Anthropology. The main stages of human evolution: part 1 (the most important)

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Anthropology. The main stages of human evolution: part 1 (the most important)

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7. MAIN STAGES OF HUMAN EVOLUTION: PART 1

At present, the following main stages of human evolution are distinguished: dryopithecus - ramapithecus - australopithecine - skillful man - erectus man - Neanderthal man (paleoanthropist) - neoanthrope (this is already a man of the modern type, homo sapiens).

Driopithecus appeared 17-18 million years ago and became extinct about 8 million years ago, lived in tropical forests. These are early apes that probably originated in Africa and came to Europe during the drying up of the prehistoric Tethys Sea. Groups of these monkeys climbed trees and ate their fruits, since their molars, covered with a thin layer of enamel, were not suitable for chewing rough food. Perhaps the distant ancestor of man was ramapithecus (Rama is the hero of the Indian epic). Ramapithecines are thought to have appeared 14 million years ago and went extinct around 9 million years ago. Their existence became known from jaw fragments found in the Siwalik Mountains in India. It is not yet possible to establish whether these creatures were upright.

Australopithecus, who inhabited Africa 1,5-5,5 million years ago, were the link between the animal world and the first people. Australopithecines did not have such natural defenses as powerful jaws, fangs and sharp claws, and were inferior in physical strength to large animals. The use of natural objects as weapons for defense and attack allowed Australopithecines to defend themselves from enemies.

In the 60-70s. 650th century in Africa, the remains of creatures were discovered, the volume of the cranial cavity of which was XNUMX cm³ (significantly less than in humans). In the immediate vicinity of the find site, the most primitive pebble tools were found. Scientists have suggested that this creature can be assigned to the genus Homo, and gave it the name Homo habilis - skillful man, emphasizing his ability to make primitive tools. Judging by the remains found, dating from 2-1,5 million years ago, Homo habilis existed for more than half a million years, slowly evolving until it acquired significant similarities with Homo erectus.

One of the most remarkable was the discovery of the first Pithecanthropus, or Homo erectus (Homo erectus), discovered by the Dutch scientist E. Dubois in 1881. Homo erectus existed from approximately 1,6 million to 200 thousand years ago.

The most ancient people have similar features: a massive jaw with a sloping chin protrudes strongly forward, there is an supraorbital ridge on a low sloping forehead, the height of the skull is small compared to the skull of a modern person, but the volume of the brain varies between 800-1400 cm³. Along with obtaining plant food, pithecanthropes were engaged in hunting, as evidenced by the finds in the places of their life of the bones of small rodents, deer, bears, wild horses, and buffaloes.

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