Human Origins

The popular culture is full of controversy regarding divisions between modern man (as denoted in the professional literature) and extinct precursor species of it. Notwithstanding the sociocultural controversy surrounding Darwin's theory of evolution, scientific investigation of the origins of human beings has evolution at its core.

In the first quarter of the twentieth century, the generally accepted model of explanation for the emergence of the species «MDUL»Homo sapiens«MDNM», distinguished by a greater cranial capacity than its morphological ancestors, revolved around classification of Pleistoscene primate hominid fossils found in various parts of the world. A strict theory of the fully evolved «MDUL»Homo sapiens«MDNM» is based on strict anatomical criteria such as brain size and cranial capacity (1,350 cubic centimeters), rounded forehead, and fully upright posture capacity (Clark, 1955, passim). As more fossils have been uncovered, however, various, competing theories have arisen regarding human origins.

1994, is dated at 4.4 million years and is said to be closer in morphology to apes than «MDNM»humans (Bunney, 1994; Shreeve, 1994). Some sources say that such «MDUL»afarensis«MDNM» specimens prove the existence of altogether distinct species, but others consider them to be stages in the life of the same species (Shreeve, 1994). In either case, «MDUL»Australopithecus«MDNM» is transitional. Dart is credited with the term "predatory transition," to mark the view that intelligent weapon use by the carnivorous «MDUL»Australopithecus«MDNM» preceded the appearance of genus «MDUL»Homo«MDNM» (Ardrey, 1961, pp. 334-5, citing Dart, 1953). However, there are also alternative views, such as that evolving bipedalism enabled the species to care for the young or to select and gather fruit (Begley, 1994, p. 56; Bunney, 1994) or that the evolutionary morphology of «MDUL»Australopithecus afarensis«MDNM» falls somewhere between African ape and human species (Duncan, Kappelman & Shapiro, 1994). In this regard, Abitbol (1995) compares the posture of the Lucy skeleton, which is but the earliest hominid and more precisely not «MDUL»Homo«MDNM» but rather «MDUL»Australopithecus«MDNM», finding that the angle of the Lucy skeleton's spine in its maximal er