The origin and development of mankind

So far, the academic views on the origin of human beings are still not unified. After hundreds of years of research and debate, most scientists now agree that the African continent has undergone drastic crustal changes, forming a huge valley. The fault valley starts from Tanzania in the south, passes through the whole East Africa in the north, and reaches Palestine and the Dead Sea, with a length of 8 000 km. Great changes have taken place in the ecological environment on both sides of the broken valley, and the local forest apes gradually divided into two branches: the forest apes still living in the forest environment gradually evolved into modern apes; Due to the reduction of forests, forest apes living in the eastern highlands of fault valleys often have to come down from trees to find food. Due to the variation of body structure and the change of environment, the habit of walking with lower limbs has gradually formed, thus gaining great development opportunities in the long years to come. Until about 2 million years ago, there were ancient humans who walked upright and could make and use tools. Anthropologists call them Homo erectus. In a word, human beings originated from forest apes and generally appeared more than 4 million years ago. According to the discovery of early human fossils in Africa, it can be considered that human beings originated in Africa. In addition, some scientists' comparative study of human mitochondrial genes and genes on Y chromosome in different regions and African genes also supports the view that human beings originated in Africa and migrated to different regions of the earth.

In the past century, with the continuous discovery of new human fossils, the evidence about the origin of human beings has been increasing. Through the analysis and study of these fossils, people gradually understand the general outline of human beings from appearance to development into modern people. This long process can be roughly divided into the following four stages.

Basic stage

Go back to the present

Representative and main characteristics of fossil origin

Cultural development

Early ape-man

From 2 million years ago to 6.5438+0.75 million years ago, Homo habilis (Oduwe Gorge Valley, Tanzania) had a brain capacity of 637 ml and walked upright. His thumb and four other fingers can be clenched, but his movements are not accurate. Gravel can be made into a kitchen knife, and this stone culture is called Oduwe culture. Capable people live entirely by nature.

Late ape-man

1.75 million years ago to 200,000 ~ 300,000 years ago Yuanmou (Shangnabang Village, Yuanmou, Yunnan Province, China)

Beijingers (Zhoukoudian, Fangshan District, Beijing, China)

Javanese (West Java, Indonesia) has a brain capacity of 1 059 mL, can walk upright on two feet like modern people, and can build a variety of stone tools with flexible hands. Can make all kinds of stone tools, exquisite processing, stone culture has made great progress. It can live in groups of dozens of people with fire, and has certain ability to cope with natural changes.

Early homo sapiens

Maba people from 200,000 to 300,000 years ago (Maba Township, Qujiang County, Guangdong Province, China)

The brain capacity of Neanderthals (Neanderthal Valley, Germany) is 1 350 mL, which is close to that of modern people, and some primitive features (protruding mouth, developed eyebrows and ridges, etc.). ) is preserved in the constitution. Can make tools, can hunt large beasts, master artificial fire technology, and further improve the ability to conquer nature.

Late homo sapiens

Caveman from 50,000 years ago to/kloc-0,000 years ago (Zhoukoudian, Fangshan District, China)

The brain capacity of Kroma farmers (rural Kroma people) is basically the same as that of modern people, reaching 1 400 mL, and their posture is similar to that of modern people. Can make complex tools, such as stone tools, bones and horns, can make exquisite and unique works of art and decorations, can sew clothes, set up tents, and can carry out large-scale hunting activities. May start a matriarchal social life.

From the process of human evolution and development, it is not difficult to see that walking upright has changed the morphological structure of human beings; Labor has improved the living space of human beings; With the gradual improvement of labor level, the differentiation of brain structure and function is becoming more and more perfect; The appearance of language has brought essential changes to human development. These changes have continuously improved the level of human civilization. In the above process, human society has gradually developed.