Ape Man is the definitive account of how humans evolved from primates to become the dominant species on earth. From the extinction of the dinosaurs to the invention of fire, from the development of language to the link between furry ancestors and modern man, this vivid journey tells a towering story. Featuring the latest scientific evidence, Ape Man travels 7 million years back in time to uncover the world of man's oldest ancestor.

Part 1, The Human Puzzle

Compared to other species, human beings have been on earth for a very short time. For millions of years, dinosaurs dominated. Then came an evolutionary upheaval--the continents shifted, the climate changed, and the ape emerged. In Africa, our primal ancestors began to make huge biological leaps forward. But what mysterious phenomenon allowed humans to branch off from the ape?

• Homo Sapiens
• abiding
• ancestors
• bipedal
• carnivore
• cultivation
• dexterous
• fervently
• fossils
• hominid
• melange
• paleoanthropologist
• perpetrated
• predators
• quadruped
• scavengers

1. Dinosaurs dominated the earth for millions of years, yet today they do not exist. What are the possible reasons for their disappearance from the earth?

2. The search for the beginnings of humankind has occupied the imagination of men and women for thousands of years. Why do we search for our beginnings? Why are we so driven to find out where we came from, and the reason for our existence?

3. If you look at the remains of Lucy, she appears to be nothing more than an incomplete skeleton. Yet anthropologists consider her a breakthrough in the puzzle of humankind's origins. Why is Lucy so important? What secrets can she reveal?

4. Many anthropologists look not only to the past but to the present day behavior of animals to determine humankind's origins. How do living animals reveal some of the secrets of evolution?

5. How has the discovery of DNA advanced the knowledge of our ancestry? When Charles Darwin published On the Origins of Species by Means of Natural Selection in 1859, his work created controversy and unrest. Why did Darwin's theory of evolution create such controversy? Why was there such a strong reaction to his work?

6. What is meant by Darwin's term "natural selection?"

1. Research an event known as "The Scopes Monkey Trial" and write an essay about how the theory of evolution affected American culture. Research the different examples of beings on the human evolutionary scale and create an illustrated chart showing the progression to modern humankind.

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Air Dates

• August 03, 2004