News tagged with human evolution
Scientist: Evolution debate will soon be history
(AP) -- Richard Leakey predicts skepticism over evolution will soon be history. Not that the avowed atheist has any doubts himself.
May 26, 2012 |
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Germany may be birthplace of European music and art
The remains of the world's oldest musical instruments and human figurines suggest that music and artistic depictions of the human form may have first developed in Germany around 40,000 years ago, say researchers.
Other Sciences / Archaeology & Fossils
May 29, 2012 |
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Human ancestors used fire one million years ago, archaeologist find
An international team led by the University of Toronto and Hebrew University has identified the earliest known evidence of the use of fire by human ancestors. Microscopic traces of wood ash, alongside animal ...
Other Sciences / Archaeology & Fossils
Apr 02, 2012 |
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Professor examines the complex evolution of human morality
(PhysOrg.com) -- Although the question of what makes humans different from other animals doesn't have a single obvious answer, one seemingly conspicuous human trait is morality. Darwin, in his book The Descent of Man, an ...
May 19, 2010 |
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New study of hunter-gatherers suggests social networks sparked evolution of cooperation
Ancient humans may not have had the luxury of updating their Facebook status, but social networks were nevertheless an essential component of their lives, a new study suggests.
Other Sciences / Social Sciences
Jan 25, 2012 |
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'Game-changer' in evolution from S. African bones
An analysis of 2 million-year-old bones found in South Africa offers the most powerful case so far in identifying the transitional figure that came before modern humans - findings some are calling a potential ...
Other Sciences / Archaeology & Fossils
Sep 08, 2011 |
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Biological anthropologists question claims for human ancestry
"Too simple" and "not so fast" suggest biological anthropologists from the George Washington University and New York University about the origins of human ancestry. In the upcoming issue of the journal Nature, the anthro ...
Other Sciences / Archaeology & Fossils
Feb 16, 2011 |
4.9 / 5 (17) |
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Study of lice DNA shows humans first wore clothes 170,000 years ago
(PhysOrg.com) -- A new University of Florida study following the evolution of lice shows modern humans started wearing clothes about 170,000 years ago, a technology which enabled them to successfully migrate ...
Jan 06, 2011 |
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Archaeology expands beyond traditional scope into other sciences
The popular perception of archaeology is a team of dusty individuals in wide-brimmed hats unearthing treasures from a pharaoh's tomb or an ancient collection of Native American artifacts.
Other Sciences / Archaeology & Fossils
Apr 30, 2012 |
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New algorithm provides new insights into evolutionary exodus out of Africa
Researchers have probed deeper into human evolution by developing an elegant new technique to analyse whole genomes from different populations. One key finding from the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute's study is that African ...
Jul 13, 2011 |
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Eat your greens to improve your looks
Getting your five a day will do more for your looks than a sun tan according to scientists who have found that our appearances really do prove that you are what you eat.
Jan 10, 2011 |
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Meat eating led to earlier weaning, helped humans spread across globe
When early humans became carnivores, their higher-quality diet allowed mothers to wean babies earlier and have more children, with potentially profound effects on population dynamics and the course of human evolution, according ...
Apr 18, 2012 |
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Are humans still evolving? Absolutely, says new analysis of long-term survey of human health
Although advances in medical care have improved standards of living over time, humans aren't entirely sheltered from the forces of natural selection, a new study shows.
Oct 19, 2009 |
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Ancient 'Lucy' Species Ate A Different Diet Than Previously Thought
(PhysOrg.com) -- Research examining microscopic marks on the teeth of the "Lucy" species Australopithecus afarensis suggests that the ancient hominid ate a different diet than the tooth enamel, size and sh ...
Other Sciences / Archaeology & Fossils
Oct 22, 2009 |
3.8 / 5 (13) |
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Evolution may explain 'Runner's high,' study says
(HealthDay) -- The pleasurable feeling known as "runner's high" that's triggered by aerobic exercise may have played a role in the evolution of humans' ability to run long distances, a new study suggests.
May 09, 2012 |
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Human evolution
Human evolution, or anthropogenesis, is the part of biological evolution concerning the emergence of Homo sapiens as a distinct species from other hominins, great apes and placental mammals. It is the subject of a broad scientific inquiry that seeks to understand and describe how this change occurred. The study of human evolution encompasses many scientific disciplines, most notably physical anthropology, primatology, archaeology, linguistics and genetics.
The term "human", in the context of human evolution, refers to the genus Homo, but studies of human evolution usually include other hominins, such as the Australopithecines. The Homo genus diverged from the Australopithecines about 2 million years ago in Africa. Scientists have estimated that humans branched off from their common ancestor with chimpanzees—the only other living homininis—about 5–7 million years ago. Several species of Homo evolved that are now extinct. These include Homo erectus, which inhabited Asia, and Homo neanderthalensis, which inhabited Europe.
Archaic Homo sapiens evolved between 400,000 and 250,000 years ago. The dominant view among scientists is the recent African origin of modern humans (RAO) that H. sapiens evolved in Africa and spread across the globe, replacing populations of H. erectus and H. neanderthalensis. Scientists supporting the alternative hypothesis on the multiregional evolution (ME) view modern humans as having evolved as a single, widespread population from existing Homo species, particularly H. erectus. The fossil evidence is insufficient to resolve this vigorous debate,. Studies of haplogroups in Y-chromosomal DNA and mitochondrial DNA have largely supported a recent African origin, while some researchers argue that evidence from nuclear genes supports a multiregional origin.
For more information about Human evolution, read the full article at
Wikipedia.
This text uses material from Wikipedia and is available under the GNU Free Documentation License.
