| Homo | |
|---|---|
| |
| Homo erectus reconstruction | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Primates |
| Family: | Hominidae |
| Subfamily: | Homininae |
| Tribe: | Hominini |
| Genus: | Homo |
| Referred species | |
| |
Homo ("human") is a genus of ape that emerged from the Australopithecus in Africa at the Pliocene-Pleistocene boundary, around 2.58 million year ago. The genus is characterized by the ability to walk upright, a large brain volume and, as a result, the ability to think and the active use of tools. The genus includes several species, all of which, with the exception of the type, became extinct before the beginning of the Holocene epoch. Homo sapiens is the type and only living species and probably the most numerous of them all, with a population of over 8 billion today. It is also the only species that has spread beyond Africa and Eurasia.
Throughout existence, humans have had a huge impact on the environment. In the 20th century, this influence became so significant that there was a proposal to distinguish a new geological epoch, the Anthropocene, the beginning of which was considered to be 1950.
Study[]
The sciences that study humans, such as history and medicine, date back thousands of years, but, as a genus, humans were first described by Carl Linnaeus in 18th century. The Latin word homō means "human being", "man" or "mankind". Linnaeus grouped all living people into the species Homo sapiens, which means "wise man". Thus, the H. sapiens became the type species of the genus Homo. For more than a century there was no evidence of other species until the extindct Neanderthal was described in 1864. In 1893, Homo erectus was discovered, and in 1964, one hundred years after Neanderthal, Homo habilis, the oldest human species, was finally described. Extinct human species have different proportions of facial bones and brain volume, but they were all social primates and could make tools.
Description[]
Like other primates, humans have flexible fingers that allow them to grasp comfortably. In combination with a developed brain, this creates the opportunity to actively use tools. All human species have the ability to walk upright and produce stone tools.
Size[]
The height of different species of humans varies from 100 cm (H. floresiensis) to approximately 180 cm (H. erectus, H. sapiens). Gigantism causes some modern humans to grow significantly taller, but such cases are quite rare. Reports of the discovery of bones and entire human skeletons of gigantic size, 3 m in height and even more, turn out to be fakes or misinterpreted bones of other animals. The fragmentary bones of the so-called "Giant of Castelnau" turned out to belong to a cave bear. Other "giant bones" have turned out to belong to non-human primates, prehistoric elephants and even whales.
Origin[]
The vast majority of modern theories agree that Homo evolved from Australopithecus on the African continent in the Pleistocene or late Pliocene. However, over the years, other theories have appeared, according to which humans descended from other primates in Eurasia or South America. Many of these speculations arose before fossils of extinct African ancestors has been found. Although in recent years there have been theories that australopithecines appeared in Eurasia due to some saying that Homo floresiensis descends from them, these claims have not been proven. So, as we know, the genus Homo appeared already in Africa.
Evolution and history[]
Homo habilis, the earliest species, appeared in Africa in the Early Pleistocene. There are reports of older human bones of unidentified species, but most are caused by misdating of the sediments from which they were taken. The direct ancestor of H. habilis is Australopithecus. Some researchers even propose to consider it as a later Australopithecus. In any case, the first undoubted Homo species appeared in the Pleistocene. Having inherited teeth from their ancestors, equally well adapted for eating plant and animal foods, groups (tribes) of early people spread across southern and eastern Africa and penetrated into Eurasia through the Sinai Peninsula. Using tools, hunting collectively and protecting each other, people began to displace other animals, including large predators. Before or during their exit from Africa, people acquired skills in handling fire, which allowed them to consume better digestible fried foods and defend themselves even more effectively from other animals.
In Africa and Asia, Homo erectus gave rise to other human species such as Homo heidelbergensis and possibly us, between which hybridization probably occurred. Early human species already reached sizes comparable to Homo sapiens, although they were noticeably different from us in physique: they lacked a chin and had more pronounced brows, and the massive lower part of the face made it better to chew solid food.
Having settled in the southern regions of Asia and Europe, people eventually went to more northern territories, warming themselves not only with the help of fire and clothing made of skins, but also due to their enlarged noses, which warmed the inhaled air. Adapted to the extreme conditions of the Ice Age, Neanderthals shared their ecosystem with large animals such as mammoths, Woolly Rhinoceroses, Megaloceros, Homotherium and cave bears (Ursus spelaeus).
Questions about interspecific competition and the reasons for the extinction of ancient human species remain controversial. Originating in Africa in the Middle or Late Pleistocene, Homo sapiens emerged from the continent around 90,000-70,000 years ago and spread across Eurasia coincides with the extinction of the last remaining species such as Neanderthals and Homo floresiensis. Having occupied the territory of Eurasia, H. sapiens entered North America through Beringia, and to Australia through Indochina. By the beginning of the Holocene, they populated all continents except Antarctica, and over the next 11,000 years they populated many isolated islands. Having created civilization, man in the 20th century entered outer space and set foot on the Moon, becoming the first earthly species to leave its home planet.
Social evolution[]
It is assumed that even before the emergence of Homo sapiens, some human species developed intelligible speech, which contributed to the development of improved communication languages. The development of communication allowed ancient human species to hunt and defend themselves more effectively. Back in the Pleistocene, people began to domesticate some animals. The first of these was probably a dog. There are different versions of how exactly the domestication of wolves and/or jackals took place, but the fact is that tens of thousands of years ago artificial selection first appeared on Earth. The preparation of various foods and the production of artificial drinks also arose in the Late Pleistocene (for example, there are traces of primitive beer in Israel dating back about 13,000 years[1]).
Soon after the start of the Holocene epoch, H. sapiens, the only remaining species, became sedentary. People took up farming and building the first cities, which later led to the formation of the first empires. With the invention of writing, people were able to more effectively pass on the knowledge they acquired to their descendants. The consequences have been technological inventions, from the wheel to rockets and smartphones, through which people have increased control over the environment. Even in the pre-industrial era, people began to exterminate animal species and actively cut down forests, mainly for shipbuilding. Today, people build skyscrapers and towers hundreds of meters high, and they capable of changing the landscape and even the climate of the planet. H. sapiens has developed various breeds of domestic animals that have no analogues in the wild world, and is involved in processes such as global warming and the Holocene Extinction.