StudentShare
Contact Us
Sign In / Sign Up for FREE
Search
Go to advanced search...

Evolution of the genus homo - Research Paper Example

Cite this document
Summary
28 May 2015 Evolution of the Genus Homo Life has evolved on Planet Earth over millions of years in a wonderful process of selection and favor for particular genera and species and the Genus Homo is no exception…
Download full paper File format: .doc, available for editing
GRAB THE BEST PAPER97.4% of users find it useful
Evolution of the genus homo
Read Text Preview

Extract of sample "Evolution of the genus homo"

Download file to see previous pages

The Australopithecines were the earliest known bipedal hominid species descending from the apes, the latter using all four limbs for locomotion, like the other animal species’ of today. The Australopithecines were anatomically more related to the extant apes in terms of brain size, possessed large postcanine teeth and employed mixed climbing with bipedalism for locomotion (Wood, 1992). The Homo habilis species has been supposed to succeed the Australopithecines in the evolutionary ladder followed by Homo erectus and the Homo sapiens (Wood, 1992).

Fossil discovery and characterization has created some debate about the existence of the Homo habilis species as an intermediate species between the Australopithecines and the Homo erectus, but there is a consensus that the Homo erectus was the most primitive of the species from which the present day humans evolved. There are two distinct and contrasting views for the evolutionary ladder which the modern day Homo sapiens followed. The first suggests that the present day populations were derived as a result of in situ evolution from the Homo erectus species which was dispersed worldwide from the East African continent during the Lower Pleistocene (Finlayson, 2005).

According to the other viewpoint, all present day populations of human species are the descended from a recent common ancestor who lived in East Africa 150,000 years ago and these descendants have replaced all regional populations, if they ever existed (Finlayson, 2005). The latter view is now accepted and has been labeled as the ‘Out-of-Africa-2’ viewpoint. According to its claims, the biologically superior humans that persist till now replaced all other homo species’ and their geographical spread was driven by climatic and ecological factors (Finlayson, 2005).

The recent discovery of a hominid species in Indonesia, which has been given the nomenclature Homo floresiensis, whose existence is under active debate has confounded many anthropologists with one opinion suggesting that the species may have evolved from an early migration of the Homo erectus which was dwarfed due to peculiar ecological factors in the region (Finlayson, 2005). The features which characterized the evolution of the Homo species to the present generation of humans are a larger relative brain size, larger body, a slower rate of growth and maturation of the body, bipedal mode of locomotion and smaller teeth and jaws facilitating lesser masticator effort as compared to the primitive species of Australopithecines and Paranthropines (Aiello & Wells, 2002).

Historically, the migration of the Homo erectus occurred from Africa to the Eurasian and Asian continents from which the genus spread to all geographical regions of the world. The species evolved into the primitive ‘Neanderthal’ man which was very similar to modern humans except for the larger body size and an extremely protruding mid facial anatomy (Web, undated). The Neanderthal man can be traced to 250,00 years ago which is a relatively short period as compared to the overall time span associated with the evolution of the genus.

The discovery and employment of stones, sticks as primitive tools was a cultural revolution which was not confined to the latter species as some evidence of their use in the Pliocene and the Pleistocene eras by the Australopithecines and Paranthropines also exists. Observational studies of the modern simian species in

...Download file to see next pages Read More
Cite this document
  • APA
  • MLA
  • CHICAGO
(“Evolution of the genus homo Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words”, n.d.)
Retrieved from https://studentshare.org/anthropology/1425434-evolution-of-the-genus-homo
(Evolution of the Genus Homo Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 Words)
https://studentshare.org/anthropology/1425434-evolution-of-the-genus-homo.
“Evolution of the Genus Homo Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 Words”, n.d. https://studentshare.org/anthropology/1425434-evolution-of-the-genus-homo.
  • Cited: 0 times

CHECK THESE SAMPLES OF Evolution of the genus homo

Human Evolution Process Peculiarities

nbsp;… The homo class of hominin ancestors was problematic in initial studies since it was referred to as the transition class to modern man.... homo erectus evolutionary and adaptive traits from the several species discovered across the world revealed that the synonymization of the systems used to classify hominins would be useful in future analysis.... According to Anton (2003, p127), further studies on the classification issues involving the homo genus could offer solutions to the problem....
10 Pages (2500 words) Essay

Physical Anthropology: (take home exam)

Hominins are referred to as “the extinct human species and its other immediate related ancestral members under the genera homo as in homo- neandertahlensis” (Foley, 2010)2.... Catastrophism was a proposed concept of Cuvier in relation to evolution.... Charles Darwin's greatest contribution in his Theory of evolution was his ability to draw up or formulate a logical mechanism that explains how evolutionary changes take place through his natural selection theory....
2 Pages (500 words) Assignment

Are modern humans biologically related to Neanderthals

This essay analyses the question of whether modern humans are biologically related to Neanderthals.... The article suggests that studies on DNA structure of modern humans and ancient DNA of Neanderthals reveal that there is no relationship between the modern humans and the Neanderthals.... hellip; The Neanderthals were first discovered in the Neander Valley in 1856, and they represent the origin of modern humans....
5 Pages (1250 words) Essay

Evidence For Hominid Evolution

From australopithecine, the next probable evolution was the homo habilis.... rom the homo habilis, there came the homo ergaster that led to homo erectus.... This then led to homo sapiens.... The differences in brain size, fur and eyes demonstrate the evolution that has occurred.... evolution: The First Four Billion Years....
2 Pages (500 words) Essay

Homo heidelbergensis

Homo heidelbergensis also referred to as the Homo rhodesiensis is a species of the genus homo that was found in Africa, western Asia, and Europe( Coolidge & Wynn 13).... The Neanderthals, denisovans, and the homo sapiens (human beings) are descendants of the homo heidelbergensis.... hellip; homo heidelbergensis was initially discovered in Germany 1907 and was named by Otto Schoetensack.... Denisovans, Neanderthals, and homo sapiens descended from homo heidelbergensis....
11 Pages (2750 words) Research Paper

The History of Evolution

In the context of living beings, it can be said to be the process by which an organism becomes more refined over a period of time in response to the environment … We have come a long way in understanding Darwin's theory of the evolution of man and the theories of great evolutionists before Darwin and this knowledge of our past has helped us not only to understand our present but also throws light on our future.... From the ancient Greeks to the Renaissance to the Victorian times and in the Modern age, the evolution of this theory itself has been remarkable....
5 Pages (1250 words) Research Paper

Evolution of the Human Brain

The paper "evolution of the Human Brain" describes that the human brain has greatly evolved throughout the years.... hellip; The expansion of the Hominid brain since the homo erectus led to severe negative impacts on infancy, female locomotion and birth.... evolution greatly affected the increase in the size of the human brain....
6 Pages (1500 words) Essay

The Dikikka Child and Homo Floresiensis

These discoveries hint at a non-linear Evolution of the genus homo.... They suggest that there may have been several different Australopithecines, one of which was the predecessor of the genus homo.... This assignment "The Dikikka Child and homo Floresiensis" presents the Dikikka Child, or Lucy's baby, as the name given to a 3.... Alien from Earth             homo Floresiensis is a unique species discovered in Flores, Indonesia....
1 Pages (250 words) Assignment
sponsored ads
We use cookies to create the best experience for you. Keep on browsing if you are OK with that, or find out how to manage cookies.
Contact Us