We explain to you what it is Homo sapiens, when and where it emerged and how it is classified. Also, what are its characteristics and its evolution.
He Homo sapiens It is the species from which the current human being is derived.
What is the Homo sapiens?
Homo sapiens is the scientific name of the human speciesThe use of the term refers to the evolution of the human being and, specifically, to the species that gave rise to modern man.
The evolution of man occurred over 4 million years and integrated different genera and species of hominids. For 500,000 years, there is only one species of hominids that evolved from the Homo erectus to him Homo sapiensand from this to the subspecies Homo sapiens sapiensto which modern humans belong. This transition ended approximately 35,000 years ago.
The evolution of man and the history of his evolutionary phases is a subject of constant research, which is studied from different disciplines. On many occasions, specialists They debate how to interpret the findings of fossil remains and materialswhat the relationships are like between the different species and subspecies and how the evolutionary leaps were made between them.
Therefore, there are different categorizations or definitions that, in turn, mutate based on new findings and research.
See also: Paleolithic
Origin of Homo sapiens
He Homo sapiens is the species that evolved from the Homo erectus. The evolutionary transition began 500,000 years ago, but only 200,000 years ago did the Homo sapiens as a clearly separate species. To the variety of Homo sapiens who experienced this transition is called archaic homo sapiens.
On the other hand, for decades, researchers have debated the origin of Homo sapiensTwo opposing hypotheses have been postulated:
- Chandelier model: polygenism. It proposes that the ancestral populations of Homo erectus around the world evolved, gradually and independently, towards the Homo sapiens. Those who defend this model maintain that contact between different geographical populations was essential to maintain genetic flow, which allowed them to evolve as a group and not independently.
- Noah’s Ark Model: Monogenism. This model contemplates a single origin, followed by migration to the rest of the continents. The kind of Homo sapiens It would have emerged in Africa and, from there, it would have migrated to Eurasia.
At the moment, most scientists support the monogenistic model. However, intermediate situations between both models are usually considered to explain the origin of the Homo sapiens. For example, some maintain that there may have been a single origin but immediately followed by migrations through which the newcomers would have interbred with populations of archaic homo sapiens.
He Homo sapiens within the evolutionary scheme
Like the oldest species of the genus Homohe Homo sapiens is a bipedal mammalian specieswhose body has bilateral symmetry, and which presents sexual dimorphism: females and males are distinguished by the characteristics of their bodies (women have breasts, small waists and a vulva; men lack breasts, are broader in muscle and have a penis).
The upper extremities of the human They have prehensile hands with opposable thumbsallowing him to create and wield tools of various kinds.
In relation to species from previous evolutionary phases, the Homo sapiens has the following characteristics:
- Cranial capacity. Its cranial capacity increases to an average of 1500 cm3, and scientists consider that it had an intellectual potential equivalent to that of today’s human being.
- Height. It grows in height, reaching an average of 1.70 meters.
- Language development. Although it is not known exactly when the first languages appeared, scientists are certain that the Homo sapiens gave a more complex use to language.
- Migration. It lived in Africa, Europe, Asia and Oceania. The subspecies Homo sapiens sapiens It also migrated to America 40,000 years ago.
- Tool manufacturing. He created more elaborate tools and developed different stone-working techniques.
Lifestyle of Homo sapiens
The Homo sapiens They developed different techniques to work stone.
During the Paleolithic (historical period in which the Homo sapiens) the social life of men had the following characteristics:
- NomadismHuman groups did not live in a fixed place, but moved following the animals and seasonal cycles.
- Subsistence economy. The Homo sapiens They fed on elements that existed in nature through hunting and gathering. They developed more complex group hunting techniques, with weapons that allowed them to hunt large animals.
- BandsThe nomadic way of life and the subsistence economy encouraged human groups to organize themselves into small groups (called “bands” by historians) of between 20 and 30 people. These groups were united by family ties and controlled the territories through which they moved to obtain their resources.
- Egalitarian societies. Primitive men did not have formal leaders or bosses. Sometimes, an individual could stand out for his abilities and was especially respected. The elders were listened to for their experience and had greater authority to resolve conflicts. However, they were egalitarian societies in which there was no hierarchy of power.
Debates about the Homo sapiens
There are different positions on how to categorize the Homo neanderthalensis.
When archaeologists find fossil remains, they must study them to identify which species they belong to. This is done with studies on the chemical composition and anatomy of bones, as well as on the material remains that appear next to the fossils. It is from this type of studies that, over time, the academic tradition has managed to establish a categorization into phases for the evolution of the human being.
However, Studies are not always accurate And scientists often interpret their results differently, leading to debates about how to categorize certain findings.
This is the case of Homo neanderthalensis, about whose remains archaeologists, paleontologists and other specialists debate. Currently, most consider it to be a subspecies of the Homo sapienswith features and characteristics different from the Homo sapiens sapiens (another subspecies of the Homo sapienswhich is the current human being).
Evolutionary scheme of man
Of the Australopithecus afarensis gender descends Homo that gave rise to the human species.
The main evolutionary stages of human beings are considered to have been the following:
- First ancestors: Australopithecus. It was the first hominid to walk upright and thrive in the African savannahs 4-2 million years ago.
- Origin of the human race: Homo habilis. The findings in Tanzania and Kenya of 2.5 million-year-old fossil remains made it possible to identify a distinct species, descended from the Australopithecus afarensisThe fossils show a larger cranial volume and some anatomical changes related to posture. They were found together with lithic (stone) materials in the form of cutting tools.
- Territorial expansion: Homo erectus. Based on remains found in Africa, Europe and Asia, this evolutionary phase is dated between 1.5 million years and 500,000 years ago. The different communities of Homo erectus They migrated from Africa to other continents. They also made more complex tools than their predecessors and developed subsistence patterns based on cooperation, division of labor and the practice of sharing food. They mastered the use of fire and hunted large animals. Different species and subspecies belong to this phase, which for convenience specialists often categorize as Homo erectusbut they include, for example, Homo antecessor and to Homo heidelbergensis.
- Wisdom process: Homo sapiens to the current human being. This stage corresponds to the gradual evolution that occurred from Homo erectus to the first Homo sapiens (called “archaic”), and from this to a subspecies known as Homo sapiens sapiensthe current human being. From Archaic Homo sapiens another subspecies also descended, known as Homo neanderthalensisThis process began 500,000 years ago and culminated 35,000 years ago, when the Homo sapiens sapiens It remained the only surviving species of the genus Homo.
Continue with: Hominins
References
- López Serrano, A. (1996). Hominization process and material culture. The contribution of historical anthropology.
- Harris, M. (1981). Introduction to general anthropology. Alliance.
- Leakey, R., & Lewin, R. (1994). Our origins. RBA publishers.
- “Homo sapiens” on Wikipedia.
- “Human evolution” on Wikipedia.
- “The age of Homo sapiens” Maggie Fox in El País.
- “Homo sapiens” in SobreHistoria.com.
- “Homo sapiens” on Dinosaurios.info.
- “Homo sapiens left Africa 60,000 years earlier than previously thought” El País (Uruguay).