Evolution of Humans

Marie ern

Time scheme of Evolution

Precambrian era
4.0 billion
years ago
4.6 billion
years ago

2.5 billion
years ago
3.5 billion
years ago

1.5 billion
years ago

multicellular eukaryotes
(prokaryo unicellular
tes)
eukaryotes

Time scheme of Evolution

Paleozoic era (supercontinent Pangea)

500 million y. a. plants, fungi, animals

colonize land (Cambrian period)
Mesozoic era = Dinosaurs period

250 million y. a. first mammals

Cenozoic era (after extinction of dinosaurs)

50 million y. a. majority of mammals

5 million y. a. diversion of humans and apes

Time scheme of Human Evolution

Homo ergaster

Time scheme of Human Evolution

35 million years ago dawn ape:
anthropoid Aegyptopithecus
5-7 million years ago - diversion of humans and apes

from the common ancestor

4 million years ago ape-man: Australopithecus
2.4 million years ago handy man: Homo habilis
1.9 million years ago working man: Homo ergaster
1.8 million years ago upright man: Homo erectus
0.5 million years ago archaic Homo sapiens
0.2-0.03 million years ago Homo neanderthalensis
0.2 million years ago Homo sapiens

Important Characters
of Human Evolution
Size of brain
Australopithecus 400cm3 = Homo sapiens 1 300cm3
Shape of jawbone - shorter and reduced jawbone
= flat face, chin protrusion, change of dentition

Upright bearing, bipedal locomotion skeleton

Reduced sexual dimorphism
higher weight of male than female: gorilla 2x = human 1,2x

Changes in social life

monogamy with long-term pair-bonding longer care of the
young allows better learning and complex behaviour formula

Three Models for the Origin of Humans

Multiregional model Modern humans evolved in
many parts of the world from regional descendants of
Homo erectus, who dispersed from Africa between 1
and 2 million years ago.
Monogenesis model (out of Africa model) Only
the African descendants of Homo erectus, who
dispersed from Africa just 0.1 million years ago, gave
rise to all the diverse populations of modern humans. All
other regional descendants of Homo erectus, including
Neanderthals, became extinct without contributing to the
gene pool of modern humanity.
Intermediate model - Modern humans may be the result
of a migration out of Africa as well as some genetic
contribution from non-African archaic groups.

Multiregional Model
for the Origin of Humans

1-2 million years ago

Monogenesis Model
for the Origin of Humans
100 000 years ago

Proof for Monogenesis Model:

mitochondrial DNA divergence
greater genetic diversity within African
populations
studies of DNA from the Y chromosome

Three Major Stages of

Cultural Evolution
The first stage began with nomads who hunted and gathered food on
the African grasslands 2 million years ago. They made tools, organized
communal activities, and divided labor.
The second stage came with the development of agriculture in Africa,
Eurasia, and the Americas about 10 000 - 15 000 years ago. Along with
agriculture came permanent settlements and the first cities.
The third stage was the Industrial Revolution, which began in the 18th
century.
Through all this cultural evolution we have not changed biologically in any
significant way.
Our know-how is stored not in our genes but in the cumulative product of
hundreds of generations of human experience, passed along by parents,
teachers, books, and, most recently, by electronic means.

Literature
Biology, eighth edition,
Campbell, Reece
Unit five: The Evolutionary History
of Biological Diversity
Chapter 34: Vertebrates
Concept 34.8: Humans are mammals that
have a large brain and bipedal locomotion
Pages 728 733