MISSION 6 — Back to Skull
Animals more closely related to modern humans than to modern chimpanzees are called hominins. All members of the hominin group are extinct except one—us, Homo sapiens. In the not-too-distant past, there were several other Homo species living on Earth; a couple of them lived at the same time as Homo sapiens. There were also many species of our closest extinct cousins, the Australopithecines, and several other hominin species as well.
Although rarely even close to complete specimens, hominin fossils have told us a great deal about our extinct relatives. In this level, you’ll explore features of various hominin skulls to learn about some of the things that make us —and other members of our genus Homo—human.
Play "Back to skull" and answer questions 6–10 after you've completed the level.
6-7. Click on the button below to answer questions 6-7. Remember to refer to your completed tree and the species comparison tab if you are not sure of your answers.
8. The date ranges for each of the hominins in this puzzle are given below. Use the "Visualize It" button to plot them on a timeline. One date range has been done for you.
9. At least how many Homo species shared the planet 500,000 years ago?
10. A common misconception is that humans evolved from chimpanzees. It can therefore be confusing to some people that there are still chimpanzees. How could you use a tree diagram like the one you completed in this level of the game to explain the correct relationship between living chimps and living humans?
