Apr 9, 2025 · human evolution, the process by which human beings developed on Earth from now-extinct primates. Viewed zoologically, we humans are Homo sapiens, a culture-bearing upright-walking species that lives on the ground and very likely first evolved in Africa about 315,000 years ago.

Modern humans evolved in stages from a series of ancestors, including several earlier forms of humans. The bodies of these ancestors changed over time. In general, their brains became larger. The jaws and teeth became smaller. Human ancestors also began walking upright on two feet and using tools.

The Climate of Human Evolution. Modern humans and their ancestors have existed for only a fraction of a percent of Earth’s roughly 4.5-billion-year history. When the first members of the human lineage emerged some 7–4 million years ago, roughly at the end of the Miocene Epoch (about 23–5.3 million years ago), Earth’s climate was cooling ...

Apr 9, 2025 · Theorists use fossil remains, genetic traits of modern people around the world, and archaeological and anatomical indicators of cognitive, linguistic, and technological capabilities to support their models of recent human evolution, but no single theory provides definitive resolution of how H. sapiens came to be.

Apr 9, 2025 · Human evolution - Miocene, Bipedalism, Adaptations: It is generally agreed that the taproot of the human family shrub is to be found among apelike species of the Middle Miocene Epoch (roughly 16–11.6 mya) or Late Miocene Epoch (11.6–5.3 mya).

human evolution, Evolution of modern human beings from now-extinct nonhuman and humanlike forms. Genetic evidence points to an evolutionary divergence between the lineages of humans and the great apes on the African continent 8–5 million years ago (mya).

Apr 10, 2025 · Human evolution, the process by which human beings developed on Earth from now-extinct primates. The only extant members of the human tribe, Hominini, belong to the species Homo sapiens. The exact nature of the evolutionary relationships between modern humans and their ancestors remains the subject of debate.

Apr 9, 2025 · Human evolution - Tool Design, Refinements, Technology: In Africa the Early Paleolithic (3.3–0.2 mya) comprises several industries. The first tools (hammers, anvils, and primitive cutting tools) made way for the earliest human-made chipped flake tools and core choppers (2.5–2.1 mya).

Apr 8, 2025 · Evolution, theory in biology postulating that the various types of living things on Earth have their origin in other preexisting types and that the distinguishable differences are due to modifications in successive generations.

Apr 9, 2025 · Human evolution - Bipedalism, Adaptations, Fossils: There are many theories that attempt to explain why humans are bipedal, but none is wholly satisfactory. Increased speed can be ruled out immediately because humans are not very fast runners.