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INTRODUCTION [JACK]

Human evolution is the complex process by which humans today have evolved from
their apelike ancestors. Humans are one of the most intelligent and dominant species on
the planet, wielding a large amount of influence over what the world will look like
tomorrow. As we march towards the future, its just as important to look back on the
path we took through history.
So, how exactly did
Homo sapiens
come to be?
HOMO HABILIS [DAIWIK]
Homo
habilis
is considered the first member of the genus
Homo.
Most of the fossils that
have been found and classified as
Habilis
were discovered in bad shape, so not a lot of
detail is available on this species. It lived in Eastern Africa two to three million years
ago, and the reason its part of
Homo
and not
Australopithecus
is because of its upright
posture and ability to use stone tools.
Habilis
had a skull thats not visibly recognizable
as human because it still bears close resemblance to the ape. However, its braincase
was larger than
Australopithecus
at an average of 610 cubic centimeters.
Habilis
shows
the beginnings of a forehead and a smaller, more arched brow ridge. The teeth were also
smaller, although the incisors were relatively large. Its type specimen, or representative,
is called Jonnys Child.
HOMO ERECTUS [MELODY]
Homo erectus
spread from Africa into Asia; fossils have been mostly discovered in
China and Indonesia. It lived 1.6 million to 100,000 years ago.
Erectus
is
well-researched due to the abundance of discovered fossils; its regarded as the first
species to live in groups and care for the sick. Its skeleton was similar to modern
humans, but the skull was still different. Brain size increased to 1050 cubic centimeters;
the face possessed an enormous brow ridge and a broad, flat nose. The skulls bone
structure contained a midline keel, meaning the bones met at the top of the head to form
a ridge, and sharp angles at the rear. However, the face was less protrusive with a low,
sloping forehead. The type specimen of
Homo erectus
is Java Man.
HOMO HEIDELBERGENSIS [JACK]
Homo heidelbergensis
lived all over Africa and Europe 600,000 to 300,000 years ago.
It also lived in organized hunter-gatherer groups and was the first species to create

simple shelters.
Heidelbergensis
eventually evolved into two distinct, regional speciesone species would become
Homo neanderthalensis
, and the other would directly evolve
into
Homo sapiens
. Brain size was large, averaging 1250 cubic centimeters, but the
shape of the skull was long front to back. In addition, the forehead was still sloped.
However, it did have an arched brow ridge and teeth more distinctive of humans. The
type specimen of
Heidelbergensis
is called Mauer 1.
HOMO NEANDERTHALENSIS [DAIWIK]
The name
Homo neanderthalensis
conjures images of cavemen; it coexisted with
modern humans for a long time before going extinct 28,000 years ago. It lived 300,000
to 28,000 years ago all over Europe and the Middle East, with thousands of fossils
having been found.
Neanderthalensis
was an advanced human capable of intelligent
thought and was able to survive in very harsh environments; it lived during the Ice Age.
Some paleoanthropologists believe Neanderthals interbred with
Homo sapiens
due to
how genetically similar they are. Because they lived in cold climates, Neanderthals had a
larger brain than the modern human at 1500 cubic centimeters. The face, although
human, still possessed some structural differences because of the type of lives they led.
The type specimen of
Homo neanderthalensis
is Neanderthal 1.
HOMO SAPIENS [GAVIN]
Homo sapiens
is now the only non-extinct representative of the genus
Homo
. Although
it evolved very recently in terms of evolutionary time,
Homo sapiens
has spread all
throughout the world due to complex culture and technology. Average brain size is 1350
cubic centimeters, which makes up 2.2% of its body weight. The skull of a
Homo sapiens
differs from its ancestors because its fullest at the top, has a rounded back, a small brow
ridge, and square orbital sockets. It is also the only species to have a pointed chin. There
is no type specimen for
Homo sapiens
.
CONCLUSION [MELODY]
The evolutionary process of todays human is much more complex than the five species
mentioned. The process has never been linear, but instead resembles a vast,
interconnected family tree. Paleoanthropologists are still working to uncover parts of
that family tree. Humans are a species characterized by intelligence and complex
societal systems; it is nowhere more evident than in the evolution of the human skull.

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