A Journey through Time: The Evolution of Human Development as Told by Paleoanthropology

Introduction

From the moment paleoanthropology took root as a field, it has been telling some amazing stories about human development. Arguably, paleoanthropology is one of the most important fields of science in understanding who we are as humans. But, what exactly is paleoanthropology, and how has it helped us to shape our understandings about human development?

What is Paleoanthropology?

Paleoanthropology is a field of anthropology that is entirely focused on studying the evolution of early humans and, more generally, the hominin family tree. That means that experts in this field are tasked with looking at the multiple pathways of hominin species from earlier periods to contemporary humans. The data examined to make hypotheses about early humans — who they were, what they thought, how they communicated — comes from centuries worth of paleontological studies, including those of skeletal material, ancient tools, fossils, and archaeological findings.

The Evolution of Human Development

There are many different species in the hominin family tree that paleoanthropologists have been able to glean information from — from Ardipithecus in Ethiopia from 4.4 million years ago all the way to modern humans. Hominin refers to the evolutionary lineage that emerged after splitting from chimpanzees.

Over the centuries, paleoanthropologists have recommended life hypotheses regarding what early humans could have potentially experienced and calculated the most compelling data they have. For example, one of the most definitive hypotheses on our hunter-gatherer ancestors is that they subsisted on wild game and plants, an idea born due to stone tool discoveries found at the same archaeological sites as remnants of prey consumed by early humans.

The First Major Breakthrough in Human Evolution – Australopithecines

The first australopithecine ever discovered, the Taung Child, dates back to nearly 2-3 million years ago. Australopithecines have many characteristics in common with humans in the anthropoid prime. For instance; many of our fundamental features developed such as hand dexterity, which was necessary for evolving pivotal tools. Australopithecines had a human-like heel bone, however, still had an archaic evolution which was ape-like.

In summary, some paleoanthropologists have concluded that australopithecines were capable of swaying upright, allowing for better exploration and making them a more worthwhile chase for any would-be predators. These creatures lay a significant foundation for modern human evolution.

The Neanderthals and Early Humans

Study has documented more than fifteen different species belonging from a hominin family tree leading from modern flora and fauna to apes, overtimes.

The first known species of fossils resembling us was the Homo erectus. They evolved from a group of earlier humans known as Homo habilis. These extended skulls and brains offered subsequent humans with more sophisticated socializing and problem-solving abilities.

After these groups of early people evolved, the next intelligence benchmark that we can point back to is Neanderthals, which roughly translate back to around 600,000 years ago.

Neanderthals’ brains were the same size as our modern human counterparts and had the social system that formed beyond survival techniques. They favored using specific motifs on ready-to-hand items such as hides for baggage or teepee to signify their clan name. Arguably some language-related hypotheses say that men’s brains’ right sides rested more relaxed which lent them better problem-solving and splicing consciousness.

Conclusion

In summary, a guide through the many discovered quirks and chasms within early human life, discovered by paleoanthropology is a fascinating journey through time. Consequently, paleoanthropologists ceaselessly reveal new findings ultimately; the belief presently is that no single group of mind shared by humans dominated by the rest in evolutionary understanding making early people such an interesting subject to study. Only research will allow us deeper understanding into our ancient past.