You should understand that human evolution is a product of long, diverse changes occurring at different times, and that the fossil record is complete enough to show that the characteristics of living humans have evolved over time in a "mosaic" fashion.
You should be aware the evolutionary history of the first humans involves a wide assortment of facts—places, names, and events—that is often confusing, and requires a framework to integrate the information to understand a general picture.
You should understand that human evolution began in Africa and that the hominin line split from the African apes about 6 million years ago.
You should know that during those 6 million years, hominin evolutionary trends gave rise to bipedalism, the most definitive trait defining a hominin.
You should understand that the genus Australopithecus figured prominently in the evolutionary process. You should be familiar with the two robust africanus and gahri species who are the most likely candidates that gave rise to the genus Homo. However, you should be familiar with the other South African hominin species that were also an important part of this process.
You should understand that our current knowledge of hominid evolution is incomplete but part of an ongoing process that seeks to reconstruct general patterns. Many hypotheses have been tested and rejected. Others have help as new evidence accumulates. Speculation still persists concerning the origin of bipedalism.
