With all of the knowledge that has been obtained since the beginning of the exploration into Anthropology there is still many things we do not know. In fact the very order in which our evolutionary cycle is arranged is still under debate to this day. However, through reading the book, watching the videos, and through my own knowledge I believe that there is roughly 7 subspecies of ancestors in which fall between the time of Australopithecus sediba and Homo erectus.
Starting with Australopithecus sediba which was found by the young boy in the first video was dated back roughly 1.8 million years ago. The reason the Australopithecus sediba was said to be the bridge between Homo and Australopithecus because is resigned more closely to that of Homo erectus. A. sediba was a
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This species was dated from 2.4 to 1.5 million years ago (Human Evolution). As you can see many of the species overlap one another and that is why our cycle is so differentiating. The Homo habilis was one of the fist species to make and use primitive stone tools to hunt (Human Evolution). It was around 5 foot tall and had a brain much bigger that Australopithecus but still smaller than that of Homo erectus. He walk on two feet and resembled man much more that primate. It also had a very large area in the brain that supports language which also promotes a potential for culture (Human Evolution).
Lastly, we come to Homo erectus which date back from 1.8 million years to about 200,000 years ago. Homo erectus has been found in Africa and Asia which makes it the first wide ranging species of its kind (Human Evolution). Despite the look of Homo erectus’s skull it was very similar body structure to that of a humans. Homo erectus is also thought to be the first hominid to use fire and have a true sence of culture (Human Evolution). Though it was probably dramatically different than what we see
In the Article “Redrawing Humanity’s Family Tree” by John Noble Wilford, describes how two different skulls challenge the theories of human origins and migrations. The Central African skull, that dates back to nearly 7 million years ago, was assigned to a whole new genus and species because of its apelike and evolved hominid species. The 1.75-million-year-old Georgian skull shows evidence that the first hominids may have been intercontinental travelers who set motion the migrations that occupied the whole planet. Finally a third skull was found that is the same age and shares a resemblance but, the size of the skull suggests that the brain was smaller than expected for H. erectus.
According to Diamond, Human ancestors moved to Eurasia around 1 to 2 million years ago and after human fossils began to resemble modern Homo sapiens and archaeologists called that period the Great Leap Forward. According to “Human Evolution and the Great Leap Forward - By Advocate De Waal Lubbe,” Scientists have estimated that humans branched off from their common ancestor, with chimpanzees, about 5-7 million years ago. Several species and subspecies of Homo evolved and are now extinct. These include Homo erectus, which inhabited Asia, and Homo Sapiens Neanderthalensis, which inhabited Europe. Archaic Homo sapiens evolved between 400,000 and 250,000 years ago.
However the minority of species that branch off from the human evolutionary tree and are either claimed by extinction or evolved down a second evolutionary branch, and what differences existed in them that differed from our ancestors. The species such as Australopithecus Boisei lived in the same time period to that of Australopithecus Africanus and Aferensis. However based off the information (See research booklet) it I notice that the A. Boisei has a significantly decreased brain to body weight
This week’s video is about how humans evolved and their ancestor, homo erectus. The homo erectus were the first apes to be able to walk on two feet just like humans. They evolved from apes about two million years ago. Compared to apes, homo erectus had bigger arms, longer legs, and bigger brains. This made them really similar to humans. They even have the same skeletal structure as humans. Although they have similarities they also have differences. Unlike humans the homo erectus had smaller brains and slightly larger jaw structures.Although they had smaller brains they were able to think more advanced than apes. They also grew at a faster rate than humans. They are the perfect example of human evolution.
In the quest to explain human origins it is necessary to find a species that bridges modern man (Homo sapiens) with the apes. To fill this gap evolutionists have set forth Homo erectus, who lived approximately 400,000 to 1.6 million years ago (Johanson and Shreeve1989). Although the distinctions are somewhat vague, below the neck, Homo sapiens and Homo erectus are practically Identical and Homo erectus was responsible for pioneering the use of standard tools (such as the hand axe), big-game hunting, and the use of fire (Johanson and Shreeve1989).
Homo heidelbergensis was an early human species that lived around 700,000 to 200,000 years ago. These pioneers were the first to live in colder climates, hunt large animals with wooden spears, and utilize fire. They were also our first ancestors to construct simple shelters out of wood and rock. Interestingly a comparison between Neanderthal and modern human DNA suggests the two lineages diverged from a common ancestor, most likely Homo heidelbergensis!
“How old is the oldest human fossil?,” If you had said about 700,000 years, you would probably have been right until just recently that is, “The September 1998 issue of Discover magazine”, reports that Ernesto Abbate, a geology professor from Florence, Italy, has just discovered the fossilized skull and teeth of a humanlike creature who might have lived, as far back as, one million years ago. Calling this creature Buia Man after the city in northeastern Africa where the remains were found. Prof. Abbate thinks he has discovered the earliest fossil that displays physical features associated with Homo sapiens, the species to which modern humans belong. Moreover, Buia Man says, Prof. Abbate also shows physical
To begin, Diamond talks about our evolutionary relatives, the apes. The history of humanity began in Africa about seven million years ago, when the African apes evolved into three categories. They evolved into gorillas, chimps, and humans. The earliest species of humans, Homo Habilis and Homo Erectus, became closer to modern humans in physical traits about 2.5 million years ago. One million years ago, Homo Erectus began to migrate out of Africa to Europe, Australia, Asia, etc. Homo sapiens first appeared around half a million years ago, having evolved from Homo Erectus. There is no perfect definition of Homo sapiens and therefore no exact date for when they first appeared. Still, scientists and anthropologists usually agree that Homo
It is clear that early possible hominins discovered, Sahelanthropus, Orrorin, and Ardipithecus, are tied to modern humans, and the ancestors of other infamous bi-pedal species. But figuring out how it all ties together is another conundrum. From my research and attained knowledge from class I believe that Sahelanthropus was the first to come, followed by Orrorin, and then Ardipithecus. One of the biggest factors to have brought me to this decision is the existence timetable. Sahelanthropus was thought to have been around 6-7 million years ago, mya, followed by Orrorin 6 mya and then Ardipithecus 4 mya. These facts make it at least possible that one had followed another. Between the three species traits, you can see the shift in characteristics. For example, Sahelanthropus showcases the phasing out prognathic facial structure. Additionally, they have no diastema and smaller canines which suggest a changing diet (Fossil Evidence 2017). I believe Ardipithicus gave rise to the Austrolopithecines. I
In tracing the direct ancestors of Homo sapiens sapiens, the five consequent Hominins I would include in the timeline of human evolutions: Australopithecus afarensis and africanus, Homo habilis, Homo erectus, Archaic Homo sapiens, and Homo Neanderthal. In 3.6 million years ago, Australopithecus afarensis is considered the earliest hominins that are close relative to Homo. Afarensis had slender body built, but relatively larger than modern humans, but with smaller brains, and a prognathic face. In 1975, the discovery of Lucy commonly referred as “first family”, reveals evidence of bipedalism. In 3.3 million years ago, Australopithecus africanus is considered extinct classified species as hominin. Africanus remain
Homo erectus was first found in Africa and the fossilized remains dated 1.8 and 1.0 million years old. The Homo erectus traits are very similar toward the modern human traits. Homo erectus brain size was smaller than the Homo sapiens. Homo erectus had a brain size of approximately 650 cc and Homo sapiens had a brain size of approximately 1251
In the first few pages Davis discusses scientific terms such as Homo erectus and Homo sapiens, the first of the human species. Homo erectus went extinct 300,000 years ago, then Homo sapiens, the first humans, developed and
Hominids with a brain absolutely and relatively larger than that of the australopithecines appeared about 2.3 million years ago. These hominids are classified in our own genus: Homo. The earliest species to appear was the Homo Habilis. It was the first of our ancestors to show a significant increase in brain size and also the first to be found associated with stone tools. These characteristics resulted in this species’ placement into the human genus, Homo.
According to physical evidence, and theories, scholars have concluded upon a whole hypothesis. Based on their knowledge and belief, modern humans diverged from Homo sapiens between 200,000 and 150,000 years ago specifically in Africa, that between 125,000 and 60,000 years ago members of Homo sapiens left Africa, and that these
Humans have existed on Earth for approximately 3.4 million years. The oldest known human ancestor is "Lucy," an Australopithecus. Over this extensive period of time, humans have evolved significantly. Homo Sapiens have grown from 3 to almost 6 feet (average), lost most of the body hair, became leaner and adapted to walking. Humans have come a long way, from Australopithecus to Homo sapiens, from living in trees to living in cities. Slowly, through hundreds of thousands of years, we mutated over and over again, natural selection ensuring that no destructive mutations continue. From the slow evolution, four distinctive species emerged and died out, each giving way to its ' descendant: Homo Habilis, Homo Erectus, Homo Sapiens Neanderthalesis, and Homo sapiens Sapiens.