Article on Human Origins
Paleontologists, Biologists and Archaeologists, though not always on the same line of thinking, do generally agree that the first modern-like human, namely the homo sapiens, made his appearance about 2,00,000 years ago. And about 40,000 years or so before the present-day homo sapiens sapiens.
Today the use of DNA tests has greatly benefited researchers in determining more precisely the age of human fossils like skulls and skeletons, which had baffled the scientists before. The oldest Homo sapiens remains, from 160,000 years ago, linking to modern humans were found at the Herto site in Ethiopia, but could be ascertained only in 2003 through DNA testing.
Human's African Heritage
But what about the origins of our primates? How far back do we go in order to trace them? The truth is that, stunning as it may seem, human fossils of skulls and skeletons, sharp rock flakes, stone tools, and later the use of antelope horn tools, axes etc. so far found, indicate an awesome period of 5 million years plus, including the prehistoric age of dinosaurs and other mammoth creatures long since extinct. For instance, two fossilized footprints discovered embedded in volcanic ash layer in Laetoli, Tanzania, Africa, go as far back as 3 million years.
In the prehistoric times, before the appearance of the first homo primate, scientists have noted more than a dozen hominid specie which originated in Africa, between one and two million years ago, Homo habilis considered as one of them, who further evolved migrating as they did to other parts of the world,
Evidence shows that the first hominids began leaving Africa about 2 millions years ago - first to Asia, and then through Egypt to Europe, much before homo sapiens evolved and moved across the earth around 100,000 years. Recently confirmed report on the finding of a 1.8 million year old skull of a homo habilis, discovered in the Republic of George, lends support to human prehistoric existence. Then, there is the nearly complete skeleton fossils of "Little Foot" found in South Africa in 1997, dating to three million years, which is another astounding find, similar to the earlier discovery of the African "Lucy" skeleton from about the same period.
Even Older Fossils!
A skull fossil discovered in Chad, Africa, is now considered to be the most ancient, i.e. about six million years old. Then there is evidence for the existence of an early hominid specie living around four million years following the dating of hominid fossils found in Kenya, Africa.
The Modern Homo Sapiens Sapiens
We have evidence that Homo Sapiens emerged from Africa, but scientists cannot determine the exact time period and any direct link of ancestry to us.
Cave hand drawings in Europe, dating to about 40,000 years indicate a modern-like thinking human. New evidence support this intelligent specie evolved in Africa itself before migrating elsewhere to Asia and Europe.
The African continent was once a tropical zone with abundant forests and animal life but drastic climate changes over millions of years, effected gradual biological and physical changes, thereby evolving the next-in-line hominid adapting to changing environment in search of food and shelter.
At first our hominids probably took to trees just as other primates - monkeys and apes - but later preferred to walk upright as they adapted to the means of hunting and other activities on the land. Not surprising that the modern man shares 98% of same DNA with our distant primate, the Chimpanzees.
The two hominid specie that we can certainly identify as our predecessors are the Homo Neanderthal and Homo Cro-magnon. We shall share information about them in our next article.
Paul Rodricks
Paul's WRITERS DIG 7
Email: paulrodericks@gmail.com
Blog: https://www.paulswritersdig7.blogspot.com
In Search of our Human Origins
Today the use of DNA tests has greatly benefited researchers in determining more precisely the age of human fossils like skulls and skeletons, which had baffled the scientists before. The oldest Homo sapiens remains, from 160,000 years ago, linking to modern humans were found at the Herto site in Ethiopia, but could be ascertained only in 2003 through DNA testing.
Human's African Heritage
But what about the origins of our primates? How far back do we go in order to trace them? The truth is that, stunning as it may seem, human fossils of skulls and skeletons, sharp rock flakes, stone tools, and later the use of antelope horn tools, axes etc. so far found, indicate an awesome period of 5 million years plus, including the prehistoric age of dinosaurs and other mammoth creatures long since extinct. For instance, two fossilized footprints discovered embedded in volcanic ash layer in Laetoli, Tanzania, Africa, go as far back as 3 million years.
In the prehistoric times, before the appearance of the first homo primate, scientists have noted more than a dozen hominid specie which originated in Africa, between one and two million years ago, Homo habilis considered as one of them, who further evolved migrating as they did to other parts of the world,
Evidence shows that the first hominids began leaving Africa about 2 millions years ago - first to Asia, and then through Egypt to Europe, much before homo sapiens evolved and moved across the earth around 100,000 years. Recently confirmed report on the finding of a 1.8 million year old skull of a homo habilis, discovered in the Republic of George, lends support to human prehistoric existence. Then, there is the nearly complete skeleton fossils of "Little Foot" found in South Africa in 1997, dating to three million years, which is another astounding find, similar to the earlier discovery of the African "Lucy" skeleton from about the same period.
Even Older Fossils!
A skull fossil discovered in Chad, Africa, is now considered to be the most ancient, i.e. about six million years old. Then there is evidence for the existence of an early hominid specie living around four million years following the dating of hominid fossils found in Kenya, Africa.
The Modern Homo Sapiens Sapiens
We have evidence that Homo Sapiens emerged from Africa, but scientists cannot determine the exact time period and any direct link of ancestry to us.
Cave hand drawings in Europe, dating to about 40,000 years indicate a modern-like thinking human. New evidence support this intelligent specie evolved in Africa itself before migrating elsewhere to Asia and Europe.
The African continent was once a tropical zone with abundant forests and animal life but drastic climate changes over millions of years, effected gradual biological and physical changes, thereby evolving the next-in-line hominid adapting to changing environment in search of food and shelter.
At first our hominids probably took to trees just as other primates - monkeys and apes - but later preferred to walk upright as they adapted to the means of hunting and other activities on the land. Not surprising that the modern man shares 98% of same DNA with our distant primate, the Chimpanzees.
The two hominid specie that we can certainly identify as our predecessors are the Homo Neanderthal and Homo Cro-magnon. We shall share information about them in our next article.
Paul Rodricks
Paul's WRITERS DIG 7
Email: paulrodericks@gmail.com
Blog: https://www.paulswritersdig7.blogspot.com