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history of evolution theory chapter 2
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Humans are extremely complex and unique beings. We are animals however we often forget our origins and our place in the natural world and consider ourselves superior to nature. Humans are animals but what does it mean to be human? What are the defining characteristics that separate us from other animals? How are we different? Human origins begin with primates, however through evolution we developed unique characteristics such as larger brain sizes, the capacity for language, emotional complexity and habitual bipedalism which separated us from other animals and allowed us to further advance ourselves and survive in the natural world. Additionally, humans have been able to develop a culture, self-awareness, symbolic behavior, and emotional complexity. Human biological adaptations separated humans from our ancestors and facilitated learned behavior and cultural adaptations which widened that gap and truly made humans unlike any other animal. Biological Evolution Biological evolution is the change in the inherited and genetic characteristics of a species. Much of what makes us human is our physical appearance and biological adaptations. Human ancestry originates in primates and over time, we have physically evolved a great deal in order to become the modern humans that we are today. Humans have larger brain sizes, longer legs, and are habitually bipedal all of which biologically separate humans from other animals and create the human identity. 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... ... middle of paper ... ... drawn. What makes us human? Through the examination of human evolution, both biological adaptations and cultural adaptations which are distinct to humans can be recognized. Biologically speaking, humans are unique in that they are bipedal, they have larger brain sizes, and longer leg length. When examining the cultural evolution of humans we have a complex language system, we live in communities, engage in symbolic behavior, and act through emotional impulses. While we are often considered to be superior to all other animals, it is important to recognize that while we are animals, we have very distinct characteristics and adaptations that separate us both biologically and culturally from all other animals. Works Cited Lieberman, Daniel. "The Story of the Human Body: Evolution, Health, and Disease" https://books.google.com/books?isbn=0307907414
Charles Darwin founded the theory of evolution by natural selection, which according to this principle defines; biological characteristics enhance survival increase in frequency from generation to generation (Larsen et al. 22). These individuals are inclined to produce more sustainable offspring to pass their genes to, meaning that some individuals are more reproductively fruitful than others. Natural selection requires variation in a species, which can result by gene flow, mutation, or genetic drift & also involves environmental stresses such as climate change. These result as the evolutionary means of how certain traits can be selected. Eventually, traits that give individuals certain advantages, such as bipedalism in hominids, will be selected in great numbers & more individuals in a population will display these traits.
Bipedalism is a unique attribute of hominids and is pivotal in human evolution. There exist several Hypotheses of Bipedalism. Four hypotheses that are explored are Locomotion Efficiency (Long Distance Travel), Thermoregulation (Cooling), Freeing the Hands, and Visual Surveillance. A summary of each hypotheses’ main points and applied relevancy of each, postulating the locomotion theory as the best of the four hypothesizes.
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.
By definition, human evolution is the development, both biological and cultural, of humans. Human ideologies of how the evolution of man came to be is determined by cultural beliefs that have been adopted by societies going back as far as the Upper Paleolithic era, some 40,000 years ago. Through the study of paleoanthropology, we have come to determine that a human is any member belonging to the species of Homo Sapiens. Paleoanthropologists, while studying the evolution of humans, identify and explain evolutionary changes that occur throughout time that aid in the development of the human species. It will be through the examination of human physical traits, human origins from pre-humans to modern humans, and major discoveries that we will be able to understand the history of human evolution.
From all existing creatures, we humans differ because we are able to use our brain to make decisions. In
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.
Humans are a unique set of species with many defining characteristics. A majority of people when asks what makes you human, would say being able to breathe, talk, bleed, and reproduce....
Human Evolution. (2009). In R. Robinson (Ed.), Biology. New York: Macmillan Reference USA. Retrieved from http://ic.galegroup.com/ic/scic/ReferenceDetailsPage/ReferenceDetailsWindow
The evolution of humans was (and is) a very important time. The first being of evolution was Australopithecus Afarensis or “Lucy”. Then we moved on to Homo erectus and Homo Neanderthal. When the weather got hotter, we were Homo Sapiens Sapiens and finally, the modern man. This evolution did not happen overnight. It took millions of years. The past is hardly forgotten, but the imminent is next.
What does it mean to be human? Sure, one must have the usual physical features such as fingers, eyes, arms, hands, feet, etc., but what does it really mean? Must the human be able to speak? To take upon the actions of themselves? Whatever it means, it can be interpreted in any way from anyone. The physical attributes of any human can be compared to those of our evolutionary ancestors. However, it is possible to believe that there are many characteristics that make a human, but only six define the true, ideal human.
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.
In order to say that humanity is a cohesive species there needs to be more tying it together then simply biology. There needs to be a common core among the species as a whole. This common core defines the way that the species behaves, what motivates them, how they feel, and their characteristics. This commonality among humans is known as human nature. Throughout this paper I will discuss what human nature is, what it means to go against human nature, and whether a common human nature actually exists.
Human nature is that quality that sets us apart from other living things; it is the definition of what we are.
Being human, we hold certain identifying characteristics that separates us from the rest of the animal kingdom. Modern day humans are able to walk upright and our bodies are able to withstand long distance running. More over, our heads are big and round, our jaws do not protrude out. Most importantly, we have face forward facing eyes. These are just certain physical characteristics that makes us human. Before us, we can see that our ancestors had primitive features, who were adapted to living in trees. In addition, the use of tools and other skills allowed early humans to adapt to new areas. The use of tools allowed for
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.