Rise of the planet of the apes: Did humans evolve from apes? – Part 1

I am sure most of us have sat there and had our eyes glued on the iconic sequels of ‘ The planet of the apes ’, apart from the ice cream, hot dogs and popcorn amusement, do you ever stumble across the thought us humans evolved from apes?

To further answer this question, humans and chimpanzees have the same ancestor dated to millions of years ago. So, yes, you are an ape ! well some people might not understand or accept this theory due to the lack of knowledge or ethical concerns.

The evolution of the human species is a complex and intricate topic which has gained a lot of attention from people all around the world. There have been many religious, scientific and philosophical controversies surrounding the evolutionary phenomenon of humans causing misconceptions, but we humans have been enlightened through the study of Paleoanthropology which has given us a deeper insight and factual evidence of the multidisciplinary fields of biology, an example of this is through fossil records.

Who invented the evolutionary theory?

In fact, this was all discovered by one of the most well-known scientists Charles Darwin. Even though he was the father of evolution, pre-historical data and records suggested between the years of 1748 and 1869 publications on evolution were released by seventy different people.

In 1859 Darwin released a book called ‘The Origin of Species’, which sparked controversy since it went against the beliefs of the divine God. On the good side, his notion of ‘natural selection’, allowed many people to explore outside of the box by gaining knowledge of the natural world.

What happens If we don’t have any awareness of the natural world or evolution? This just means we would be unable to understand the purpose of terrestrial life on earth !

How did Darwin conduct his study?

• He first presumed that species have a tendency to naturally manipulate over time by its environment, however he found it hard to experimentally test this in nature.

• Darwin then experimented with pigeons through artificial selection, which allowed him to study and understand the changes in species.

• Darwin then developed this theory by visiting the Galapogas islands in 1895, he discovered that the multiple species of finch were adapted to various ecological environment.

• The observation of finches were tested by what food they ate, how they captured their food and the shape of their beak.

This prompts us to reflect on how humans were perceived through the evolutionary timeline?

More about our ancestorial lineage: Homo sapiens

The astonishing close comparison between the human genome and present apes have revealed we are closely related to Chimpanzees and Bonobos, this is evident through the similar physical and genetic characteristics of Homo sapiens. For more than a century, there has been existing research surrounding primates, these studies have gained us an insight into the psychological and behavioural mechanisms which have been used as a model framework in understanding human diseases and behaviour.

If you would like to read more about this, visit ‘Why Fossil Apes are Vital to Understanding Human Evolution’. https://www.amnh.org/explore/news-blogs/research-posts/fossil-apes-human-evolution

The captivating story of human evolution began 7 million years ago, where humans and chimpanzees shared a common ape ancestor, over the many years there was 20 different human species, these species were called ‘hominids’. Most of these hominids have become extinct and the remaining others have now become ancestors of humans, we are the only surviving hominoid. These species shared similar anatomical resemblance to humans which helped us understand that distinct adaptation that ‘makes us human’.

What physical resemblance do humans have with apes?

• Large brains
• Small teeth (human like traits – small canines for eating instead of hunting)
• Bipedality (being – two footed)
• Tool use

Here are some examples of evolved animals !

This article delves into the wonders of the human evolution and our shared ancestral lineage with apes, questioning traditional views and controversy. Furthermore, Darwins theory explores the biological synthesis of adaptation and the intricate relationship between our shared ancestral lineages . In summary, this articles gives us a captivating narrative of human evolution and its progression. Come back to part 2 which elaborates more on our ancestral lineages.

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