A constant in the human being has been to know its origins, where we come from. How many times have we heard that man descends from the monkey? If that is true, why have some monkeys evolved and become man and others not? To answer these questions, we must first know the hominization process as well as the predecessors of Homo Sapiens.
hominization process
What can be the process by which, starting from the primates, we reach the current human being? The answer is very simple, it is the Hominization Process. Our species belongs to the genus Homo, specifically Homo Sapiens, a species that evolved only a hundred thousand years agowhile our oldest ancestors arose approximately four million years ago.
The Process of Human Evolution u Hominization is the process of biological evolution from our remotest ancestors to the appearance of homo sapiens. Let’s do a quick review of our ranking.
Kingdom: Animal
Guy: Chordates (backbone)
Class: Mammal
Order: primates
Super family: hominoids
- great apes:
- orangutans
- chimpanzees
- gorillas
- hominids:
- Genus Australopithecus
- Australopithecus anamensis
- Australopithecus bahrelghazali
- Australopithecus afarensis
- Australopithecus africanus
- Australopithecus garhi
- Australopithecus sediba
- Homo genus
- Homo habilis
- Homo ergaster
- Homo erectus
- Homo ancestor
- Homo sapiens
- Homo sapiens sapiens (man)
- Genus Australopithecus
rebuild our evolutionary line It’s not easy because of the scarcity of fossil remains although each and every one of them provide new data that on many occasions makes us rethink the previous hypotheses taken for good.
However, there is another line of complementary research that little by little begins to yield very important data to know our evolutionary line. The study of the human genome has yielded data as important as the fact that man shares an unknown common ancestor with apes.
Thanks to scientific advances and the decoding of the human genome, we can affirm comparing the human gene pool with that of chimpanzeesthat both of them we have 13 identical chromosomes.
We have also been able to know through genetic analysis that in the evolutionary line of the human being, there have been movement of genes from one species or race to another (introgression) through sexual reproduction or hybridization. The Y chromosome, the oldest and most present in the human genome, has its origin in the archaic Homo Sapiens.
Predecessors of Homo Sapiens
The evolutionary line of the human species we can not only focus on its biological or hominization processis also due to a humanization processthe latter has a marked cultural character.
Below we will describe the different evolutionary stages of the human species or what is the same, the predecessors of Homo Sapiens.
Australopithecus
Located in Africa more specifically in the bushveld located east of the continent. Chronologically they are placed between 4 million years and 2.5 million years ago. We know that it was possibly the first hominids to walk uprightthat is to say completely bipedal.
Their physiognomy has been studied thanks to the appearance of quite complete skeletons, we know that they had an ape-like appearance, with a cranial capacity of 400 cm³ and whose intelligence would be very similar to that of today’s chimpanzees.
At least 7 different species have been found in different locations such as Ethiopia, Chad and South Africa. They are: Australopithecus afarensis, Australopithecus africanus, Australopithecus deyiremeda, Australopithecus garhi, Australopithecus sebida, Australopithecus anamensis, Australopithecus bahrelghazali.
We have an example of Australopithecus in the well-known Lucy, a female of approximately 20 years of age belonging to the Australopithecus Afarensis species, her height must have been around 1.10 m and her weight would have been around 27 kg when she was alive. Chronologically she if she places it between 3.2 and 3.5 million years. Some curious facts is that she was already bipedal but that she had robust arms, which symbolized that she must move through the trees. In total, 52 bones of her skeleton were found, being the most complete of the six individuals found later in the same area. If you ever go to Ethiopia, don’t hesitate to stop by the Addis Ababa National Museum, where she is on display.
The reason for the disappearance of the Australopithecines has been attributed to the disappearance of the bushveld where they lived due to the climate crisis that took place 2.8 million years ago. The appearance of new, much more open and steppe-type ecosystems.
The change in their habitat caused some Australopithecus individuals will change their diet specializing in vegetables with little nutritional level and much harder, which caused an important physical change by adapting to develop a much more powerful jaw, ready to chew. other individuals little by little they became carnivorousgiving rise to the early Homo.
homo habilis
Chronologically the place 2.5 million years ago and did not disappear until 1.6 million years ago. In the last years of its existence, it coincided with other species of humans, both with Homo Erectus and with Homo Rudolfensis (already extinct).
The reason they receive Habilis Man is due to their ability to make tools and manipulate objects. Specifically, they made stone tools that they later used in their chores. Likewise, another characteristic that defines them is that they were social. These two facts, being social and being able to make tools, gave rise to the need for a larger skull than its predecessors, the Australopithecus, according to the fossil remains found in its cranial capacity was 700 cm³.
Homo Habilis lived in caves being their main food fruits and seeds although occasionally they could also feed on meat. Interestingly, it is believed that the fact that he included meat in his diet – all the micronutrients that it implies – may have led to this development in his abilities.
As for his physical appearance, we find a bipedal homo, as in the previous case, but his arms were still very long, more similar to those of great apes, and fingers that allowed him to climb trees easily.
At the level of society, they lived in groups and were governed by a highly hierarchical structure.
homo ergaster
Lived about 1.8 million years ago, uses Acheulean techniques or what is the same Mode 2 lithic industryable to make tools such as the bifaz, a stone tool, usually flint, whose main function was to cut, scrape and drill other materials.
The cranial capacity grows by placing it in 850 cm³. The Homo Ergaster hunting and therefore their diet is based on meat. Fossil remains have been found in Europe, North Africa and Asia.
homo erectus
chronologically appeared 1.6 million years agoyes They carved stones, made axes, weapons and other utensils related to hunting since they were expert hunters.
homo erectus mastered the technique of making fire and it is believed that he came to use a primitive language based on voices, cries and sounds to communicate, important for planning hunting strategies. Obviously the abilities of Homo Erectus caused the development of his cranial capacity reaching 900 cm³.
Homo Antecessor
Discovered in the deposits of the Atapuerca mountain rangeBurgos (1976-1994), have been considered the remains oldest hominids in Europe or what is the same, the remains of the first European settlers. Chronologically they are placed in 1.2 million years old.
According to the fossil remains found, Homo Antecessor would reach a height of between 1.60 m and 1.85 m with an approximate weight of between 60 kg and 90 kg. Their cranial capacity was 1,000 cm³.
homo sapiens
Also know as Neanderthal man, geographically, rest have been found in Europe and Asia. chronologically lived about 230,000 years ago. These data lead us to the conclusion that Homo Sapiens lived with other Homos such as the Cro-Magnon also known as homo sapiens sapies (current human).
the ccranial capacity of Neanderthal Man was 1,500 cm³. Capable of manufacturing a large number of lithic tools and weapons such as double-sided axes, perfected the technique of making knives and scrapers.
Capable of convert natural shelters into well-conditioned spaces, distributing the spaces in separate rooms according to the needs and uses. Neanderthal man begins to pay attention to his dead by performing different funeral rituals How is the burial face up?
To this day his disappearance is a mystery, it is known that were related to Cro-Magnon man or Homo Sapiens Sapiens since there is evidence of both maintaining good and bad relationships. They learned techniques from Homo Sapiens Sapiens, although there is no evidence of the birth of a new species as a result of the union or crossing of both species. It is believed that their social organization was reduced to the family nucleus.
Possibly its disappearance is due to the harsh weather conditions since they lived in times of ice ages where they had toand compete for survival with Homo Sapiens Sapiens, the latter much stronger and better equipped for survival, which caused the disappearance of Homo Sapiens.
Homo Sapiens Sapiens or Cro-Magnon Man
It emerged 160,000 years ago and it lasts until our days since it is the current man. His characteristics are exactly the same as current humans with a cranial capacity of 1,800 cm³. Expert in manufacture of tools and tools in stone and bone. Homo Sapiens Sapiens is capable of creating everything from sewing needles to instruments with wooden handles and stone blades.
Soon Homo Sapiens Sapiens discovered metals and agriculture. socially it organized into families and tribes, improving their social and linguistic relationships. Homo Sapiens Sapiens is the first to manifest his creativity and plasticityLet’s take the cave paintings of Altamira as an example.
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