Introduction
Every organism on earth today, over millions of years has evolved from its predecessor. We humans, homo sapien sapiens, have also evolved from our predecessors, the Hominids. Experts like Archaeologists, Anthropologists and Palaeontologists are finding Hominid fossils every year and studying them to produce new or update theories on our past ancestors.
If we go back in time up to 10 million years to when our ancestors were part of a large group of apes, they were similar in their physical appearance and even their intellect was similar. However, over millions of years, through genetic and natural selection, the apes were to start splitting into more defined apes with different physical appearances, mentalities and characteristics (Fig. 1). This was the dawn of the Hominids.
To gain knowledge of these Hominids I will have to ask why? Where? When? How? What were the reasons for the brain expanding and the use of tools, and was there a connection between these two. To find the answers I will have to look at evidence and data produced mostly by experts by looking in different types of literature such as, the Internet, articles from scientific publications, books and lecture notes. All of these will be helpful in different ways such as they are written by different people, mostly of which are experts, therefore will gain many different peoples opinions and theories. My aim is to answer the question: is there a relationship between brain expansion and the appearance of tool making in Hominids?
The Hominids
The earliest Hominids known are the Ardipithecus ramidus and the Australopithecus anamensis; they existed 4.4-3.9 million years ago1 (MYA). Both have ape like features such as teeth and brain size...
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...pansion due to its high-energy properties. To invent more tools and learn new techniques requires intelligence therefore the brain is being stimulated leading to the growth of more nerves, increasing the size of the brain and its complexity. Fire, allowed security from predators and new tool creations such as the fire hardened spears2. Fire killed bacteria on meats so could kept a little longer, cooked then eaten without the risk of poisoning. Cooked meat is also increasingly easier for the gut to digest esen, D Tab. The Origins of Human Nature and Humaness, Jones and Barlett Publishers London.
Works Cited
8. Washburn, S.L, The Evolution of Man. Scientific America (1978, Vol.239, No3)
9. Lovejoy, C.O, The Evolution of Human Walking, Scientific America (Nov 1988)
10. The Revolutionary Birth of Man, www.marxis.com/science/revolutionarybirthofman.html
“Analyses of the hominid indicate that they belonged to a previously unidentified species, which anthropologist Yohannes Haile-Selassie of the Cleveland Museum of Natural History and his colleagues are calling this species Ardipithecus Kadabba. Previous fossil finds from the identical genus has suggested that hominids called kadabba were instead a subspecies of the only other known Ardipithecus species, Ardipithecus ramidus”(Bower 2004). This new hominid is being addressed presently as Ardipithecus ramidus kadabba. “While Ardipithecus ramidus kadabba is not the sought-after link—the yet-undiscovered creature that lived at the cusp of the evolutionary division between man and chimp—Yohannes Haile-Selassie, also a doctoral candidate at the University of California at Berkeley, said the hominid certainly is very close to the branching point.” (Rickman 2001)
Stringer, C. B. & Hublin, J-J. (1999). New age estimates for the Swanscombe hominid and their significance for human evolution. Journal of Human Evolution 37, 873–877.
Human advancement, otherwise called hominization, is the transformative procedure that prompted the development of anatomically modern humans, starting with the developmental history of primates – specifically variety Homo – and prompting the rise of Homo sapiens as a distinct species of the hominid family, the considerable gorillas. This evolutionary procedure was
Humans know or understand the theory of evolution and how they evolved from apes, but there is always talk of a missing link between apes and modern humans. Apes did not just suddenly evolve into modern day humans. Apes evolved into another species that fall into the relation of modern humans. This is what the missing link is referring to; we call the species hominins. Hominins comprised of many species actually, including but not limited to, Australopithecus afarensis and Homo erectus. Homo erectus may have been a direct descendant of modern Homo sapiens. These species hold strong evidence that they are the missing link between apes and modern humans. There are many pieces of evidence that lay the path of evolution from these species to modern humans, “…these include anatomy, living primate behavior, and genetic relationships” (Stanford, 237). Australopithecus afarensis comes first, existing about 3.9 to 2.9 million years ago, with intermediate anatomical traits between living apes and modern humans; their fossils were found in Africa (Yukimoto). About a million to two million years later, the species Homo erectus came into existence and lots of evidence has been found about this particular species, in fact, it was probable that it was the first species to leave Africa (Yukimoto). These species are significant in the evolution of modern humans. We do not have a clear path or even understand why these species emerged when they did or how they, in theory, eventually evolved into modern humans. We can only assume these things, by using various evolutionary processes such as natural selection, genetic bottleneck, and many more.
The origin of modern humans is a matter of debate. There are two different theories regarding the origin of modern humans or Homo sapiens. The first and primary theory states modern humans emerged in one place and from a single origin. This theory is known as the Recent African Origin Model. It suggests that modern humans are the product of speciation during the late Pleistocene in Africa. Homo sapiens eventually migrated out of Africa to Eurasia, and replaced all other human populations, without interbreeding. Some of the replaced populations are believe to be the Neanderthals and the Homo erectus. The second theory proposes that modern human evolution happened trough emigration, this is known as the multiregional evolution model. This model assumes that modern humans have an ancient rather than a recent African origin. This theory also talks about how all living humans derive from the species Homo erectus that left Africa nearly two million-years-ago. The multiregional view states that genes from all human populations of the Old World flowed among diverse areas and by coexisting, contributed to how modern humans look like nowadays. In order to understand the rise of modern human, it is important to first learn about the Neanderthals, group who existed and coexisted during the modern human evolution times. The Neanderthals are classified as an extinct subspecies of modern humans known as Homo sapiens Neanderthals, or as a separate human species called the Homo neanderthalensis. Both, the modern human and Neanderthal share some features and differ in others
Apes, like humans, are catarrhines and part of the superfamily hominoidea. Apes started to appear in the Miocene about 20 million years ago(lecture notes, week 10), under this category there are many primates that are distinguished as apes, such as, orangutans, gibbons, chimpanzees, and gorillas. These particular primates are from the old world and are native to Africa and Asia. Apes can be distinguished by the foramen magnum towards the back of the skull, having no tail, and having a hook nose (Larsen 2013, p. 150). Another characteristic of apes is that they have large brains for their body size, this is important because it shows they have a higher intelligence than other animals, and this can be connected to the relationship shared with humans.
When and why did Homo Sapiens begin to grow into a thriving population that have produced both cognitive and technological advances? No one knows for certain and because of this question countless amounts of people have decided to become anthropologists. Anthropology is defined as, “the study of human beings and their ancestors through time and space and in relation to physical character, environmental and social relations, and culture(Merriam-Webster). Despite all of the time and effort that anthropologists have put into discovering the correct response, the answer to this question is constantly changing because population, cognitivity and technology are constantly changing too. One way to determine how these factors affect Homo Sapiens is by studying past societies. The development of technology expanded rapidly in the Upper Paleolithic era. The technological and cognitive advances made by the growing Upper Paleolithic people changed their lives for the better and allowed them to adapt to their environment in innumerable ways.
The first group of primates was the Ardipithecus group. They were the earliest humans closely related to other primates. The Ardipithecus group evolved in Africa and took the first step upright on two feet. Sahelanthropus tchadensis was the first human species to ever walk the earth. They were the building block of more complex species to come. There were many species that started the human race such as the Orrorin tugenensis. This species was nicknamed the Millenium Man and live 5.8-6.2 million years a...
Sabbatini (2001), the human intelligence is defined as the key to a trove of understanding about ourselves, and how natural selection could produce such a marvel as the human brain and its capacities in such a short time (Renato M.E Sabbatini, 2001). The evolution of human intelligence is considerable as a mystery matter because the process of evolution is very difficult to be observed directly in the paleontological record such as blood, teeth or bond. Moreover, the evidence that scientists used to determine the evolution of human intelligence is the indirectly from the observation of the increase in the size of cranial capacity and also the action of result of human intelligence such as knowing how to use stone tools and be cooperative to hunt and war, the use of fire to cook, art and ritual and few other things. Furthermore, the article argued that the intelligence is not unique to humans. This is because current scientific view show that there are different level of complexity of intelligence also present in mammals and human share many features with animals which we were though it is only unique to human. In fact, it is not, such as symbolic language which has been determined it happened in
Are we still evolving? How do humans and apes share a common ancestor? Modern human species or Homo sapiens have shown great similarities in the physical and genetic makeup to another group primates species, the apes. Both organisms share a common ancestor dating back eight to six million years ago. Evolution means change over time. Human evolution is the process by which humans have emerged from apelike ancestors. Through sequences of mutations, genetic drift, migration, and natural selection and technology we are able to observe the amazing amount of similarities and diversity of humans to other living organisms. Humans have roamed the earth for about six million years. At least, that is from when the oldest human ancestor was discovered.
The cultural innovations analyses presented here illustrate the presence of cumulative cultural evolution in the upper Paleolithic and portray how a steady rate of change continuous with that seen in later human history. This should serve to encourage interests in the internal process of evolution that may tend to produce a smooth curve, including the possible the autocatalytic effects of the increasing technological
Austalopithicus meaning “southern ape” was the first specimen to be found. The Austalopithicus was found in African and was know to have lived from 4.2 to around 1.0 million years ago (Standford 251). They had a small body like an ape that would get approximately 64 to around 100 pounds. They had a big jaw with a U-shaped mouth of small teeth. The brain size of a Australopithicus was small and would get approximately 340 to 500 cc, which is in the same range as gorillas and chimpanzees brain sizes. The top of their skull was of a bony ridge. They were able to walk on their two feet and had a small pelvis. The Australopithecus were found with stone tools, which made them the first stone tool makers.
The evolution of humans was (and is) a very important time. The first being of evolution was Australopithecus Afarensis or “Lucy”. Then we moved on to Homo erectus and Homo Neanderthal. When the weather got hotter, we were Homo Sapiens Sapiens and finally, the modern man. This evolution did not happen overnight. It took millions of years. The past is hardly forgotten, but the imminent is next.
Despite not having an established society or economy, man in the Paleolithic Age had increasing technology. Their weapons and tools were made of wood and stone, and they had manifested the ability to control fire. The Paleolithic Age also berthed language and thus established the first historical backgrounds of modern man. Paleolithic art gives the background for the culture of the time. Depicting a society classed only by sex: Men hunted, made weaponry and tools, and fought other nomadic bands; Women gathered, made clothing, and bore children.
By 2.5 million years ago, a new human evolutionary trend had begun. The change to a upright bipedal posture, and existing flexibility at the shoulder, arms, and hands allowed hominids to carry and manipulate objects much more readily. Early hominids began to manipulate the physical world, inventing solutions to the problems of human existence. Instead of foraging, as do most primates, on a more or less individualistic basis for food sources, early hominids invented stone tools with which they could slay larger animals. This began a switch from scavenging to hunting as the main means by which meat was acquired.