Dryopithecus are thought to be the ancestors of humans and apes. They originated from Eurasia and later migrated to Africa. The genus Dryopithecus refers to the oak wood ape. Dryopithecus inhabited the dense tropical lowland forests , so they were probably primarily herbivores.

The first remains of Ramapithecus were discovered from the Shivalik range in Punjab and later in Africa and Saudi Arabia. They lived in open grasslands. Two pieces of evidence confirm their Hominid status:
Thickened tooth enamel, robust jaws and shorter canines.
Usage of hands for food and defense and extrapolations of upright posture

The fossil of this genus was first discovered in 1924 in South Africa. They lived on the ground, used stones as weapons and walked erect. They were 4 feet tall and weighed 60-80 pounds.

The first fossil of Homo Erectus was found in Java in 1891. These were named as Pithecanthropus Erectus. These were considered as the missing link between the man and apes. Another discovery made in China was the Peking man. This specimen had large cranial capacities and is believed to have lived in communities. Homo erectus used tools comprising quartz. Tools made of bones and wood were also discovered. There is evidence of collective hunting. There is also evidence of the use of fire. The Homo Erectus is believed to dwell in caves.

The Homo Erectus evolved into Homo Sapiens. During evolution, two sub-species of Homo Sapiens were identified- Homo sapiens Neanderthal and Homo sapiens sapiens. The cranial capacity of Neanderthal grew from 1200 to 1600 cc. Some small hand axes had also been discovered. This species of hominids could hunt big names such as mammoths.

The remains of Homo Sapiens were first discovered in Europe and were named Cro-Magnon. In these, the jaws are quite reduced, the modern man’s chin appeared, and the skull was rounded. Their cranial capacity was about 1350 cc. They gathered food through hunting. Art first appeared during this time.