Origin And Evolution Of Man

Step 1: Understanding the Concept: The human evolutionary tree follows a general chronological sequence from early ape-like ancestors to modern humans, reconstructed primarily based on fossil records.
Step 2: Key Formula or Approach: Arrange the given hominid species sequentially based on their timeline of emergence and evolutionary advancement.
Step 3: Detailed Explanation: The universally accepted chronological sequence of human ancestors is:
1. Dryopithecus (e): The oldest common ancestor of apes and humans, existing approximately 15 million years ago.
2. Australopithecus (c): The first true hominids, walking upright in East African grasslands approximately 2-4 million years ago.
3. Homo habilis (a): The first definitive human-like being, the handy man with a brain capacity of 650-800 cc, emerging around 2 million years ago.
4. Homo erectus (b): Appeared about 1.5 million years ago, had a larger brain (900 cc) and is known to have discovered fire.
5. Neanderthal man (d): Lived near East and Central Asia much later, between 100,000 to 40,000 years back.
Putting the listed options in their proper chronological order yields: e c a b d.
Step 4: Final Answer: The correct sequence matches option (2).