Modern version of the origin of man. How did people appear on Earth? When did the first man appear

Anthropogenesis- the process of historical development, human evolution from the moment of the emergence of ancestral forms - hominids until the present existence of the species Homo sapiens. Anthropogenesis factors: changes in habitat, use of tools, fire, speech. It is believed that the ancestors of humans are primates. Representatives of this order appeared about 70 million years ago at the end of the Mesozoic era. The scheme accepted by most scientists suggests that Homo sapiens is currently the only representative of the genus Homo and the family Hominidae. This family, together with the family of pongidae, or apes, (Pongidae: chimpanzees, gorilla and orangutan) and gibbons (Hilobatidae), are combined into the superfamily hominoids, or anthropoids (Hominoidea) of the order Primates.
Evidence of human origin from animals: the presence of rudimentary organs (appendix, highly developed ears), the appearance of atavisms (the appearance of a tail, strong development of body hair, additional nipples). The ancestral home of humanity is East Africa. Family ties between humans and great apes are also revealed when comparing their karyotypes. Chimpanzees, gorilla and orangutan have 48 chromosomes in the diploid set, and humans have 46. The results of the study of amino acid and nucleotide sequences confirm the closeness of humans with apes, especially chimpanzees and gorilla. Thus, the differences in their nucleotide sequences do not exceed 1%. Chimpanzees and humans have the same blood group antigens, and blood of the corresponding group can be transfused from individuals of one species to individuals of another.
Stages of anthropogenesis:
. formation of the genus Homo;
. evolution of the genus Homo to modern humans;
. evolution of modern man.
The first stage represents purely biological evolution; at the second stage, social evolution is also connected to the biological one, which becomes dominant at the third stage.
Possible diagram of phyletic relationships between human ancestors. The common ancestor of Australopithecines and the genus Homo is A. afarus, the skeleton of which was discovered in Kenya, Ethiopia and Tanzania. The antiquity of the finds dates back to 4-2.8 million years. He walked on two legs. The brain volume was 380-450 cm3, which corresponds approximately to the brain volume of a modern chimpanzee. A. afarus gave rise to the genus Homo, and also continued the branch of Australopithecus, the next in which was the species A. africanus (South African australopithecus). He had an upright posture, brain mass was 450-550 g with a total weight of 25-65 kg. A. africanus had similarities in the structure of the dental system compared to humans: small fangs, teeth arranged in the form of a wide arc (this indicates omnivory). At the location of their skeletons, animal bones were found, and in particular skulls, split by heavy objects on the left side. This suggests that Australopithecines were mostly right-handed. A. africanus is a highly specialized lineage, the last of which was A. robustus, which became extinct about 1 million years ago. The first representative of the genus Homo was H. habiens (homo habilis), who lived approximately 2 million years ago. He knew how to handle stones and, consciously using his hand, made subtle manipulations, the mass of his brain was 600-800 g, he had 4 curves of the spine and changes in the pelvic area. The big toe was not moved to the side, which indicates that the changes associated with upright posture were completed. The next representative of the genus Homo was H. erectus or Archanthropus (Homo erectus - Pithecanthropus, Sinanthropus). The brain mass of archanthropes was 800-1000 g, which clearly exceeds the minimum brain mass (750 g) at which speech is possible. Archanthropes have mastered a large area of ​​territory without obvious morphological changes, which indicates the presence of social evolution (building dwellings, clothing, etc.). The first ancient people were Neanderthals, their brain volume was 1400-1450 cm3, speech was at an embryonic stage. The first modern people, the Cro-Magnons, existed for some time in parallel with the Neanderthals. Their height reached 180 cm, brain volume up to 1600 cm3, the skull had a high forehead, a developed chin protuberance, and developed speech.
Anthropomorphoses: upright walking, formation of an arched foot, the appearance of more massive lower limbs compared to the upper, expansion of the pelvic bones, the appearance of an S-shaped spine, the formation of an expanded chest, the formation of a hand with an opposable thumb, capable of small movements.
The spread of human populations across the planet led to the emergence of races as an adaptation to life in specific environmental conditions. There are three large races - Caucasoid, Mongoloid, Negroid.

Many of us have at least once in our lives wondered how a person appeared. No less interesting is the mystery of the origin of the Earth. No one has been able to completely remove the veil from these secrets. Philosophers have pondered these topics for centuries. To date, neither thinkers nor scientists have provided 100% proof of any theory that explains where people came from on Earth. There are many assumptions, but let’s try to identify four main groups of hypotheses.

Evolution theory

How did man appear according to this theory? It is believed to have evolved from great apes. The gradual transformation of the species occurred under the influence of natural selection. There are four stages of this process:

  • The period of existence of Australopithecines (an alternative name is “southern apes”). They had already mastered walking upright, were able to manipulate various objects in their hands, and built herd relationships. The weight of Australopithecines was approximately thirty to forty kilograms, and their height was 1.2-1.3 meters.
  • Pithecanthropus (ancient man). In addition to all the above characteristics, the ability to make fire and handle it appeared. The shape of the facial skeleton and skull still had apelike features.
  • Neanderthal (ancient man). The general structure of the skeleton was almost the same as that of modern humans, but the skull had some differences.
  • Modern man. Appeared during the Late Paleolithic period (from seventy to thirty-five thousand years ago).

Flaws

The inconsistency of the theory discussed above lies in the following: scientists have not been able to explain how more complex forms of life were formed due to mutations. The catch is that as a result of mutation, individual genes are damaged, therefore, the quality of the new form decreases. No useful result of this process has yet been found.

Guests from other planets

This version of how man appeared is based on the assumption of external intervention in the course of development of our planet. The leading role in the theory under consideration is given to extraterrestrial civilizations. It was thanks to them that people appeared. Simply put, the first man on Earth was a direct descendant of an alien. There are other options. Among the most common are the following:

  • Homo sapiens arose thanks to the possibilities of genetic engineering.
  • The first people appeared in a homuncular way (in a test tube).
  • The evolutionary development of life on Earth is controlled by a higher mind.

Theory of creation

How were people born according to this hypothesis? Man was created by God himself out of nothing, or the material used was not biological (if we take creationism into account). According to the most famous biblical version, the first people - Eve and Adam - appeared from clay. Representatives of other nations and beliefs have their own versions on this matter. None of them require proof. The main argument is faith.

Some modern theological movements consider a variation of evolutionary theory, adjusted to the fact that the first man on Earth appeared from a monkey, but by the will of God.

Spatial Anomaly Theory

How did man appear according to this hypothesis? It is somewhat reminiscent of evolutionary, but has its own characteristics. Thus, the presence of both random factors and a specific program for the development of life is allowed. There is a humanoid triad (aura, matter and energy) or spatial anomaly. The latter includes such an element as anthropogenesis. It is argued that the biosphere of humanoid universes develops according to a standard scenario at the level of information substance (aura). Under favorable conditions, the emergence of a humanoid mind occurs.

Read more about one of the common theories

Most conservative scientists argue that our earliest ancestors were small arboreal animals, somewhat reminiscent of modern tupai. They inhabited the Earth at least sixty-five million years ago, during the extinction of the dinosaurs. About fifty million years ago, highly organized animals similar to monkeys appeared. Over time, the development of one of the groups of primates followed a special path, which led to the emergence of apes twenty-five million years ago.

Today, most of the one hundred and eighty primate groups live in tropical or subtropical regions. But it was not always so. About fifty million years ago, the climate on our planet was much warmer, so the ancestors of modern apes occupied much larger territories.

Features of life in trees

Early primates perfectly mastered the art of tree climbing. To successfully live at altitude, they had to learn to thoroughly cling to branches and correctly judge distances. The first property was developed thanks to movable fingers, and the second - with the participation of forward-facing eyes, providing so-called binocular vision.

The incredible story of "Lucy"

D. Johansen, an American anthropologist, managed to make one very important discovery in 1974. He conducted excavations in Ethiopia and discovered the remains of a female of the aforementioned “southern monkeys.” They began to call her "Lucy". The height of the young female was about one meter. "Lucy's" teeth and brain bore many similarities to those of apes. Nevertheless, it is assumed that she moved on her own two, albeit crooked, legs. Before this discovery, scientists were sure that the “southern apes” lived on our planet about 2 million years ago. As for the remains of “Lucy,” their age is 3-3.6 million years. Thus, it became known that these creatures lived on Earth more than a million years earlier.

The Man Who Never Lived

In 1912, near Piltdown (England, Sussex), archaeologists discovered several fragments of the skull and a broken facial bone of our distant ancestor. The unusual find aroused unprecedented public interest. However, after some time, experts began to doubt the value of the find. This is why bone age testing was initiated in 1953. Nobody expected such a result. It turned out that the jaw bone belonged to an orangutan who lived five centuries earlier, and parts of the skull belonged to modern humans. All the remains were simply coated with a special composition, and the teeth were skillfully filed down so that they took on a prehistoric appearance. The "Joker" was never found.

A detailed examination of evolutionary processes and their results

The story of human origins goes like this: In the beginning, evolution didn't happen all that fast. Almost seven million years passed from the appearance of our first ancestor to the development of the skill of making cave paintings. However, as soon as the “thinking man” thoroughly settled on Earth, he began to rapidly develop all kinds of abilities. Thus, only one hundred thousand years separate us from the above-mentioned rock art. Currently, humans represent the dominant form of life on the planet. We were even able to leave Earth and began to explore space.

Now it is difficult to imagine what our descendants will be like in a hundred thousand years. One thing is clear: they will be completely different. By the way, we have generally changed quite a lot over the past four centuries. For example, the armor of fifteenth-century knights would barely fit a modern soldier. The average height of a warrior of those times was 160 cm. And the current supermodel would hardly wear the dress of her great-great-grandmother, who had a waist of 45 cm and a height 30 cm shorter. As scientists note, if evolutionary processes continue to develop in the same direction, our faces will become flatter and our jaws will become smaller. Our brain will become larger, and we ourselves will become taller.

Unbearable heat

According to data obtained in the course of recent research, ancient people mastered upright walking in order to save themselves from overheating. Four million years ago, walking on two legs on the hot African plains was much more comfortable. Among the main advantages is the following: the rays of the sun fell only on the head of the one who walked upright. Well, those who continued to move with their back bent overheated much more. People who began to walk on two legs sweated less intensely, therefore, they did not need as much water to survive. This allowed man to surpass other animals in the constant struggle for existence.

Hairline

The development of upright walking had other significant consequences. Thus, the bipedal creature no longer needed to have such extensive and thick hair, which previously protected its back from the merciless sun. As a result, only the head remained protected by hair. Thus, our ancestors became the notorious “naked apes.”

Blessed coolness

By starting to walk on two legs, our ancestor seemed to have opened one of the important “evolutionary doors.” Taking an upright posture, he moved significantly away from the ground, and therefore from the heat that it emitted. For this reason, the brain began to overheat much less. The cool breeze, blowing one or two meters above the ground, further cooled the body. For the above reasons, the brain became larger and more active.

Where did the first man appear?

Scientists have found and continue to find the remains of ancient people in various places on the planet. Some of the most widely known excavations took place in a valley near the German village of Neander. Similar remains were later discovered in France and other countries. Due to the fact that the finds near Neander were the most complete and interesting, our most ancient ancestors began to be called Neanderthals.

Where did the first modern man appear? Previously, scientists believed that this happened in the eastern part of Africa, but later a version appeared about the southern regions. Genetic studies of representatives of indigenous African tribes helped to draw conclusions that refuted the original theory. However, such conclusions are in conflict with modern archaeological data, since the most ancient remains of anatomically modern humans were found in eastern Africa - on the territory of such modern countries as Kenya, Tanzania and Ethiopia. In addition, the currently available information allows us to conclude that the population of the above states is characterized by the greatest genetic variability when compared with representatives of other regions of the planet. This fact gives us the right to consider Africa the starting point of all waves of human spread across the Earth.

Conclusion

Questions about how many years ago man appeared and where exactly this happened still excite the minds of both scientists and ordinary people. There are many versions, and each of them has the right to exist. Unfortunately, over time it becomes more and more difficult to get to the bottom of the truth, since the years inexorably erase evidence of the past from the face of the Earth...

Theories about the origin of man appear more and more often, each time becoming more complex and interesting. This question has been relevant for many thousands of years. Even before our era, people tried to find out about the nature of their origin. Perhaps they managed to achieve their goal, but this does not matter, because the knowledge has not reached us. In any case, most people think so, including you and me. We propose to consider the 10 most interesting and most likely theories regarding how man appeared on Earth.


10 theories about human origins

Only one theory, Darwin's, about the origin of man is currently recognized. Of course, no one can reliably say that we came from monkeys. There are simply more facts pointing to this:

  • Primates are most similar to humans in terms of anatomy;
  • Darwin noticed similarities in the expression of emotions;
  • facial expressions, gestures, movements are similar;
  • We are similar not only in brain, teeth, blood, but also in the psychology of behavior.

According to his theory, people evolved from monkeys, leaving distant ancestors behind beyond the boundaries of civilization. A colossal amount of research is currently being conducted. Filmmakers have already released the film “Planet of the Apes,” which talks about the war between primates and humans. Probably, until this issue is resolved, people will not stop abusing animals.


Along with Darwin's theory there is an aquatic theory about the origin of man. It indicates that people came out of the seas. What facts indicate this?

  1. 70-80% of the human body consists of water;
  2. The underwater world has not been explored;
  3. About 90% of the ocean is unexplored;
  4. Dolphins are similar to humans almost like monkeys;

Indeed, dolphins know about 14,000 signals. They are able to communicate and save people. In history there has not been a single case of attack by this animal. Dolphins are not fish, as they are warm-blooded and breathe oxygen. You can learn more interesting things from the article “10 facts about dolphins” on our portal.


The theory of the origin of man as a result of the Big Bang is quite complex. We will not go into the scientific explanation of all the chains of interaction between atoms and molecules (if only because we do not understand). In general, something went wrong and a celestial body exploded, as a result of which molecules and atoms began to move so chaotically that people appeared. Perhaps everything is completely wrong or partially, but the essence is the same - this theory does not explain at all why we appeared. If this is a coincidence, then it is very difficult to believe that such advanced and complex organisms could arise as a result of an explosion. One hair consists of a colossal number of atoms.


Many believe that we are not the only race in the Universe. Probably the creators of the Transformers franchise are among such people. In general, there is a hypothesis about the origin of man from aliens. Some people think that we were brought in a test tube and populated the Earth. Others believe that we are children of UFOs. Still others believe that we are being exploited by aliens. It’s as if we are slaves, so we don’t know the meaning of life. Probably, in this way they simply explain the misunderstanding of their nature. However, it is not for us to judge whether this is a fairy tale or reality.

How man appeared: myths about the Gods

When talking about the origin of man, one cannot fail to mention religion. Perhaps the answer is in the Bible. Since time immemorial, the book has been passed down from old people to their heirs. At the same time, one truth can be seen among different peoples, calling to value their neighbors, do good and not commit sins. And most importantly, the Lord created us. We do not encourage you to choose a religion; we do not intend to offend the feelings of believers. In this article we only emphasize that one of the most popular theories of origin is the belief in God.


In my opinion, the most interesting theory of human origin. It says that evolution is nothing more than “dust in the eyes” of modern society. In fact, there were civilizations and developed technologies before us. We just don’t understand them, since knowledge was lost along with the Apocalypse. Our predecessors may have known the answers, but something happened. How else can we explain the fact that pyramids have existed on Earth for a huge number of years? Moreover, they are arranged end to end. Even current technologies do not allow the creation of such structures. Not to mention that inside the pyramids there is a favorable atmosphere for the development of plants. They do not contain viruses and microbes. Amazing, isn't it?


It is quite difficult to explain this hypothesis. Briefly speaking about how man appeared, it is worth highlighting the following assumptions:

  • thoughts materialize;
  • our dreams are sent to the center of the Universe, after which they return to our world, materializing;
  • there is invisible energy;
  • everything we come up with exists, but in other realities.

Thus, this hypothesis says that all previous theories are real. That is, every law and assumption is a partial truth. Moreover, parallel worlds are different segments of the time line. It's difficult, isn't it?


Another complicated theory. According to this hypothesis, there are several worlds. Some scientists indicate the number 9, others 3. Someone believes that there are countless parallel worlds. Imagine there is a time machine. Now you are reading this text (captured the picture). After some time, we traveled back in time and went for a walk. What about the story when you read the text? According to this theory, all time periods are fixed. With your journey you have created 2 stories. One of them is in one world, the second in another.

In general, another complex theory, in which a certain logic is still visible.


Perhaps the most modern theory about the origin of man. What if the world is a game? Osho, Khayyam, many successful people said to treat life as a game, a performance. Maybe they wanted us to take these phrases literally? Imagine that all emotions, our conclusions and views are a built-in program. This brings to mind the movie "The Matrix". Imagine that everything in the world is fiction, a game in which we only carry out our tasks. In such a case there is no fate. All this is a cold calculation of the creators. It's hard to believe, but a certain essence is visible.

10


Carlos Castaneda studied the “Art of Dreaming” for a long time with a shaman named Don Juan Matos. According to his theory, sleep is an integral part of life. It is as real as our reality. It also talks about parallel worlds and the materialization of thoughts.

The point is this. The creator, the center of the universe, or god laid down the program. Our task is to study, learn new things, discover knowledge and create something unprecedented. After death, all our knowledge, along with memory, goes to the creator. This is the essence of our existence. This is why man appeared. You can find out more by reading the works of Carlos.

State educational institution

secondary vocational education

Novokuybyshevsk State College of Humanities and Technology

Report on the topic:

Theories of the origin of man on Earth

Kuznetsova Yulia Olegovna

Anthropogenesis. The origin of man as a biological species

A) Evolutionary theory

B) Creationism

B) The theory of external intervention

D) Theory of spatial anomalies

Main stages of human evolution

1.Australopithecus

2. Pithecanthropus

3.Palaanthropus

4. Neoanthropus

Human ancestral home

List of used literature


ANTHROPOGENESIS. ORIGIN OF HUMAN AS A BIOLOGICAL SPECIES

Every person, as soon as he began to realize himself as an individual, was visited by the question “where did we come from?” Despite the fact that the question sounds absolutely banal, there is no single answer to it. However, this problem - the problem of the emergence and development of man - is dealt with by the science of anthropology, which identifies such a concept as anthropogenesis.

Anthropogenesis is the process of separating humans from the animal world. Until recently, there was only one theory of the emergence of man - Darwinian, but, as a person living in real time, I cannot help but point out alternative theories that have appeared recently. It should be noted that there are a number of different theories, but the main ones are as follows.


1) Evolutionary theory

Evolutionary theory suggests that humans evolved from higher primates - great apes - through gradual modification under the influence of external factors and natural selection.

The evolutionary theory of anthropogenesis has an extensive range of diverse evidence - paleontological, archaeological, biological, genetic, behavioral, cultural, psychological and others. However, much of this evidence can be interpreted ambiguously, allowing opponents of evolutionary theory to challenge it. However, below I will more fully consider this particular theory, despite the fact that it is much more pleasant to realize that you came from God, or at least from a “stray humanoid,” than that your ancestor was something that is now swings on the vines, chews bananas and makes faces... But let's get back to the theories...

2) Theory of creation (creationism)

This theory states that man was created by God, the gods, or divine power out of nothing or from some non-biological material. The most famous biblical version is that the first people - Adam and Eve - were created from clay. This version has more ancient Egyptian roots and a number of analogues in the myths of other peoples.

Orthodox theology considers the theory of creation to be self-evident. However, various evidence has been put forward for this theory, the most important of which is the similarity of myths and legends of different peoples telling about the creation of man. Modern theology uses the latest scientific data to prove the theory of creation, which, however, for the most part do not contradict the theory of evolution. Some currents of modern theology bring creationism closer to evolutionary theory, believing that man evolved from apes through gradual modification, but not as a result of natural selection, but by the will of God or in accordance with a divine program.

3) External intervention theory

According to this theory, the appearance of people on Earth is, one way or another, connected with the activities of other civilizations. In its simplest form, TVV considers humans to be direct descendants of aliens who landed on Earth in prehistoric times.

More complex TVV options involve:

a) crossing of aliens with the ancestors of people;

b) the creation of Homo sapiens using genetic engineering methods;

c) the creation of the first people in a homuncular way;

d) control of the evolutionary development of earthly life by the forces of extraterrestrial superintelligence;

e) the evolutionary development of earthly life and intelligence according to a program originally laid down by extraterrestrial superintelligence.

There are other, to varying degrees, fantastic hypotheses of anthropogenesis related to the theory of external intervention.

4) Theory of spatial anomalies

Followers of this theory interpret anthropogenesis as an element of the development of a stable spatial anomaly - the humanoid triad “Matter-Energy-Aura”, characteristic of many planets of the Earthly Universe and its analogues in parallel spaces. TPA assumes that in humanoid universes on most habitable planets, the biosphere develops along the same path, programmed at the level of the Aura - information substance. Given favorable conditions, this path leads to the emergence of a humanoid mind of the earth type.

In general, the interpretation of anthropogenesis in TPA does not have significant differences with evolutionary theory. However, TPA recognizes the existence of a certain program for the development of life and intelligence, which, along with random factors, controls evolution.

So, let's return to the first theory, according to which anthropogenesis - the process of separating man from the animal world - went through, according to most researchers, four main stages.


MAIN STAGES OF HUMAN EVOLUTION

· Time of successive existence of anthropoid ancestors of humans (Australopithecus),

· The most ancient people: Pithecanthropus or the most ancient man, or Proteranthropus or Archanthropus.

· Neanderthal, or ancient man, or paleoanthrope.

· Modern people (neoanthropes).

Australopithecus

Australopithecus or "southern apes" - highly organized, upright primates, are considered to be the original forms in the human ancestry. Australopithecines inherited many properties from their arboreal ancestors, the most important of which were the ability and desire to handle objects with their hands in a variety of ways (manipulation) and the high development of herd relations. They were completely terrestrial creatures, relatively small in size - on average body length 120-130 cm, weight 30-40 kg. Their characteristic feature, as I noted above, was a bipedal gait and an upright body position, as evidenced by the structure of the pelvis, skeleton of the limbs and skull. Free upper limbs made it possible to use sticks, stones, etc. The brain section of the skull was relatively large in size, and the facial part was shortened. The teeth were small, densely spaced, without diastemas, with a tooth pattern characteristic of humans. They lived on open plains such as savannas.

Judging by the discovery of Louis Leakey (Zinjanthropus Boyes), the age of Australopithecus is 1.75 million years.

Pithecanthropus

For the first time, fossil remains of ancient people, called archanthropes, were discovered by the Dutchman E. Dubois on the island. Java in 1890. But only in 1949, thanks to the discovery near Beijing of 40 individuals of ancient people along with their stone tools (referred to as synanthropes), scientists agreed that it was the ancient people who were the intermediate “missing link” in the human ancestry. The archanthropes already knew how to use fire, thereby standing a step higher than their predecessors. Pithecanthropus are erect creatures, of medium height and dense build, which, however, have retained many ape-like features, both in the shape of the skull and in the structure of the facial skeleton. In synanthropes, the initial stage of chin development has already been noted. Judging by the finds, the age of the oldest people is from 50 thousand to 1 million years...

Paleoanthropus

We have the opportunity to judge the culture of paleoanthropus from numerous Mousterian sites. The Mousterian culture, in relation to the previous one, was more advanced both in processing technology and the use of tools, and in the variety of their shapes, the thoroughness of processing and production purposes. Neanderthals were people of average height, strong, massive build, and in general skeletal structure they were closer to modern man. The volume of the braincase ranged from 1200 cm/cube to 1800 cm/cube, although the shape of their skull differed from the skull of a modern person. In my opinion, the biggest inconsistency in evolutionary theory is precisely the period of the Neanderthals. How to explain such a sharp dissimilarity in the appearance of a Neanderthal and Homo sapiens? And what could have caused the sudden disappearance of paleoanthropes? How could it happen that ancient people, creators of a fairly high material culture, to some extent close to us in the manifestation of their intellect and emotions, suddenly so quickly and “mysteriously” disappeared from the face of the Earth, giving way to neanthropic Cro-Magnons... etc .d. and so on.

Neoanthropus

The appearance of modern humans dates back to the beginning of the Late Paleolithic (70-35 thousand years ago). It is associated with a powerful leap in the development of productive forces, the formation of a tribal society and a consequence of the process of completing the biological evolution of Homo sapiens. Neoanthropes were tall people, proportionally built. The average height of men is 180-185 cm, women - 163-160 cm. Cro-Magnons were distinguished by their long legs due to the long length of their lower legs. A powerful torso, a wide chest, highly developed muscle relief - an impressive characteristic, isn’t it?

Neoanthropes are multi-layered sites and settlements, flint and bone tools, and residential structures. This includes a complex burial ritual, jewelry, the first masterpieces of fine art, etc.

The distribution area of ​​neoanthropes is unusually extensive - they appeared in various geographical areas, settled across all continents and climatic zones. They lived everywhere where a person could live.

This question has always worried both scientists and ordinary people. Many scientists still devote their entire lives to studying this question, without finding an exact answer. And although no one knows for sure yet, in the scientific world they accepted as a basis the theory of Darwin, who believed that man evolved from a monkey naturally. However, so far no one has found such evidence of the origin of man from animals that is completely irrefutable.

Darwin's theory

In the modern world, Darwin's theory no longer has the same power as before, but it is still the basis for understanding where man came from.

The question of the origin of animal species is considered by such a science as biology. The origin of man is also a question of concern to this science.

British biologist and geologist Charles Darwin published his book on the Origin of Species in 1859, which is one of the most famous works in the history of the science of biology.

In his book, Darwin outlined a theory on the basis of which he made an assumption about the evolution of living beings. He believed that living beings had evolved over billions of years through natural selection, that is, the strongest survived and adapted to new conditions.

Then, in the book “The Origin of Man and Sexual Selection,” he tried to substantiate the theory of Georges-Louis de Buffon, who suggested that the first people on Earth appeared due to evolutionary processes. After Darwin published this work, it was recognized by the entire scientific world.

Darwin's descendants, followers of his school - Darwinists, then declared that man descended from the monkey. This opinion is today considered to be the only correct scientific explanation of what the origin of man was. There is still no scientific refutation of this theory.

Scientists believe that the first people on Earth appeared about 7 million years ago from ancient monkeys. Of course, there are also antagonists to this statement. The further evolution of man took place in a very complex way, leaving the right to life only to more advanced species.

Australopithecus

Australopithecus is considered the first link in the human evolutionary chain. In the Republic of Chad, remains of this species were found that are more than 6 million years old. The youngest Australopithecus was found in South Africa. No more than 900 thousand years have passed since his death. Of all the links found in human evolution, this species existed for the longest period of time.

Australopithecines have distinct features of both human and ape-like creatures. Their height was up to one and a half meters, and their weight ranged from 30 to 50 kg. The absence of large fangs suggests that they could not use them as weapons, therefore, they ate more plant foods than meat. They would not be able to kill large animals, so they hunted small animals or picked up already dead creatures.

These primates were able to use primitive tools that did not need to be made: stones, branches, etc. Based on this, Australopithecus is called “a skilled man.”

Pithecanthropus

The life of the first people on Earth was clearly not easy, given their poor adaptability to simply survival.

The first remains of this species of ape were found on the island of Java, which is located in South Asia. This species existed on planet Earth approximately 1 million years ago. During the same period, Australopithecines completely disappeared. About 400 thousand years ago, Pithecanthropus also became extinct.

Thanks to the found remains, from which it was possible to determine the structure of the skeleton, scientists suggest that this species almost always walked on two legs, for which it was nicknamed “Homo erectus.” This was found out due to the fact that the femur of such a primate is very similar to a human one.

Their tools were also found during excavations. They cannot be described as masters of this craft, but the Pithecanthropes already at that time understood that sharp sticks and stones were more suitable for hunting and cutting food than untreated wood and cobblestones.

In addition, scientists believe that they managed to learn to coexist peacefully with fire. That is, they were not as afraid of it as other animals, but they still did not know how to get it on their own.

Pithecanthropus did not yet know how to speak and communicated with similar primates at the level of ordinary ancient monkeys.

They are often associated with another branch of evolution - synanthropes, which existed at the same time. Scientists believe that they were similar to each other and led a similar lifestyle.

Neanderthal

Neanderthals existed in Europe and Western Asia for hundreds of thousands of years, isolated from other lineages of great apes.

For the most part, Neanderthals were carnivores and ate meat. To do this, they had huge jaws, which did not protrude forward, like more ancient primates. They even hunted very large animals: mammoths, ancient rhinoceroses, etc.

The brain volume was the same as that of modern humans, although scientists suggest that in some groups of individuals it was even larger.

Due to the fact that they lived during the Ice Age, these apes were well adapted to survive in a cold environment. In addition, they had very broad shoulders, pelvis, and well-developed muscles.

About 40 thousand years ago, Neanderthals as a species of apes began to sharply die out. And 28 thousand years ago there was not a single living representative of this species left. Their extinction is associated with another link in human evolution - the Cro-Magnons, who could hunt and kill them.

Cro-Magnon

Representatives of this species are called “modern man.” Modern man, especially representatives of the Caucasian races, is considered completely identical to the late Cro-Magnons.

The found remains of Cro-Magnons tell us that representatives of the early species were as tall as a tall modern man (about 187 centimeters) and had a large skull.

Cro-Magnons already knew how to express their thoughts with characteristic sounds, which is associated with the appearance of speech. They were all divided into hunters and gatherers, each using stone tools.

Later representatives of the Cro-Magnons already skillfully used fire and built primitive kilns in which pottery was fired. Scientists also suggest that they could use coal for these purposes.

They also progressed quite far in creating clothing that both protected them from the bites of wild animals and helped them keep warm in the cold seasons.

The feature that distinguishes this species among all early apes is the emergence of such a concept as art. The Cro-Magnons lived in caves and left in them various drawings of animals or some life events.

Due to the fact that the number of different types of activities began to grow rapidly, more and more differences appeared between the arms and legs. For example, the thumb on the hand developed more and more, with which Cro-Magnons were able to hold heavy tools as easily as small objects.

Homo sapiens

This species is the prototype of modern humans. It appeared about 28 thousand years ago, as evidenced by the finds of the most ancient people.

Even then, our ancestors learned to express their emotions in coherent speech and increasingly improved their social relationships with each other.

Different climates and weather conditions entailed the formation of different traits of a particular race that lived on different continents. It was about 20 thousand years ago that three different races began to appear: Caucasoid, Negroid and Mongoloid.

Thus, in a very condensed form, one can express the Darwinian evolutionary chain, which can describe the origin of man.

Thanks to scientific research, human genes are 91% similar to chimpanzees.

Refutations of Darwin's theory and the teachings of his followers

Despite the fact that this theory is the foundation for all modern science about man, there are also findings by various researchers that refute the generally accepted understanding of the scientific world about where the first people on Earth came from.

The found footprints, which are more than 3.5 million years old, prove that anthropoid individuals began to move on straight legs much earlier than primitive labor appeared.

The evolution of man, associated with descent from apes, is unclear if we ask the question about human limbs. Why are people's arms much weaker than their legs, while the opposite is true for monkeys? What contributed to the weakening of the limbs, since strong hands are clearly more useful for hunting and other work, is not clear.

To date, all the links that could completely unite the ancient monkey with modern man have not been found.

In addition, there is a whole series of incomprehensible questions and facts that cannot be answered using the well-known scientific theory of human origin.

Religious theory of human origins

Every religion that has survived to this day says that man appeared thanks to a higher being. Proponents of this theory do not believe in all the evidence of the origin of man from animals that exists today. For example, Christians say that man descended from Adam and Eve, the first people whom God created. Everyone also knows the phrase: “God created man in his own image.”

Regardless of the type of religion, they all claim that man was not born naturally, but is a creation of the Almighty. No one has yet found evidence of the origin of man from the Creator.

Creationism

There is such a science as creationism. Scientists who study it are looking for evidence of theories of the origin of man from God and confirmation of information from religious books.

To do this, they use almost sound scientific calculations. For example, they calculated that the ark that Noah built could really accommodate all the animals (about 20 thousand different species), excluding waterfowl.

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