Early Hominins: Ancestral Pathways
The roots of human evolution can be traced back to the African continent around 6-7 million years ago. It was during this time that our ancestors, the hominins, began to diverge from the common ancestors shared with chimpanzees. The earliest hominins, such as Ardipithecus and Australopithecus, inhabited woodlands and grasslands, gradually transitioning from a quadrupedal to a bipedal mode of locomotion. Bipedalism brought about several advantages, including the ability to see over tall grass, carry objects, and free up the hands for tool use.
