Anthropoid
The protohumans were animals in the Beast Wars segment of the Generation 1 continuity family
Millions of years ago in a valley in eastern Africa, there lived tribes of protohuman primates. At the time of initial contact with Transformers, there was little obvious external difference between the protohumans and other animals sharing their environment. But since the protohumans were destined to evolve into the modern human race, which would in turn play a key role in the Great War, these simple creatures were targeted for destruction by the time-travelling Predacons.
Fiction
Beast Wars
When first seen, the protohumans were clearly in a pre-civilizational state, living as hunter-gatherers, unable to use tools, wear clothes, or defend themselves from predators, and communicating only by animalistic grunting and body language. After Megatron had conclusively proven that he could use the information on the Golden Disk to shape the unfolding of future events, he decided to exterminate the protohumans and thus prevent their descendents from helping the Autobots win. The Predacons began a heavy assault on the protohuman valley, and succeeded in at least injuring some of them, but their plan was foiled by Dinobot, who not only saved the creatures but also inspired them to use tools in self-defense and food-gathering Code of Hero.
The surviving protohumans scattered across a wide area; since Transformer scanners had a hard time tracking organic lifeforms, this meant it would be impossible for a similar attack to be attempted again The Agenda, Part 1. Instead, Megatron designed his hunting team of Cyber-Raptors, vicious clones of Dinobot using experimental Transmetal 2 technology, and unleashed them to roam freely across the world killing any protohumans they could encounter. By that point protohuman culture had advanced significantly: rudimentary tool use was widespread, individuals garbed themselves in animal skins, and both walking and communication had become more sophisticated. They had not, however, advanced to the point where they could defend themselves from laser-shooting cyborg dinosaurs, so the Maximals had to save them again Cutting Edge.
As the protohumans observed and interacted with Transformers more and more frequently, their own ability to use technology grew more sophisticated. Cheetor can probably take some credit for this, as he was holding regular lessons teaching young individuals how to use not just tools but also simple machines such as levers, pulleys, and hinges; he also taught them the basics of combat, including how to defend themselves from Transformers, though he preferred that they be constructive and non-violent. Megatron sought to take advantage of the protohumans' ingenuity by kidnapping one and forcing it to complete the construction of an unstable energon cannon; but the rapidly learning young primate actually outsmarted him! Go With The Flow
Eventually, protohumans developed the knowledge to create complex dwelling structures in cliff caves and freestanding houses, as well as mastery of fire, division of labor and gender roles, and mass-production of musical instruments and sturdy weapons such as spears. With that technology and training on their side, a tribe of protohuman warriors was able to defeat in combat the (admittedly scatterbrained) team of Inferno and Quickstrike Nemesis, Part 1. Megatron's continuing obsession with the protohumans eventually hastened his own defeat: believing that "no score is too small to settle," he ordered Dinobot II to unleash the full firepower of the Nemesis upon the first protohuman they encountered--a notion so unfair and dishonorable that it sewed the first seeds of Dinobot II's eventual revolt against his master. After the Predacons were finally defeated, Waspinator lived among the "fleshybots" and was worshipped as a ruler or deity Nemesis, Part 2.
Beast Machines After Waspinator angered them by flicking rocks at their head, the protohumans revolted against him, chasing him out of their camp and catapulting him off a palm tree.... all the way to Cybertron, apparently Revelations, Part 3
Notes
- The Vok were aware of the existence and importance of the protohumans, since one of the relief images on the Alien Disk is a humanoid figure standing next to a tree. Precisely what their goals were for humanity is unknown. Beast Wars story editor Bob Forward later said that among the many unrealized ideas behind the Vok was the notion that they had put Earth's mysterious energon supplies there as a clean energy source to be used by eventual human descendents.
- It is really not possible to correlate the Beast Wars protohumans with any specific real prehistoric hominid. The chronology of Beast Wars itself has differed throughout various media, but in all respects the level of physical and cultural advancement during the purpoted timeline does not match what the [fossil record] actually shows.
