Human Evolution

I like very much this moment of our history, because it is when we first appear as species. Besides this was a time when we were a weak animal in a kind of world where nothing was easy. Just imagine that we were for four million years endangered as a species.

To start we will talk about one kind of hominid called Australopithecus (means monkey from the South). He is the first primate hominid that moves in bipedal way. He lived in this world 6 million years ago. His home was a place now called Africa. They were not very tall, only 1.20 or 1.30 I think, and weighed 25kg or 45kg. The males were a 50% bigger than females, while this difference in humans is a 15%

But although this primate plays an important part in human evolution and it is very similar to homo species, it is not the same species because they do not have the same molecular sequence, I mean that after the Australopithecus it existed another primate closer to the species Homo (our species) but those fossils have never been found, therefore all scientist talk about the transitional fossil.

The first referent of our species appears 2,6 millions years before our time. It is the Homo habilis. He is bigger, stronger and above all more intelligent than the Australopithecus. He is the first primate that uses tools which he makes of stone, that is why this period is called Paleolithic (means, old stone). The females had a smaller pelvis and had to give birth before, that is why the baby was more defenseless and that helped to create a stronger relationship and that was a very good thing for the culture of the tribe.

Suddenly, one million years after, appears the Homo erectus. He is more intelligent than Homo habilis and knows how to make fire. The two species compete for the same resources and the Homo habilis becomes extinct.

1 million years later appears the Homo sapiens neanderthal (mean, wise man from valley Neand) He is almost two times more intelligent than Homo erectus, even more than us, he is the stronger homo, his body is adapted to the natural environment. When he breaks a bone, he recovers without assistance. He was the perfect machine and his home was whole Europe. For 100.000 years they were the kings of the continent.

But then an intruder from of Africa called Homo sapiens sapiens arrived (mean, double wise man) less adapted to the environment, weaker. All seemed in this hominid worse than the Neardenthal, but his throat was capable to do complex sounds, therefore they were able to create a language and with that to get a good organization. Besides also his brain was different, they could imagine different things and try to change the surroundings.

The adaptation doesn’t matter, that was the beginning of the end of the world.

By Jorge Maruejouls