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Explore our evolutionary
adventure from the earliest ape to our modern man and humanity's
industrial civilisation. This site looks at humanity 's ecological
context. Accepting that we have evolved and continue to evolve, I also
look at the long term implications of evolution for humanity. We are a
part of the ecology of the earth. This evolution site is therefore
included within a larger site, called Nature's Holism. Nature's Holism
looks at the mechanism of evolution to establish how associations such
as the bee and the flower evolved.
Homo sapiens sapiens
Navigation:
You have the option of a frames structure and a
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Choose: Human Evolution Frames
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Paleontology, archaeology, anthropology, geology, genetics:
The study of human evolution advances with new fossil finds, so
this site is constantly being added to. Paleontologists compete to
discover the missing link, a new species or genus of anthropod or
primate, the oldest hominid or a new interpretation of the fossil
record. Slowly, a clearer picture of our evolutuionary history evolves.
Only recently, genetics and the study of DNA is revealing amazing
detail as to our heritage and the spread of populations across the
earth. Even the nature of the very elements is being employed by
geologists to establish the climatic and geological history of the
earth.
Updates, new findings, discoveries, advances and added data
Here is a small addition to this site on human evolution, where I
shortlist links to recent progress in human evolution and/or changes to
this site.
- Ardipithecus Ramidus shows
features placing it close to the common ancestor to humans and apes (Science
2 October 2009), but on the hominid evolutionary lineage. This
species' differences to modern apes shows that apes evolved extensively
after
apes and humans diverged.
- A fossil of a creature, an adapid named Darwinus masillae, will apparently
reveal more on human evolution at a point 37 million years ago. Primate
fossils from the Paleocene and the Eocene generally fall into three
main families: a group of animals called adapids, another group called
omomyids, and a third group called the tarsiids. Adapids and omomyids
may have been similar to today's lemurs and lorises. The tarsiids are
represented today by one genus, Tarsius, a nocturnal primate from
Southeast Asia that appears to be intermediate between primates like
omomyids and primates like monkeys and apes, including humans. At one
time or another, scientists have suggested each of these primate groups
as a likely candidate for giving rise to anthropoids. Adapids, omomyids
and tarsiids are still vying for the title of closest relative, as the
debate continues with the addition of new fossils and even genetic data
from possible descendents of the three groups. Evidence shows that the
adapids gave rise to the anthropods.
- Ancient
human footprints found near the town of Ileret,
Kenya
are likely made by Homo erectus or H. ergaster
about 1.5 million years ago. The footprints were found near
animal prints on two separate
layers dated at about 1.51
million and 1.53 million years ago. Animal prints also in the lower
surface include bovids, carnivores (possibly felines), and equids.
These footprints show that by 1.5 Ma, hominins had
evolved an essentially modern human foot function and style
of bipedal locomotion (Bennett et al.,
2009). - Homo antecessor fossil jaw dated at between 1.1 million and 1.2 million years old in northern Spain (Nature, 2008, Volume 452, Number 7186).
- More proof of chaos in business with the drop in the Countrywide Financial share price (Feb. 2008).
- A Nature (Spoor et al, 2007) publication extends the period of coexistence of Homo habilis and Homo erectus from 200,000 to 500,000 years. An upper jaw bone of Homo habilis (KNM-ER 42703), dates from 1.44 million years ago. The second fossil (KNM-ER 42700), found in the same region of northern Kenya, is a well preserved skull of Homo erectus, dated to about 1.55 million years ago.
- Scientists have yet to classify a new find, which they believe
falls between A. ramidus and A. afarensis. The bones were
discovered in February 2005 at a new site called Mille, in the
northeastern Afar region of Ethiopia. They are estimated to be 3.8-4
million years old, making this find humankind's first walking
ancestor - the world's oldest bipedal. The fossils include a complete
tibia (lower part of the leg), parts of a thighbone, ribs, vertebrae, a
collarbone, pelvis and a complete shoulder blade, or scapula. An ankle
bone and the tibia show that the creature walked upright, said Bruce
Latimer, co-leader of the team (director of the Cleveland Museum of
Natural History in Ohio) that discovered the fossils.
- The remains of a tiny, new species of human, Homo
floresiensis that lived
as recently as 13,000 years ago have been discovered on
an Indonesian
island - Hobbit fossils.
Amazon.com Widgets
- June 2004 Draft updates of Neanderthal
and Australopithecus pages in 2004
review of whole evolution site.
- Dental evidence elevates the hominid subspecies Ardipithecus ramidus kadabba to its own species, Ardipithecus kadabba [a], [b], [c], [d].
- Oldest human Homo sapiens idaltu:
[a], [b], [c].
- http://www.talkorigins.org/faqs/homs/recent.html
Recent Developments in Paleoanthropology. Also see http://www.talkorigins.org/faqs/homs/
.
- You can discuss (chat) human evolution with me or other's online at the forum http://forums.cjb.net/holismevolution.html
- Sahelanthropus tchadensis , a new fossil
discovery is currently the oldest hominid fossil. S. tchadensis
shows a mix of primitive and evolved characteristics not expected in
such an old fossil. [| 1 | 2 | 3 |]
- SOME MAJOR RECENT DEVELOPMENTS IN HOMINID PALEONTOLOGY (pdf file)
- CHRONOLOGY OF FOSSIL HOMINIDS 2002 (pdf file)
- Evolution library and online course for teachers teaching evolution .
- Archaeology & Paleontology at National Geographic .
- Evolution update
- Nature: Science update - archaeology .
- Natural Selection : Your guide to quality Internet resources relating to the Natural World.
- Comparative Archaeology Web
- About.com archaeology and archaeology atlas
- Paleontology at Anthrotech and members login
- Origins of humankind site .
- Eomaia scansoria , Earliest Known Ancestor of Placental Mammals Discovered.
- Small brained hominid with large canines from Georgia is the most primitive hominid skull ever discovered outside of Africa. See Dmanisi paleoanthropology site ( cranial differences ).
- Current topics at " Human Evolution at the Smithsonian Institute ".
- Human Behavior and Evolution Society (HBES): new searchable list of online articles related to human behavior and evolution.
- PNAS online publication search for current (2002) and past articles and publications. Abstracts and PDF files are available from 1990 to present. Full text is available and searchable from 1996 on.
- Homo
ergaster occupies an important moment in time, just before
the evolution of Homo erectus, H
neanderthalensis and H.
sapiens.
