Wait a second!
More handpicked essays just for you.
More handpicked essays just for you.
Essay of human evolution
The history of human evolution
The history of human evolution
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
Recommended: Essay of human evolution
As everyone knows, the history of human evolution originated from more than five million years ago (Pickrell, 2006). Human is the most intellective living being on the Earth, even in the developed universe. With the development of human being, the beginning of human started to be discovered. This essay will focus on the evolution history of human being. It will explain three most significant time slices of human evolution.
The origin of human beings has to trace back to the chimps which lived in millions of years ago. About six to eight million years ago, people’s ancestor split from chimp (Pickrell, 2006). In The Origin of Species, which is published by Darwin in 1859, African apes were thought as the ancestor of human beings. And in the next
…show more content…
70 years of research, the discovery of“Taung child” proved this hypothesis (Pickrell, 2006). It is the first step of human’s evolution. The ancestors of human started their trip of developing their race. Then, the branch of human beings began to walk with two legs (Pickrell, 2006). For example, the fossil of “Lucy” is the most intact one of early ape-man. The existence of “Lucy” showed the history of two legs walking people. They were called “Orrorin tugenensis” and lived in the forests or on the savannah (Pickrell, 2006). During the first period of evolution, the earliest hominids had lived in the Earth, when their brains have not developed and ate the roots of plants and the vegetations only. Two and a half million years ago, some hominids started to use tools and fire to get food and continued to develop their brain volume (Pickrell, 2006). In this period, the primitive society has had a basal structure. The hominids ate the raw or cold food instead of the vegetations. The change of food made their face have altered, which let them look more like modern humans. It also caused the development of the brain. The hominids learnt to think and migrated to the areas where were fitter to live (Pickrell, 2006). However, it is still a process of the whole human’s evolution. During the latter part of this period, the fire appeared in the hominids’ society. They began to heat food and made tools to assist their daily life (Pickrell, 2006). About 150 thousand years ago, the original humans had had the ability to speak and started to use simple symbols and words. It is a meaningful progress of human’s evolution. The appearance of languages and words meant that primitive human society has opened a new era. At this point, the hominids almost have completed their evolution and become more similar to the modern humans (Pickrell, 2006). The period which is another important time point of human evolution is the “Great leap forward”.
About fifty thousand years ago, the human cultures started to be more and more similar to modern culture. The hominids killed animals not only to feed themselves but also for the production of clothing (Pickrell, 2006). The hominids had the sense of shame. They used hides to cover their body. Besides, the hominids have the thought to bury their companions (Pickrell, 2006). It is an idea of group or family. With the final formation of human society, people developed and valued quickly. The oldest cave painting had more than thirty-three thousand years’ history (Pickrell, 2006). It is the proof of original humans’ pursuit of art. Almost ten thousand years ago, the systematic agriculture appeared, developed and spread with an amazing speed (Pickrell, 2006). Humans started to plant cereal and raise and train livestock. After that, the Bronze Age carried on the Stone Age (Pickrell, 2006). The change of tool materials helped people have higher efficiency when they were working. At the same time, the first recorded human culture appeared in Mesopotamia (Pickrell, 2006). Until this time point, human beings finished their evolution from ancient apes to modern humans. The process, which had experienced more than hundreds million years, was the most wonderful evolution on the
Earth. To sum up, the evolution of human is a long process. During the evolution, the humans’ ancestor migrated to better lands and developed abilities constantly. It is an amazing history. Human beings have experienced countless survival of the fittest and have become the highest animals on the Earth. The time and tide gave people the best answer of living beings.
Many people believe that we originated from apes and monkey. We can now possibly learn many things from studying and observing chimpanzees and monkeys.
Australopithecus afarensis who existed 3.5 million years ago and a 4.4 million year old skeleton of an Ardipithecus ramidus are the closest science has come to discovering the human lineage. Shattered Ancestry an article written by Katherine Harmon discusses the remains of two hominids found within Ethiopia. These skeletal remains have created a huge controversy within the topic of evolution questioning many assumptions that have been made referencing the human lineage. The skeleton of the Australopithecus afarensis was named Lucy and was discovered in 1974. The evidence of her walking upright on her two feet essentially guaranteed her a spot in the human lineage line. Lucy was a chimplike ape that was said to walk upright making scientists believe the human ancestry was simple. The complete skeleton found in Ethiopia of an Ardipithecus ramidus named Ardi completely changed all assumptions made from scientists about the complexity of the human lineage. These remains have encouraged researches that the human line is not the only lineage to have evolved but the chimpanzee line has undergone drastic changes as well. There are many traits that researchers have always directly linked to the human lineage however since these discoveries occurred researchers are reconsidering. The recent discoveries that have shattered what has always suggested what linked a species to the human lineage have changed the certainty of whether it is possible to confidently identify the human’s last common ancestor. Majority of scientist had forgotten that there would have been many hominid species living together at one time. New theories have been suggested since scientists revealed that the foot of a hominid found called the Burtele site was found ju...
years ” (Quimby 2), since this epoch involved the fundamental evolution of mankind to the present. It is important to
Many discoveries have been made that give more and more clues to the history of life on earth. Paleontologists find artifacts throughout the world that not only answer many questions but also raise many new ones. A topic that is still a mystery today is the origin of man. Scientists often debate over where man originated from and who some of his prehistoric relatives were. Some people think that all men are related, and that there has been inter breeding between different groups of men. (I.e. the Neanderthals from Eurasia at some point bred with the homo sapiens of Africa.) Others believe that certain groups of men evolved in a completely different time period in a completely different place.
Human characteristics have evolved all throughout history and have been manipulated on a global scale through the use of science and technology. Genetic modification is one such process in which contemporary biotechnology techniques are employed to develop specific human characteristics. Despite this, there are a countless number of negative issues related with genetic modification including discrimination, ethical issues and corruption. Hence, genetic modification should not be used to enhance human characteristics.
For centuries Homo sapiens have been considered the most unique species in the primate order. Researchers have shown that Homo sapiens are not the most unique in the homo genus, there have been ancestors that have the same traits that many people consider unique to human. One of these traits is the ability to walk bipedal, which no other primate can do well. It is difficult to state which of the ancestors were the first “humans”, but through various evidence, it can be determined that the Homo neanderthalensis or Neanderthal, were the first to show signs of being human.
According to Darwin and his theory on evolution, organisms are presented with nature’s challenge of environmental change. Those that possess the characteristics of adapting to such challenges are successful in leaving their genes behind and ensuring that their lineage will continue. It is natural selection, where nature can perform tiny to mass sporadic experiments on its organisms, and the results can be interesting from extinction to significant changes within a species. Human beings are no exception to biological evolution. Like other organisms around the world, humans have significantly changed over time and have developed all sorts of diverse characteristics.
The evolution of apes was a possibility in the 19th century. Although religion had been cherished for centuries, the doubts in people’s mines began to express many uncertainties about the bible and started to question their own beliefs. The issue of evolution was a huge concern in the 19th century as it was destroying the view of god and how he made the world; this caused many people to either change their views on life or their religion which had a huge part in resolving people’s beliefs in their own culture. This has had a huge impact on today’s society due to the involvement of Charles Darwin and his theory of evolution. In the 19th century people believed that we came/ were made by Adam & Eve, but through Darwinism there was a controversy between churches and peoples beliefs.
Prior to living in homes build to with stand the test of time, growing food their food source, and raising animals, humans were nomads who followed their food source around and were hunters and gathers. Although it took many years, from 8000B.C. to 3000B.C. for humans to go from hunters and gathers to a more common day life as we now know it, the result is referred to as the Neolithic Revolution the begins of human civilization. As the people of this time began to settle down and they began to both farm the land and domesticate animals for the better of the community. Along with the development of these communities as for the first time began to create social class among the many different roles they played in their community. Because the people of this time no longer roamed around some of the first signs of technology began to appear around this time as well.
“The scientific study of how humans developed did not begin until the 1800s in Europe. Until that time, people relied on religious explanations of how humans came into existence. Starting in the 1500s a scientific revolution began to sweep Europe. Thinkers started using scientific methods and experiments to try to better understand the world and the creatures living in it. Eventually these methods were turned to the question of human origins” (The Nature Of Human Origins, 1). Earth made it possible for species to change over time because Ancient Earth provides ability to plenty of time.The Homo Sapien a is very complex creature. The species started off very simple by living in caves and surviving with little food and then later evolved into a species that were able to do many more complex things. The first species was Sahelanthropus tchadensis They were one of the most simple humans in that time period and on. They had very small skulls compared to Homo Sapiens today and their motor skills were just the same. We have evolved and changed for the better both mentally and physically. The Evolution of Homo Sapiens started off simple, such as the Neanderthals, and now we are the most advanced species to ever walk the planet so far.
Author Yuval Noah Harari has a unique way of reviewing the past fourteen billion years in his monograph Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind. His intention for writing this book is mainly to bring up the conversation of the human condition and how it has affected the course of history. In this case, the human condition coincides with the inevitable by-products of human existence. These include life, death, and all the emotional experiences in between. Harari is trying to determine how and why the events that have occurred throughout the lives of Homo Sapiens have molded our social structures, the natural environment we inhabit, and our values and beliefs into what they are today.
The evidence for human evolution begins with the australopithecines. All the australopithecines were bipedal and therefore possible hominines. In details of their teeth, jaws, and brain size, however, they modify enough among themselves to be divided into five species: Australopithecus anamensis, A. afarensis, A. africanus, A. robustus, and A. boisei. Genus Homo are also divided in five different spices: Homo erectus, H. habilis, H. sapiens, and H. sapiens sapiens.
Mankind’s origin is from God through creation. The Bible tells us in Genesis chapter 1 verse 27; So God created man in His own image, in the image of God created He him: male and female created He them. The Bible also says in Genesis chapter 2 verse 7, And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.
The interrelations between history and human nature requires a detail understanding of what human nature is. In the bible, human nature is that which makes us distinctly human. “Our” nature is distinct from that of animals and other creatures, but whatever human nature may be, I believe human nature is universal which is still developing and can always develop further. For this essay, I’ve chosen to believe that history is the product of human nature. What lead to my belief was that there was no history to begin with, Harman and Gombrich tells a significant event including those that resulted in great change over long periods of time for large numbers of people and this is what made history. Today's culture and how it is set has been greatly
Numerous studies have been conducted on where humans evolved from and how they have developed over the years. Some people believe in the theory of evolution and others believe in the theory developed in religion. The researcher is interested in this topic because this is the theory of how human’s evolved over time. This theory marks where humans first started from, to now and the phenomena continues today. Another reason is because there are so many different facts and evidence found throughout the years to prove that humans have evolved over the years into the people they are today. Charles Darwin is not the founder of evolution, but with help from history and these scientists, Thomas Henry Huxley, Alfred Wallace and John Gould, he was able to develop the theory of evolution. These scientists contributed a huge amount to Charles research and helped him come up with the conclusion of where humans evolved.