Quick Facts- DO NOT WRITE!!

1. Homo Sapiens spread out to populate, or become inhabitants of, almost every land area of the world. The Human Migration • Archaeologists disagree on where modern humans came from or how they spread • Study fossils and genetic information Two Theories about Migration • “Out of Africa” theory suggests that humans migrated from Africa to new places, replacing those that already lived there. • Another theory is that large-brained humans developed separately in many different parts of the world. New Evidence • New evidence from a skull found in 2007 suggests that humans were already in their modern form when they migrated from Africa. • A 2008 genetic study gives a boost to the “out of Africa” theory. • Still, many questions about human migration remain unanswered. • 30,000 years ago, Homo sapiens were living in Africa, Asia, Europe, and Australia

2. Quick Facts- DO NOT WRITE!! • Reasons for migration include: • The land on which they live no longer provides enough food for growing populations • They need to escape immediate weather problems, such as flooding, or long-term climate problems, such as drought • As population grow, people may want more space or need to escape overcrowding that causes disease or conflict • Conflicts over food, land, or power sometimes push people to explore new lands • Many people have a strong drive to explore that drives them toward new lands.

3. Adapting to Varied Environments • As human migrated they had to adapt to new environments. A Changing Climate • During the past two million years- including the Stone Age- the Earth has had four long ice ages. • The last great Ice Age began about 70,000 years ago, soon after modern humans appeared. • Well-watered grasslands became deserts • Sea-level dropped- exposing land bridges • Many animals had to migrate to find food • People had to follow the herds for food Staying Warm • Ice-Age hunter gathers learned to adapt • Built huts out of mammoth bones and covered with animal skin • Using bone needles, they sewed snug clothing from animal skins and furs • Kept fires burning day and night http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cRRlEyplGQ8&feature=player_embedded

4. Forming Larger Communities • Some adapted to change by forming larger communities • Hunters could work together • Better defense against other nomadic groups • Clans formed (25-50 people) • Communities began to trade Developing Complex Cultures: The Evidence of Art • Communities became more and more complex Paintings in Caves • Discovered Lascaux cave paintings in 1940 • Some images were carved but most were painted • Made pigments by grinding up minerals of various colors What Do They Tell Us? • Humans are capable of complex thoughts and actions Developing Complex Cultures: Religious Beliefs and Practices • Religious beliefs and practices are a sign of a more complex culture

5. Burial Practices • Ice Age people buried their dead • Children covered with ivory beads in Russian grave Early Religious Practices • Cave paintings, statues, and burial sites suggest how early humans reacted to mysterious and powerful sources. • Suggest that they believed in animism- natural world is filled with spirits. The Next Big Change • By the end of the Paleolithic Era, humans… • Occupied many regions of the world • Developed a complex spoken language • Variety of tools and weapons • Adapted to different environments • Still lived in small groups as hunter-gatherers • Around 10,000 years ago Neolithic Era began