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The Homo Evolution
As stated in Section 1, no one knows exactly when homo sapiens came into existence, partly because it is not possible to define exactly the distinction between a pre-homo sapiens and a Homo sapiens. This is partially because, as I noted, there is a period of a million years or so, when there are neither bones or tools that can be related to the evolving of the Homo species. As noted above, the first distinction between homo and chimpanzee probably came between three and four million years ago in Africa. The bipedal Ardipithecus was perhaps the ancestor of the contemporary chimpanzees, having the appropriate angle of its foramen magnum and thinner wrist bones. Its feet were adapted for grasping rather than walking for long distances, which differed from Australopithecines such as Lucy (a little more than 3 million years old.) |
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Homo Habilis was perhaps the first Homo species and it lived between two million and 1.5 million years ago. There, of course, is a major problem that archaeologists have, namely that between Australopithecines nearly 4 million years ago and Homo Habilis 1,5 million years ago, there are virtually no relevant fossils. This absence of fossils is part of the reason that the aquatic theory of development somewhat described in chapter 5 can be supported. There is no evidence suggesting that it is incorrect.
Homo Heidelbergensis and/or Homo Antecessor, approximately a million years ago, may well be common ancestors to Homo Sapiens, Homo Neanderthals and Denisovan. |