Humans Evolved From Apes Where humans came from is a question that has been asked since the beginning of time. Some people believe we were created by a god. Others believe we were created by multiple gods. However, anatomical and behavioral similarities with modern apes, along with fossil evidence of our evolutionary history, gives proof that humans evolved from an ape-like ancestor and are in fact, still apes. To understand the evidence behind this, some background information on evolution as a whole is needed. First of all, what is evolution? Evolution is a theory first proposed by Charles Darwin in his book the “Origin of Species” in 1859. The theory is used to explain the diversity of all living things on earth.
Evolution works by …show more content…
More specifically, the anatomical ones. As Comte de Buffon once said, an ape “is only an animal, but a very singular animal, which a man cannot view without returning to himself.” (McCarthy, Eugene) Chimpanzees and humans are very closely related. In fact, we both have the same organ arrangement, and even the same muscles and bones (not the same shapes and sizes however). We even share some of the same diseases. Now there are some obvious ones such as the fact that we both lack tails. We are also both omnivorous. (O’Neil, Dennis) Not only that, we both have opposable thumbs! We also use them in pretty much the same ways, as you will see when information about behavioral similarities is given. But first, another point that leads towards humans evolving from apes are genetic similarities. Both the human and chimpanzee genomes have been sequenced. When scientists compared the two they discovered the two were 96% the same. Most of the differences were due to duplications of some of the genes. If you ignore the duplications then chimps and humans are 98% the same genetically. (O’Neil, …show more content…
As the author of “Human Evolution” stated, “This form of locomotion led to a number of skeletal modifications in the lower spinal column, pelvis, and legs. Because these changes can be documented in fossil bone, habitual bipedalism usually is seen as a defining trait of humans.” Next up on our journey from ape to man is Homo habilis. Homo habilis literally translates into handy man. As you can probably guess based on the name, H. Habilis was known for its tool use. When I say tool use I don’t mean advanced tools like axes and spears. I also don’t mean tools as simple as the sticks that chimpanzees use. When I say tools I mean rounded rocks with sharp edges. These tools that have been found have been dated back to 2.6 million years ago. (Evolution of Humans) These tools may not seem like much but they are a huge advancement in human evolution. These tools could have been used for many things such as fighting, and also paved the way for better, more advanced tools. Our third species on the journey from ape to man is known as Homo erectus. Homo erectus was far more advanced than Homo habilis. Instead of just pebbles with sharp edges, Homo erectus had crude, leaf shaped stone axes that dated back to as old as 1.5 million years ago. (Evolution of
Evolution works by …show more content…
More specifically, the anatomical ones. As Comte de Buffon once said, an ape “is only an animal, but a very singular animal, which a man cannot view without returning to himself.” (McCarthy, Eugene) Chimpanzees and humans are very closely related. In fact, we both have the same organ arrangement, and even the same muscles and bones (not the same shapes and sizes however). We even share some of the same diseases. Now there are some obvious ones such as the fact that we both lack tails. We are also both omnivorous. (O’Neil, Dennis) Not only that, we both have opposable thumbs! We also use them in pretty much the same ways, as you will see when information about behavioral similarities is given. But first, another point that leads towards humans evolving from apes are genetic similarities. Both the human and chimpanzee genomes have been sequenced. When scientists compared the two they discovered the two were 96% the same. Most of the differences were due to duplications of some of the genes. If you ignore the duplications then chimps and humans are 98% the same genetically. (O’Neil, …show more content…
As the author of “Human Evolution” stated, “This form of locomotion led to a number of skeletal modifications in the lower spinal column, pelvis, and legs. Because these changes can be documented in fossil bone, habitual bipedalism usually is seen as a defining trait of humans.” Next up on our journey from ape to man is Homo habilis. Homo habilis literally translates into handy man. As you can probably guess based on the name, H. Habilis was known for its tool use. When I say tool use I don’t mean advanced tools like axes and spears. I also don’t mean tools as simple as the sticks that chimpanzees use. When I say tools I mean rounded rocks with sharp edges. These tools that have been found have been dated back to 2.6 million years ago. (Evolution of Humans) These tools may not seem like much but they are a huge advancement in human evolution. These tools could have been used for many things such as fighting, and also paved the way for better, more advanced tools. Our third species on the journey from ape to man is known as Homo erectus. Homo erectus was far more advanced than Homo habilis. Instead of just pebbles with sharp edges, Homo erectus had crude, leaf shaped stone axes that dated back to as old as 1.5 million years ago. (Evolution of