Aswiny
Figure 1: An Image representing physical features of Archaic Homo sapiens.
Previously, in part 1, we delved into the myriads of human evolution and our shared ancestral lineage with apes, encountering the multiplex journey of Homo Sapiens. Homo sapiens have thrived various diverse habitats and contributed to the history of human civilisation leaving an imprint on this world. Homo sapiens first started evolving 300,000 years ago in Africa, initially starting from the drastic duration of climate change. Their adapted behaviours enabled them to survive in unstable conditions and helped them adapt to their new environmental surroundings. This article will inform you about the milestones of evolution in Homo sapiens and their impact on the world today.
A timeline of early humans
- 550,000 to 750,000 years ago: The origin of the Homo Sapiens.
- 300,000 years ago: The discovery of the oldest Homo Sapiens and artifacts of Tools.
- 100,000 to 210,000 years ago: Evidence of fossil fuels showed Homo Sapiens lived in regions outside of Africa.
- 50,000 to 60,000 years ago: Studies from gene and climate change suggested humans started to migrate out of Africa.
- 15,000 to 40,000 years ago: Through genetic analysis and fossil records , Homo Sapiens are the only living human species today.
Then first migration of Homo sapiens out of Africa
13,000 years ago: A land bridge was created after the Pleistocene ice age , thus linking Asia and North America ( Alaska), migration of Homo sapiens into North and south America were achieved.
50,000 years ago : Language development allowed decision making , problem solving , social interaction/communication and emotional expression.
Scientific theories – How hominids adapted to their environment ?
Aridity hypothesis : Ancestral hominids preferred dry climates and evolved whilst regions such as Africa’s dry savannah enlarged.
Savannah hypothesis: Early tree dwelling hominids were forced to be bipedal (walk on two foot, upright ). Environmental changes such as expansion of the savannah led them to be displaced from their homes, therefore, the early hominids had to adapt by walking on two legs instead of climbing on trees.
How can we prove Homo sapiens existed: fossil evidence of Homo sapiens?
Homo sapiens were observed through fossil records. The Fossilisation process involves ‘fossils’ which are remains of organisms preserved under materials and varies elements such as soil, sediments, oil, tar and coal over hundreds and thousands of years. Fossils can be used to observe changes which have occurred to many different species over a long period of time.
Oldest fossil – Lucy the Australopithecus
Figure 3: The first human. Lucy the Australopithecus who was found on November 24 1974, in hadar, Ethiopia. Lucy is one of the oldest female ancestor who is 3.2 million years old.
The history of homo sapiens is a cultivating narrative which explores our human civilisation history and existence today. Through this article we are able to appreciate our historical lineages and aim to explore future directions through advanced innovations such as artificial intelligence, biotechnology, anthropology and genomic sequencing.
For more insights into this topic visist:
‘In their footsteps: Human migration out of Africa’: https://education.nationalgeogrhttps://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/their-footsteps-human-migration-out-africa/
‘Evolution timeline of homo sapiens’ : https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/essential-timeline-understanding-evolution-homo-sapiens-180976807/
‘The origins of our species’: https://www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/the-origin-of-our-species.html
This was a really good read and insightful too!!
Thank you Ese x