When I asked my subject, Alexa Sharp; 22 years old, if she knew what the word Anthropology meant, she responded by saying she believes it is the study of human behavior. Now she may not technically be incorrect, however, I had to elaborate on the subject by sharing my knowledge that I have gained this past semester from this class. I explained to her with, with the best of my ability, that Anthropology is the study of human development through biological, cultural, and linguistic growth. I told my subject that Anthropology explains how us humans have evolved throughout history to become what we are today. After I shared a few more facts about the subject, she became intrigued with one particular topic in Anthropology; Human Evolution. The topic brought about a question that she has always been confused by, and states; "From what exactly did humans begin to evolve from?" She explained to me that she has heard humans have evolved from many different organisms, ranging from monkeys to gorillas to chimpanzees and to orangutans. I then did my research with my textbook and online by reading many scholarly articles about Human Evolution and came up with an answer for her. Humans are species of primates and we have similar physical and genetic characteristics to those of apes.
Human evolution is the lengthy of process by which humans emerged from apelike ancestors. Evidence demonstrates that the behavioral and physical qualities shared by all humans came from apelike ancestors and evolved over a time of roughly six million years. It is nearly impossible to pinpoint with 100 percent certainly which fossil species are our immediate ancestors and which are our more distant relatives. This is because the further we backpedal in time, the fewer characteristics we share with individuals from our genealogy. However, with many years of research and studies, scientists have been able to link our lineage to those of the members of the great apes. The great apes include chimpanzees, orangutans, gorillas, bonobos, and humans. Humans and the great apes of Africa share a common ancestor that roamed the earth around five to eight million years ago. Humans first evolved in Africa, and much of human evolution occurred on that continent. "The fossils of early humans who lived between 6 and 2 million years ago come entirely from Africa" (Potts, Rick). The earliest documented member of our lineage capable of bipedalism were the australopithecines.
The most famous species is the Australopithecus afarensis. The average brain size in Australopithecines, similar to that of a gorilla or chimpanzee, ranged from 390 to 515cc (cubic centimeters). An example of this species is the individual Lucy. Lucy is a hominid from the afarensis species that lived in Ethiopia over three million years ago. By analyzing her bones; scientists could conclude that she walked on two limbs because of the shape of her knees and spine. The Australopithecines had a smaller body frame and was sexually dimorphic; when both sexes of the same species possess different behavioral traits. Their teeth had a very thick enamel which can suggest that the Australopithecines relied on their teeth and jaw for powerful chewing. By around two million years ago, the majority of the Australopithecines went extinct.
The earliest of our genus, Homo, were found in East Africa and date back almost two and a half million years ago. "The oldest member of the genus Homo is the Homo habilis, which went extinct about one and a half million years ago" (Drake, Nadia). The H. habilis had a relatively small brain capacity around 510cc, similar to the Australopithecines. The H. habilis's more advanced descendent; the H. erectus had a much larger brain with an average of 1000cc of capacity. The habilis species was the first member of the Homo genus to leave Africa. A major difference from the Homo genus to the Australopithecines is that the members of the Homo genus lack the forelimb adaptions for climbing. The H. habilis and H. erectus members also had smaller canines and molars as the Australopithecines, suggesting a softer and more adaptive diet.
Around 700 thousand years ago, the species erectus lead to the Homo heidelbergensis, often referred to as an Archaic Homo Sapien (AHS). The H. heidelbergensis possessed similar attributes to our own living species; pertaining to teeth and body size, and intellectual ability. The H. heidelbergensis led to the rise of the H. Neanderthalensis, around 250 thousand years ago. The Neanderthals are believed to be humans closest extinct relative for many reasons; including their similar size in cranial capacity, shorter and stockier body proportion, and their prominent brow ridges and cheek bones. Their stocky and short build allowed for their bodies to consolidate heat better; an adaptation for the cold and fierce environments. "Scientists have discovered that the Neanderthals wielded tools, "controlled" fire, performed burials of their people" (Bilsborough, A.)
Scientific research on fossils and DNA suggest that our own species, Homo sapiens, rose in Africa around 200 thousand years ago. H. sapiens differed from previous ancestors by their large brain capacity, averaging around 1400cc, and their behavioral traits. Archaeological evidence suggests that the earlier H. sapiens performed intellectual hunting techniques with well-designed weapons and tools. They soon migrated to Eurasia, a combined continental area of Europe and Asia, about 100 thousand years ago and then soon made their way across Earth.
The evolution of humans took millions of years and it was a very complex process. The genealogy is full of new traits and some still-existing characteristics that were present in our ape-like ancestors. Some traits, like bipedalism, evolved early on while some traits, such as large cranial capacities, didn’t evolve until towards the end of our human evolution. Humans continue to evolve today, however, now the change is driven as much by culture and the innovations we've designed as by our biology. And so are many creatures in our world, including gorillas, chimpanzees, and orangutans, are pushed to evolve as well due to the changes caused by our Anthropocene period we live in.