Early Humans

Directions

1. Watch the video for an overview and then scroll down to the Early Human Challenge activity to compare some skull samples!
2. Grab and rotate each skull in the activity to examine its characteristics.
   • Keep in mind that these are casts and signs of age could be misleading because they are not actually bone.
3. Click on the checkboxes and try to put the skulls in order from oldest to youngest. You will be alerted if you are incorrect and congratulated when you are correct.
4. After successfully completing level one, complete the same task with three more skulls.
5. How did you do this time?
6. Which ones were difficult to place?

How do scientists classify fossils?

Scientists classify organisms much the same way that we classify objects all around us. For example, when you go to the grocery store, you know that you can find milk, yogurt, and cheese in the dairy section. You can also find eggs there, but that’s a mystery for another day! We keep the dairy products together because they have common characteristics.

Looking at these skulls, scientists take measurements to estimate the size of the brain. Researchers also look at other characteristics such as brow ridge, jawline, teeth, and evidence of bipedal locomotion. Paleontologists will examine patterns in the teeth and materials where the fossil is found to look for clues on diet and use of tools.

When scientists look at fossils, they also use a variety of methods to evaluate how old the fossils are and where they might be on the phylogenetic family tree. Scientists can use chemical decay as well as other known fossils nearby to estimate see how old the samples are.