Evolution Of Man Chart
Evolution of man has always fascinated scientists world over because there is ample evidence to suggest that man forms a completely different species having so many characteristics and features that make him distinctive from other placental mammals. |
When we talk about evolution of man, we are talking about all humans, Homo sapiens as well as ancient men. Scientific findings suggest that the genus Homo, that refers to humans, first diverged from australopithecines around 2 million years ago in Africa. Some of the species like Homo erectus of Asia and Homo neaderthalensis of Europe are now extinct.
Ancient Homo sapiens evolved somewhere between 400,000 years and 250,000 years ago. Most scientists concur that modern men evolved in Africa and it was from there that they spread to all corners of the world and ended up replacing Homo erectus and Homo neatherthalensis. However, there is another school of thought that suggests that modern humans actually evolved from Homo erectus. However, the lack of fossil evidence cannot help both the schools of thought at the moment.
It was Homo habilis, around 50,000 years ago, who started technology and culture by using stone tools. It is only then that mankind started evolving fast.
Fossil records show that early ancestors of man and great apes migrated around 17 million years ago from Africa to Eurasia before the two continents were separated. These primates, known as Dryopithecus, actually did quite well and were the ancestors of African apes and humans.
The topic of evolution of man is extremely interesting and wide. The amount of information available can fill many volumes of books.
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