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evolution a complicated process
Factors in the Evolution to Bipedalism Essay
the evolution into bipedalism'
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The evolution of the human species has significantly changed during the course of evolution to what is now the modern day Homo sapiens. Some of the changes that have occurred through the evolution are bipedalism, changes in body features such as brow ridges, and an increase in brain capacity. Bipedalism is a form of locomotion that is on two feet and is the one factor that separates humans from other forms of hominoids. The first bipeds are believed to have lived in Africa between 5 and 8 million years ago. (Haviland et al. 2011, pg. 78). The evolution to bipedalism resulted in various anatomical changes. To be able to balance on two legs, the skull must be centered over the spinal column. As bipeds evolved, the foramen magnum, the opening at the base of skull for the spinal column, moved from the back of the skull to the center. The spinal column also evolved from a continuous curve to a spine with four concave and convex curves. (Haviland et al. 2011, pgs. 79, 80). Another change was the widening of the pelvis which gives a wider plateau for more balance when walking on two legs. Many factors could have played a part in the evolution to bipedalism. Some of these are adaptation to environment and the need to have free hands to handle tools and weapons. These factors were the basis of Charles Darwin's theory of the evolution of quadrupeds to bipeds. (Hawks). Advantages of bipedalism include the ability to see farther and wider distances because you can see from a higher vantage point; the ability to carry food, tools, and weapons; and more efficient movement. Bipedalism had many advantages, but it also had many disadvantages and provided dangers to early hominids. Some of these disadvantages included i... ... middle of paper ... ...linois at Chicago. Retrieved from the Web 11/16/13. http://www.uic.edu/classes/osci/osci590/index.html McKie, Robin. (2013). "Why Did the Neanderthals Die Out?" The Guardian. Retrieved from the Web 11/17/13. http://www.theguardian.com/science/2013/jun/02/why-did-neanderthals-die-out . O'Neil, Dennis. (2012). "Early Hominin Evolution: A Survey of Australopithecines and Related Genera." Palomar College. Retrieved from the Web 11/18/13. http://anthro.palomar.edu/hominid/ "Prognathism." Center for Academic Research & Training in Anthropogeny. Retrieved from the Web 11/18/13. http://carta.anthropogeny.org/moca/topics/prognathism Haviland, William A., Harold E. L. Prins, Dana Walrath, Sunny McBride. (2011). The Essence of Anthropology. Third Edition. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Cengage Learning.
Bipedalism (our ability to walk on two legs), the uncommon size of our brains, symbolic language, and the ability to farm/hunt is what makes us different from the past era. (Christian 6-7) Pages 1-22 begins the era of foragers, also known as the “Paleolithic era” where they use stick and stone tools to survive across different climates around the globe. The era of foragers is the longest (250,000 years) and the hardest era to integrate evidence because of the time gap. Christian stated, “Historians have had a hard time integrating the era of foragers into their accounts of the past because most historians lack the research skills needed to study an area that generated no written evidence (2).
One could argue that our species does everything it can do secure a future for ourselves and our future generations. We have traveled to the stars and back, we explore every inch of our land and travel to the deepest depths of our oceans, and we probe the earth for any resources we can find, all in order to find the best possible option for the human species to survive. But are we really doing the right thing for our species to survive?
developed by means of longer legs and arched heels - two traits seen in H. naledi fossils.
After millions of years that humans separated from their relative primate how is that humans became bipedal. So many changes have happened to the human body to decide to stay on the ground and abandoned their lives in the trees. Primates evolved different body structures according to their lifestyle and the ecosystem in which they lived. As Charles Darwin natural selection stays; it could be as a result of new environments, the need for food and shelter, which forced humans to adapt and survive. Although, most of primates’ anatomy reflects habits of movement, it could be easy to see the external differences but there are many differences that have been intensely studied and researched.
Habitual bipedal gait, articulated language, and the ability form complex thoughts are characteristics that have long been thought to separate human beings from animals. When Dr. Tan initially described Uner Tan Syndrome, he claimed that the affected individuals were “genetic throwbacks.” He hypothesized that a single gene mutation would be found in this family could shed some light on human evolution, and the transition into bipedalism. Initially, the physical manifestations of the syndrome seemed to support this claim. The first hint was the fact that the affected individuals walked with what is described as a diagonal-sequence quadrupedal gait. This is an unusual foot...
Bipedalism is one of the most common traits used when identifying what distinguishes what a human is. However, humans are not the only species that exhibit this trait. There are numerous species besides humans that exhibit bipedalism that are currently living or that have become extinct. Bipedalism has been an important trait for humans and their past ancestors since bipedalism is a very primitive trait that has evolved quite some time ago. Currently, there is no specific answer as to why bipedalism emerges but there are numerous hypotheses and these hypotheses will be examined in this paper. This paper will also identify the different signs that indicate whether or not a species is bipedal.
Which took place slowly and over time . Australopithecines and Homo habilis walked more like Chimpanzee not a fully efficient biped. There are many Hypotheses about how and why it started. The different hypothesis all seem explainable but no one has been able to exactly pinpoint the reason. Some of the hypothesis range from provider,scavenger,efficient walker,endurance runner. While some are excellent hypothesis others are questionable . We will never know the exact reason , but evidence is clear that it began with Australopithecus afarensis and fossils from 4.2-3.9 million years ago showed all the evidence in the hips , bones and skull.Natural selection caused these hominids to change physically to adapt to the bipedal locomotion. One way that I can think of that's different is the hole underneath the skull called “foramen magnum” , depending the position of this hole and the spine. Is a good indicator if the hominids were bipedal or not and Anthropologist have found these differences through different hominid species. The effects of natural selection has changed ancestral hominids to upright walkers given them advantages and a new way to walk that has affected they way we
One great example of behavioral modernity is bipedalism. Bipedalism is the ability to walk upright. Bipedalism is anatomically important because it now demonstrate to us modern day human the cycle on how we came to be. This skill was vital to human evolution because it differentiates
It has long been believed that humankind owes its survival to bipedalism, which is the ability to walk on two legs. This is the first human characteristic to distinguish human from other primates. It is habitual, meaning that it is the primary form of transportation. This characteristic thrived in a time where forests were shrinking and the environment consisted of grasslands. The feature bipedal locomotion leads humans to manipulate their surroundings, bypassing their biological features and being given to the ability to live anywhere, and in any environment. Although developing into bipedal organisms hominids were taking a big gamble. With all the benefits of bipedalism, there are also many disadvantages. In some cases these disadvantages
“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.
What evidence shows the changing from the early hominids to the modern humans? Throughout the human evolution body parts like legs and harms have changed for the better. By the early hominids being biped, meaning they are able to stand and even walk on two feet, it helped them to be able to do more things like getting around more and help with their tool making and hunting. A lot of the fossils discovered were found in the Great Rift Valley in East Africa, which contained many different lakes and small rivers. For many years researchers have been finding new species. These species have been named Australopithicus, robust australopithecines , Orrorin tugenensis, Homo habilis, Homo erectus, neanderthal, and Homo sapiens. These early hominids and modern humans really show off how the features and behaviors have really changed in time.
1.9 million years ago, Homo Habilis of East Africa had evolved into an entirely new species known as Homo erectus. Homo erectus directly translates to "Upright man" and for good reason. One of largest anatomical advancements of Homo erectus was their arm and leg bones which were very similar in shape and proportions to that of modern day humans. "Their legs would have made Homo erectus efficient long distance runners like modern humans."(Dennis). Along with their longer more developed legs, Homo erectus's leg were also hairless which allowed them to evaporate sweat and thus be more efficient at not overheating. This advantage allowed Homo erectus to chase down four legged mammals to the point of heat exhaustion and thus drastically increase the efficiency their hunting tactics. Another change in the legs of Homo erectus was their slightly more narrow pelvises. This forced the size of a child’s head to be smaller at birth and undergo most of its development during childhood. (Dennis)
The members of the Homo genus possess a combination of unique features that distinguish them from other related species. At the time that each respective species was alive, they were able to walk upright on two legs, use their large brains for the benefit of their species, and could thrive in many geographically and climatically diverse areas of the world. One of the most mysterious quandaries in science is how the lineage of the Homo genus became so different from their primate relatives. Bipedalism, brain size, and location diversity all have a common link that may explain this difference – dietary evolution allowed humans to adapt to their surroundings, and in turn, become a more advanced species. The Homo diet evolved in relation to food availability and nutritional necessity. With the ability to maintain a proper diet, the species of the Homo genus were able to flourish and advance toward the development of modern Homo sapiens.
One of the most important and pivotal physical and biological adaptations that separate humans from other mammals is habitual bipedalism. According to Darwin, as restated by Daniel Lieberman, “It was bipedalism rather than big brains, language, or tool use that first set th...
This essay discusses the evolution of amphibians. Amphibians are classified into three orders (anura, caudata and apoda) and are in the superclass tetrapoda (Kolesova, et el, 2007). The Apoda is comprised of organisms with no legs, and these organisms normally live in barrows. Tretrapods are comprised of vertebrates with four limbs; and examples of tetrapods are reptiles and amphibians (Kolesova, et el, 2007). Tetrapods were the earliest vertebrates to be able to walk on land and that was during the Devonian period about 360-370 million years ago (Kolesova, et el, 2007). Before the existence of amphibians almost all vertebrates lived in water (Kolesova, et el, 2007).