Anthropology
Open Access

Different Stages of Human Evolution

Mariliyan Jen^{* *}Correspondence: Mariliyan Jen, Department of Anthropology, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, USA, Email:

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Description

The first known man walked the world roughly 15 million years ago, and the evolution of man started. Humans today evolved from extinct monkeys via multiple phases of development. This evolutionary process from monkeys walking on all four limbs to humans walking on two hind limbs has been quite protracted. We, humans, are Homo sapiens, a culture-bearing uprightwalking species that lives on the ground that most likely developed in Africa around 315,000 years ago. Humans are now the only living members of what many zoologists refer to as the human tribe, Hominini, but there is abundant fossil evidence that other hominins, such as Ardipithecus, Australopithecus, and other species of Homo, preceded for millions of years, and that the species also lived concurrently with at least one other member of the genus, neanderthalensis (the Neanderthals). Furthermore, ancestors have always coexisted with other apelike primates, ranging from the modern-day gorilla to the long-extinct Dryopithecus. Today, the human genus is known as Homo, and the individual is known as Homo sapiens. The vertebrates evolved from primitive unicellular living forms to the creation of multicellular creatures. The evolution of vertebrates led to the emergence of mammals. Humans are most closely related to primates such as the orangutan among animals. Hominidae is the name of the family to which humans belong. The Hominidae family separated from the Pongidae (apes) family during the Miocene epoch. Dryopethicus was the earliest in the phases of evolution of man, and some say he is the common ancestor of man and apes.

Dryopethicus

He was man's oldest known ancestor. Ramapethicus, who was more human-like than Dryopethicus, existed during the same period as him. Dryopethicus lived across Europe, as well as regions of Asia and Africa. The stages of human evolution began with him. After Dryopethicus and Ramapethicus, there was Australopethicus, which came before Homo.

Australopithecus

Australopithecus ramidus was 1.2 meters tall, and the fossils exhibit a big foramen magnum, indicating upright walking. The forelimbs differed from those of the ape-like predecessors. They have human-like teeth. The renowned fossil Australopithecus afarensis belongs to this species. They are claimed to have lived in the African continent. They were also shorter than Australopithecus ramidus, having a tiny cranium, flat noses, and no chin. They could walk on two legs, but their legs were slightly bent, giving them an ape-like gait. They were able to dwell in trees because of their bent legs, fingers, and toes. They possessed massive jaws and teeth. Australopithecus africanus species lived on the African continent. They were bipedal, with a smaller head and smaller brains than Homo erectus but larger than their forefathers. They also had huge teeth compared to modern people and were herbivorous. They possessed powerful jaws. Australopithecus robustus was taller than the ancestors but still resembled an ape. They were heavier than their forefathers. The Homo genus appeared after the Australopithecus genus. Homo habilis was the earliest man of the genus.

Homo

Homo habilis resembled his forebears in appearance. The size of his skull and brain implies that he might have spoken. This is when the first tools were produced. Because he was the first to create and utilize tools, Homo habilis is known as the "handyman. He stood around 5 feet tall and upright. Homo erectus appeared after Homo habilis. He had a smaller but longer face, a chin that was less prominent or missing, a greater brain size, and a prominent speech. He could create and utilize tools, and he could start and regulate a fire. Homo erectus was a carnivorous species. He was aware of the existence of groupings, which were expanding from Africa to Asia and Europe. At 1300cc, the Java man and Peking man possessed cognitive capacity comparable to modern man. They lived in caves. There were two forms of Homo sapiens:

Homo sapiens neanderthelensis: They were enormous in stature and possessed brains bigger than current humans. They also possessed a huge head and jaw, as well as being incredibly powerful and muscular. They were carnivores, and the implements from the time show that they hunted. They also lived in caves, but their caverns were more comfortable, and they hunted for food in groups.

Homo sapiens sapiens: What we are today is referred to as "modern-day man”. They became smaller in size and brain size decreased to 1300cc when compared to Homo sapiens neanderthalensis. There was also a decrease in the size of the jaw, as well as a rounding of the skull and chin. Cro-Magnon was the ancestor of all Homo sapiens. They spread from Europe to Australia and the Americas. They were omnivores with skilled hands who evolved the ability to think, creating art, more sophisticated tools, and sentiments.

Evolution is not a thing of the past; it is happening right now. Humans are undergoing 'natural selection' for a variety of features dependent on their current life and environment. It is anticipated that the jaw size is shrinking more and those wisdom teeth may become extinct shortly.