human history and the environment

8/8/2019 Human History and the Environment

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Summary

Human History and the Environment

Human lifestyles have changed in major ways over the years, and as a result,

the impact of human activities on the Earth has changed. Few areas of research have

produced as much argument and confusion as the search for the fossils of our

ancestors. The fossil evidence of human ancestry is fragmentary. Few fossils are

preserved in forests because the acidity of the soil and conditions favorable to

decomposition tend to destroy the remains quickly. As a result, dozens of fossils that

in retrospect are those of monkeys (or even of modern humans) have been hailed as

the missing link between apes and human. In addition, for many years almost every

fossil of a human relative that was found was given a new species name or even

assigned to a new genus to make it more memorable.

Early humans were hunter-gatherer; they obtained their food by collecting it

from the wild rather than by cultivating plants or do masticating animals. Many early

hunter-gatherer societies were nomads who were constantly on the move following

the seasons and migration of animals. Hunter-gatherer societies typically have

relatively small family sizes, the total population of such a society is usually well

below the biological carrying capacity of the area it occupies. Hunter-gatherers

control their population by infanticide, abortion, and primitive forms of

contraception. The first permanent settlements, in Europe and Asia, may well have

been a response to the difficulty of a nomadic life during cold winters. A settled

hunter-gatherer society of this sort must have been the precursor of the development

of agriculture. Such a society would demand social organization and communication

between individuals. These traits are reflected in the decorated tools, pots, anddwellings that began to appear in Europe and Asia about 20,000 years ago.

Agriculture, the process of breeding and caring for animals and plants that are

used for food and clothing, is a relatively modern development in the 30,000-yeart

history of human beings. As recently as 2000 years ago, farmers had still occupied


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only about half the land suitable for agriculture. After that, farming societies steadily

pushed hunter-gatherers off the face of the earth. The change to an agricultural way of

life has had such profound effects on human history that it is often called the

agricultural revolution. One of the most important effects was that it permitted the

accumulation of material goods. A striking consequence of agriculture is that the

division of labor is more pronounced than that seen in hunter-gatherers societies. The

population explosion, which is such a problem today, is also a direct result of

agriculture.


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Summary

Human History and the Environment

By:Rissa Megavitry (091404177)

Nur Amaliah (091404160)

International Class Program of Biology

BIOLOGY DEPARTMENTMATHEMATIC AND NATURAL SCIENCE FACULTY

MAKASSAR STATE UNIVERSITY

2010

human history and the environment

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