HUMAN EVOLUTION

HOW AWESOME ARE WE?

WHY ARE WE UNIQUE? Human success can

be attributed to: The ability to

perform complex reasoning

Our ability to learn The use of

sophisticated tools The ability to

communicate

HOW ARE WE UNIQUE? These abilities

required the evolution of: Our brains Fine manipulation

and coordination Walking upright thus

freeing our hands to use tools

HUMAN PHYLOGENY HOMO SAPIENS are PRIMATES PRIMATES: a group of relatively large-

brained animals that includes monkeys, apes and prosimians

Characteristics also include forward-directed eyes, flexible hands and feet

Share a common ancestor with PROSIMIANS (e.g. lemurs) and ANTHROPOIDS (e.g. monkeys and apes)

HOMINID All species descended from the

most recent common ancestor of chimpanzees and humans that are on the human side of the lineage

Humans and chips share 98.8% of their DNA

Only 1.6% difference between humans and gorillas

FOSSIL RECORDS Hip, feet, and leg

bones show the evolution of humans walking upright

Skull measurement show the evolution of the larger brain

Remains of tools and burial sites show early human

FOSSIL RECORDS There are over 20

species of hominids Records indicate that

hominids evolved and lived in Africa and eventually spread out to Europe and Asia

Scientists have been able to sequence the entire Neanderthal genome

EVOLUTION OF HOMO SAPIEN SCHELANTHROPUS: walking upright AUSTRALOPITHECUS AFARENSIS:

used stone tools HOMO HABILIS: evidence of

increased brain size HOMO HEIDELBERGENSIS:

evidence of cooking HOMO NEANDERTHALENSIS: linked

to the modern man

CULTURAL EVOLUTION More than 6000 human languages

are spoken Humans engage in artistic

endeavours Human societies have different

rituals, customs and belief systems

Fossil evidence suggests that biological evolution and cultural evolution are linked

EXAMPLE: Neanderthals performed burial rituals

BIOLOGICAL VS. CULTURAL EXAMPLE: Lactose Intolerance

Lactose intolerance evolved as humans domesticated goats, cattle and camels and consumed their milk

Natural selection favoured those individuals who could digest lactose

HUMAN RACE? Biologically “races”

do not exist There is more

diversity WITHIN a racial group than BETWEEN racial groups

The classification of race is CULTURAL

ARE WE STILL EVOLVING? Evidence suggests that the rate of

human evolution has been greater over that past several thousand years

EXAMPLE: Our sense of taste for “rich foods” is “recent”

EXAMPLE: Our use of medication has increased our life span

EXAMPLE: Vitamin D deficiency is widespread as we spend a lot of time indoors