)
Endocast — natural cast of the brain cavity used in paleoanthropology
(V1E2C6 — Taung Child — Ch. 6/11)
Expensive Tissue Hypothesis — hypothesis discussed in relation to diet, the gastrointestinal tract and brain expansion
(V1E3C4 — Australopithecus or Homo habilis — Ch. 4/9;
V1E3C7 — Encephalisation — Ch. 7/9;
V1E4C9 — Fire — Ch. 9/12)
F
Fire — evidence for hominin control and use of fire, including cooking and warmth
(V1E4C9 — Fire — Ch. 9/12;
V1E4C10 — Cookery — Ch. 10/12;
V1E4C11 — Expansion — Ch. 11/12)
G
Gesher Benot Ya’aqov — Israeli site preserving important evidence for controlled fire and cooked food
(V1E4C9 — Fire — Ch. 9/12)
H
Hill, Andrew — member of Mary Leakey’s team; associated with discovery of the Laetoli Footprints
(V1E2C3 — The Laetoli Footprints — Ch. 3/11)
Hominins — early human ancestors; multiple species
(V1E1C6 — Chimpanzee–Human Last Common Ancestor — Ch. 6/8;
V1E1C7 — Other Discoveries — Ch. 7/8;
V1E1C8 — Ardi — Ch. 8/8;
V1E2C9 — Why Were Australopithecines Bipedal? — Ch. 9/11;
V1E3C5 — Who Else Was Around Two Million Years Ago? — Ch. 5/9;
V1E3C7 — Encephalisation — Ch. 7/9;
V1E4C1 — Looking Forward — Ch. 1/12;
V1E4C6 — Turkana Boy — Ch. 6/12;
V1E4C7 — Other Discoveries — Ch. 7/12;
V1E4C8 — Yuanmou Man — Ch. 8/12;
V1E4C11 — Expansion — Ch. 11/12;
V1E4C12 — Tools and Communication — Ch. 12/12)
Homo — genus including Homo habilis and Homo sapiens
(V1E3C3 — Nutcracker Man and Johnny’s Child — Ch. 3/9;
V1E3C4 — Australopithecus or Homo habilis — Ch. 4/9;
V1E4C1 — Looking Forward — Ch. 1/12;
V1E4C6 — Turkana Boy — Ch. 6/12;
V1E4C7 — Other Discoveries — Ch. 7/12;
V1E4C12 — Tools and Communication — Ch. 12/12)
Homo antecessor — early Homo species represented by fossils from Spain
(V1E4C7 — Other Discoveries — Ch. 7/12)
Homo erectus — major early human species discussed through African and Asian fossil evidence
(V1E4C1 — Looking Forward — Ch. 1/12;
V1E4C3 — Java Man — Ch. 3/12;
V1E4C5 — Peking Man — Ch. 5/12;
V1E4C6 — Turkana Boy — Ch. 6/12;
V1E4C7 — Other Discoveries — Ch. 7/12;
V1E4C8 — Yuanmou Man — Ch. 8/12;
V1E4C9 — Fire — Ch. 9/12;
V1E4C11 — Expansion — Ch. 11/12;
V1E4C12 — Tools and Communication — Ch. 12/12)
Homo ergaster — name sometimes applied to early African Homo erectus
(V1E4C6 — Turkana Boy — Ch. 6/12)
Homo gautengensis — controversial proposed Homo species associated with Sterkfontein
(V1E3C5 — Who Else Was Around Two Million Years Ago? — Ch. 5/9)
Homo georgicus — species name sometimes applied to the Dmanisi hominins
(V1E4C7 — Other Discoveries — Ch. 7/12)
Homo habilis — early Homo species known as ‘handy man’; subject of V1E3
(V1E3C1 — The Mystery of Tools — Ch. 1/9;
V1E3C3 — Nutcracker Man and Johnny’s Child — Ch. 3/9;
V1E3C4 — Australopithecus or Homo habilis — Ch. 4/9;
V1E3C5 — Who Else Was Around Two Million Years Ago? — Ch. 5/9;
V1E3C6 — Social Skills — Ch. 6/9;
V1E3C7 — Encephalisation — Ch. 7/9;
V1E3C8 — Home — Ch. 8/9;
V1E4C1 — Looking Forward — Ch. 1/12;
V1E4C6 — Turkana Boy — Ch. 6/12)
Homo rudolfensis — contested early Homo species associated with KNM-ER 1470
(V1E4C7 — Other Discoveries — Ch. 7/12)
J
Java Man — Homo erectus fossils discovered by Eugène Dubois at Trinil in Java
(V1E4C3 — Java Man — Ch. 3/12;
V1E4C4 — Contemporary Reaction — Ch. 4/12;
V1E4C5 — Peking Man — Ch. 5/12)
Johanson, Donald — discoverer of Lucy
(V1E2C4 — Lucy — Ch. 4/11;
V1E2C5 — Australopithecus afarensis — Ch. 5/11)
Johnny’s Child (OH 7) — informal name used for the Homo habilis specimen OH 7
(V1E3C2 — Olduvai Gorge — Ch. 2/9;
V1E3C3 — Nutcracker Man and Johnny’s Child — Ch. 3/9)
K
Keith, Arthur — British anatomist who commented on Eugène Dubois in a 1941 obituary
(V1E4C5 — Peking Man — Ch. 5/12)
Kimeu, Kamoya — Kenyan fossil hunter who discovered Turkana Boy at Nariokotome
(V1E4C6 — Turkana Boy — Ch. 6/12)
KNM-ER 1470 — early Homo skull from Koobi Fora later named Homo rudolfensis
(V1E4C7 — Other Discoveries — Ch. 7/12)
Koobi Fora — East African fossil locality associated with Turkana Boy research, Homo rudolfensis and possible early fire evidence
(V1E4C6 — Turkana Boy — Ch. 6/12;
V1E4C7 — Other Discoveries — Ch. 7/12;
V1E4C9 — Fire — Ch. 9/12)
L
Laetoli — archaeological site in Tanzania
(V1E2C3 — The Laetoli Footprints — Ch. 3/11)
Laetoli Footprints — 3.6 million-year-old evidence of bipedal locomotion
(V1E2C3 — The Laetoli Footprints — Ch. 3/11;
V1E2C5 — Australopithecus afarensis — Ch. 5/11)
Leakey, Jonathan — discoverer of the fragmented fossil specimen OH 7
(V1E3C2 — Olduvai Gorge — Ch. 2/9;
V1E4C6 — Turkana Boy — Ch. 6/12)
Leakey, Louis — Kenyan archaeologist and paleoanthropologist
(V1E2C3 — The Laetoli Footprints — Ch. 3/11;
V1E3C2 — Olduvai Gorge — Ch. 2/9;
V1E3C3 — Nutcracker Man and Johnny’s Child — Ch. 3/9;
V1E4C6 — Turkana Boy — Ch. 6/12)
Leakey, Mary — discoverer of the Laetoli Footprints
(V1E2C3 — The Laetoli Footprints — Ch. 3/11;
V1E2C4 — Lucy — Ch. 4/11;
V1E3C2 — Olduvai Gorge — Ch. 2/9;
V1E3C3 — Nutcracker Man and Johnny’s Child — Ch. 3/9;
V1E3C8 — Home — Ch. 8/9;
V1E4C6 — Turkana Boy — Ch. 6/12)
Leakey, Meave — palaeoanthropologist associated with research around Lake Turkana
(V1E4C6 — Turkana Boy — Ch. 6/12;
V1E4C7 — Other Discoveries — Ch. 7/12)
Leakey, Richard — Kenyan palaeoanthropologist associated with research around Lake Turkana and Turkana Boy
(V1E4C6 — Turkana Boy — Ch. 6/12)
Lemuria — obsolete hypothetical sunken continent discussed in the context of nineteenth-century ideas about human origins
(V1E4C2 — Eugene Dubois — Ch. 2/12)
Lucy — famous Australopithecus afarensis fossil skeleton
(V1E2C4 — Lucy — Ch. 4/11;
V1E2C5 — Australopithecus afarensis — Ch. 5/11)
M
Mayr, Ernst — evolutionary biologist influential in uniting Java Man and Peking Man within Homo erectus
(V1E4C5 — Peking Man — Ch. 5/12)
N
Nariokotome — Lake Turkana locality where the Turkana Boy skeleton was discovered
(V1E4C6 — Turkana Boy — Ch. 6/12)
Ngeneo, Bernard — discoverer of KNM-ER 1470 at Koobi Fora
(V1E4C7 — Other Discoveries — Ch. 7/12)
O
Olduvai Gorge / Oldupai Gorge — Tanzanian site central to discoveries discussed in the Homo habilis episode
(V1E3C2 — Olduvai Gorge — Ch. 2/9;
V1E3C3 — Nutcracker Man and Johnny’s Child — Ch. 3/9;
V1E3C8 — Home — Ch. 8/9)
P
Palaeomagnetic Dating — dating method using records of reversals in Earth’s magnetic field
(V1E4C8 — Yuanmou Man — Ch. 8/12)
Paleoanthropology — study of human evolution through fossils and archaeology
(V1E2C3 — The Laetoli Footprints — Ch. 3/11;
V1E3C2 — Olduvai Gorge — Ch. 2/9;
V1E3C5 — Who Else Was Around Two Million Years Ago? — Ch. 5/9;
V1E3C6 — Social Skills — Ch. 6/9)
Paranthropus — robust australopithecine genus
(V1E2C10 — Other Discoveries — Ch. 10/11;
V1E3C2 — Olduvai Gorge — Ch. 2/9;
V1E3C3 — Nutcracker Man and Johnny’s Child — Ch. 3/9;
V1E3C5 — Who Else Was Around Two Million Years Ago? — Ch. 5/9;
V1E3C7 — Encephalisation — Ch. 7/9;
V1E4C3 — Java Man — Ch. 3/12)
Paranthropus boisei / Nutcracker Man / Zinj — robust Australopithecine discovered by Mary Leakey at Olduvai Gorge
(V1E3C2 — Olduvai Gorge — Ch. 2/9;
V1E3C3 — Nutcracker Man and Johnny’s Child — Ch. 3/9)
Peking Man — Homo erectus fossils excavated at Zhoukoudian in China
(V1E4C5 — Peking Man — Ch. 5/12)
Pithecanthropus erectus — name given by Eugène Dubois to the Java Man fossils
(V1E4C3 — Java Man — Ch. 3/12)
Q
Quaternary Glaciation — period of global cooling discussed as an environmental pressure on hominin adaptation
(V1E3C6 — Social Skills — Ch. 6/9)
R
Radiometric Dating — dating method using radioactive decay
(V1E2C3 — The Laetoli Footprints — Ch. 3/11;
V1E2C4 — Lucy — Ch. 4/11;
V1E3C2 — Olduvai Gorge — Ch. 2/9;
V1E4C8 — Yuanmou Man — Ch. 8/12)
Reck, Hans — German natural historian associated with early excavation at Olduvai Gorge
(V1E3C2 — Olduvai Gorge — Ch. 2/9)
S
Sexual Dimorphism — physical differences between males and females of a species
(V1E2C8 — Sexual Dimorphism — Ch. 8/11)
Sterkfontein Caves — South African fossil site discussed in relation to Homo gautengensis
(V1E3C5 — Who Else Was Around Two Million Years Ago? — Ch. 5/9)
T
Taung Child — fossil skull identified as Australopithecus africanus
(V1E2C6 — Taung Child — Ch. 6/11)
Tobias, Phillip V. — South African palaeoanthropologist associated with Homo habilis and proposed linguistic capability
(V1E3C6 — Social Skills — Ch. 6/9)
Tool Use — possible evidence of tool manufacture before the emergence of Homo
(V1E2C11 — The Mystery of Tools — Ch. 11/11;
V1E3C1 — The Mystery of Tools — Ch. 1/9;
V1E3C2 — Olduvai Gorge — Ch. 2/9;
V1E3C3 — Nutcracker Man and Johnny’s Child — Ch. 3/9;
V1E3C4 — Australopithecus or Homo habilis — Ch. 4/9;
V1E3C5 — Who Else Was Around Two Million Years Ago? — Ch. 5/9;
V1E3C7 — Encephalisation — Ch. 7/9;
V1E3C8 — Home — Ch. 8/9;
V1E4C8 — Yuanmou Man — Ch. 8/12;
V1E4C9 — Fire — Ch. 9/12;
V1E4C10 — Cookery — Ch. 10/12;
V1E4C12 — Tools and Communication — Ch. 12/12)
Trinil — East Javan site where Dubois discovered Java Man fossils
(V1E4C3 — Java Man — Ch. 3/12)
Turkana Boy — near-complete adolescent early human skeleton discovered at Nariokotome
(V1E4C6 — Turkana Boy — Ch. 6/12)
W
White, Tim D. — paleoanthropologist; discovery of Ardipithecus
(V1E1C7 — Other Discoveries — Ch. 7/8;
V1E1C8 — Ardi — Ch. 8/8)
Y
Yuanmou Man — early hominin remains from Yuanmou County in China
(V1E4C8 — Yuanmou Man — Ch. 8/12;
V1E4C9 — Fire — Ch. 9/12)
Z
Zhoukoudian — Chinese fossil site associated with Peking Man
(V1E4C5 — Peking Man — Ch. 5/12)
Zinjanthropus boisei — original name given by the Leakeys to the fossil later classified as Paranthropus boisei
(V1E3C3 — Nutcracker Man and Johnny’s Child — Ch. 3/9)
