Homo habilis

Homo habilis is a hominid fossil that belonged to the genus Homo about 2.5 million years ago when human evolution entered a new phase: Homo habilis had a prominent forehead and a larger braincase compared to earlier hominin species, and used stone tools. The first fossils were found by Louis and Mary Leakey in 1959 at Olduvai Gorge in the Serengeti National Park, Tanzania. Compared with previous species including Australopithecus, H. habilis had more human characteristics such as a larger brain volume and a smaller face and molars. However, its long arms and prognathic face are still similar to those of anthropoids.
According to the fossil data found, H. habilis was 130-150cm tall on average, and has a brain volume of around 600-750cc. Homo habilis means ‘Handy man’ or ‘Able man’ in Latin, hence the nickname “Handy Man.” Judging from the fossilized bones of arms and legs, H. habilis was bipedal and used tools sure-handedly. H. habilis is commonly known as the first hominid to make and use stone tools. As H. habilis was able to use stone tools to hunt animals and to remove meat from bones in order to eat meat and marrow, its consumption of animal foods greatly increased. Its brain capacity was also astonishingly developed at over 650cc. H. habilis is believed to have existed until about 1.5 million years ago. Although there are still various opinions about its relation to other later species of the Homo genus on the evolutionary ladder, H. habilis is thought to have appeared in the intermediate period between Australopithecus and Homo erectus.

Place of Settlement: Eastern and Southern Africa
Period: About 1.8 million years ago
Discovery Site: Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania
Species: Homo habilis
Nick-name: Handy Man, Able Man
Cranial Capacity: Approx. 600-750cc
Major Characteristics: Prominent forehead, smaller molars, first species to use stone tools.