- Human Evolution is studied in anthropology.
- Genology: the orderly sequencing of evolutionary phases
- T.H. Huxley made the first attempt to explain the genesis of man using science in his book “The place of man in nature “
- The book Descent of Man contains Charles Darwin’s theories about the origins of man.
- Man was given the scientific term “Homo sapiens” by Linnaeus.
- Men were described by Lucretius as “babies birthed out of the womb of Earth.”
- Mammals descended from therapsid reptiles of the Mesozoic era’s Triassic epoch.
- Egg-laying prototherians, which descended from reptiles during the Cretaceous period of the Mesozoic era, were the first primitive mammals.
- Primates are a class of mammals that include humans, and they first appeared in the Paleocene epoch of the Tertiary Period of the Cenozoic Era.
Order primate include sub order Anthropoids and Prosomian.
- Prosomian: Include Tasiers, Lemurs and Lorises
- Anthropoids: Ancestors of Hominoids and Monkey
Include 3 superfamilies
New world monkey (Ceboidea)
- Called Platyrrhini
- Found in South America
- e.g., Allouatta (Howler Monkey), Ateles (Spider monkey)
Old world Monkey
- Called cattarhini
- Found in Africa and Asia
- e.g., Papio (Baboon), Presbytis (Langur), Macaca mulatta (Rhesus Monkey)
Difference between New world Monkey and Old World Monkey
| New World Monkey (Platyrrhini) | Old World Monkey (Catarrhini) | |
| Nose and Nostrils | Flat noses with widely separated and outwardly directed nostrils | Narrow noses with closely placed and downwardly directed nostrils |
| Tails | Posses long prehensile tails | Short non-prehensile tails |
| Use of limbs | Limbs not used for grasping | Limbs well adapted for grasping |
| Dentition | Primitive dentition like prosimian ancestors; 3 molars and 3 premolars in each half of jaw | Dentition more like man; 2 premolar 3 molar in each half of jaw |
| Molar cusps | They have 3 cusps (elevation in the crown of teeth) in molars | Have 4 or 5 cusps in molars |
| Brain | Less developed and unspecialized brain | Better developed and specialized brain , lesser lumbar vertebrae, smaller pinnae, sensitive fingertips, continuous spermatogenesis, menstrual cycle, and capable of expressing of emotions by facial gestures. |
| Origin | Native to South America | Native to Asia and Africa |
| Examples | Marmosets, Spider Monkey, etc. | Baboons, Proboscis Monkeys, etc. |
Hominids
- Ancestors of Apes and Human / Ancestory of today’s hominoids
- Also known as Dryopithecus or Proconsul
- Cranial capacity 165cc.
Apes
Four types of apes have survived till today:
- Gibbon: Occurred in Miocene period, smallest of apes (5.5-11 kg)
- Orangutan
- Gorilla: Heaviest and largest of apes(180kg), Cranial capacity 510cc
- Chimpanzee: Closest relative to man, Cranial capacity 400cc
- Brain to body weight ratio of Apes is 1:250
- The diploid no. of chromosomes in Gorilla, Chimpanzee and Orangutan (pongids) is 48.
- The banding pattern and chromosome number best explains the common origin of Man and Chimpanzee.
Hominoids
- Cradle of Human evolution: Africa
- Place of Man’s origin: Central Asia
Important Hominoids are:
Ramapithecus
- Pliocene period
- G.E. Lewis discovered from Shivalik hills of India and Dang valley of Nepal
- Called Sub man (Kenyapithecus Wicker)
Australopithecus
- Near man
- Early Pleistocene epoch
- Ancestor of man who 1st stood correct
- Cranial capacity 300-500cc
- Lucy and Raymond Dart discovered its species
Handy Man
- Homo habilis
- Early Pleistocene
- Nut cracker fossil man
- Discovered by Leakey
- Cranial capacity 700cc
Java- Ape man
- Homo erectus erectus or Pithecanthropous erectus
- Middle Pleistocene
- Discovered by Eugene Dubois from Java, China
- 1st used fire
- 1st used tools
- Cranial capacity 900cc
Peking man
- Homo erectus pekinensis or Pithecanthropous pekinensis or Sinanthropous pekinensis
- Middle Pleistocene
- Discovered by W.C. Pie
- Cranial capacity 1075 cc
Neanderthal Man
- Homo sapiens neanderthalensis
- Discovered by C. Fuwrott from Neader valley (Germany)
- Late Pleistocene
- Protruding jaw and prognathous face
- Believed in Immortality of soul
- Ceremonial burial of Head.
- Had a religion, culture and division of labor
- Lived in cave
- Used animal hides for clothing
- 1st speech center developed
- Cranial capacity 1400cc
Cro-Magnon man
- Recent (Holocene epoch)
- Most recent ancestor of today’s man
- Discovered by Mac Gregor, from Cro- magnon rocks of France
- Homo sapiens fossilis
- Face perfectly Orthognathous
- Omnivorous
- Artist, made colored cave, paintings, sculptures etc.
- Cranial capacity 1360cc
Man of Today
- Recent (Holocene)
- Homo sapiens sapiens (wise man)
- Cranial capacity 1400-1450cc
- Brain to body weight ratio is 1:46
Man of Future
- Homo sapiens futuralis
- A prediction by American Antropologist Dr. Sapiro
Cultural Evolution of Man
Periods of cultural evolution have been divided into
- Paleolithic: Age of tools, stones and bones
- Mesolithic: Age of language, reading and writing, age of animal husbandry
- Neolithic: Age of knowledge and age of agriculture
- Bronze Age
- Present Iron Age
Difference between Apes and Man
| Apes | Man | |
| Habitat | Semi arboreal | Terrestrial |
| Limbs | Fore limbs longer than Hind limbs | Hind limbs/legs are powerful, stout and more developed than fore limbs |
| Posture | Body posture bent and require fore limbs for movement | Body posture erect and fore limbs free during locomotion |
| Head | Head is balanced on heavy shoulder and found buried | Head is erect and balanced on neck |
| Skull and Forehead | Fore head and skull are flat | Fore head is large , protruded; Skull, dome shaped. |
| Posture | Lumbar curve not found in vertebral column | Lumbar curve present, which facilitate erect posture |
| Lowe jaw | Lower jaw are heavy, teeth large, chin rounded and not prominent | Lower jaw is small, teeth small, chin flat and prominent |
| Eye brow | Eye brow ridges are heavy and protruded | Eye brow ridges are thin and not protruded |
| Head movement | Neck muscle attached to back of skull, hence head movement limited | Neck muscle attached below skull, hence hence movement wider range |
| Big Toes | Big toes in feet opposable; used for grasping | Big toes not opposable, do not help in grasping |
| Feet | During locomotion, soles do not touch ground, only outer ridges of fore and hind limbs | During locomotion, the soles except the bridges of feet touch the ground |
| Cranial capacity | Cranial capacity small. Gibbon (100 cc), Orangutan (395 cc), Chimpanzee (400 cc), Gorilla (510 cc) | Cranium is large and large cranial capacity unto 1600 cc |
| Examples | Gibbon, Orangutan, Chimpanzee and Gorilla | Human |
Similarities between Apes and men
- Binocular vision
- Unspecialized nature of Hand
- Absence of tail
- Reduction of lumbar vertebrae making smaller lumbar region
- Enlarged brain
- similarity in blood antigen
- Ability of intercommunication by vocal menus
- Expression of emotion by facial gestures
- Spermatogenesis in male
- Menstruous cycle in female
- Nature to live in Pairs as couples
Learn more about Connecting links in Evolution
https://thesciencenotes.com/connecting-links-of-biological-world/
