Human Evolution

The fossil evidences clearly indicates that origin of man occurred in

Central Asia, China, Africa and India. Dryopithecus is one of the oldest fossil which in
turn evolved into apes and man
For the sake of convenience, the origin and evolution of man can be
categorized into 3 major headings:
 Prior to apes-man
 Apes man including pre-historic man
 True men including living modern man

A schematic representation of evolution of man. Age and cranial capacity are also
given.
Homo sapiens sapiens
(25000 years, 1300 – 1600 c.c, average 1450 c.c)

True man, including Homo sapiens fossilis

living modern man (34000 years, 1650 c.c)

GAP Homo sapiens neanderthalensis

(50,000 years) (1L – 40,000 years, 1400 c.c)

Homo erectus
(1.5 mya, 900 c.c)

Apes man, including Homo habilis

pre-historic man (2 mya, 650-800 c.c)

A. robustus
A. boisei

Australopithecus africanus
(5 mya, 500 c.c)

GAP
9-10 mya

Ramapithecus
(14-15 mya)

Prior to Apes Man

Dryopithecus africanus Apes

(15 mya)
 1. Prior to apes man
Dryopithecus africanus (Pithecus = apes)
 The fossils of Dryopithecus africanus was discovered from Miocene rocks of
Africa and Europe.
 It lived about 15 mya.
 It was more ape-like
 Hairy body
 Walked-like gorilla and chimpanzee
 It was arboreal
 Mostly knuckle-walker (quadrupedal walking)
 Ate soft fruits and leaves
 Was regarded as a common ancestor of man and all great apes.
Ramapithecus
 Ramapithecus was evolved from Dryopithecus in late Miocene epoch (Rama =
The hero of Indian legend)
 It survived from late Miocene to Pliocene epoch, around 14-15 mya.
 Fossil was discovered by Edward Lewis from Pliocene rocks of Shivalik Hills of
India
 It was more man-like
 Hairy body
 Walked-like gorilla and chimpanzee
 Its small canines and large molars suggest that Ramapithecus ate hard nuts and
seeds like modern man
Kenyapithecus wickeri
 Kenyapithecus was discovered by L.S.B. Leakey from Pliocene rocks of Kenya,
Africa.
 Similar to Ramapithecus
 Ramapithecus was older than Kenyapithecus
 There is a gap of about 9-10 million years in Ramapithecus and apes-man
 2. Apes-man (Including Pre-historic man)

Australopithecus (First Apes Man)

 The early human stock gave rise to Australopithecus, the first apes man.
 The fossils of Australopithecus africanus (first African apes man) was discovered
by African anthropologist, Raymond Dart (1924), from Pliocene rocks near
Tuang in Africa. The skull excavated was of 5-6 year old baby, so called “Tuang
baby”.
 Lived about 5 mya.
 Probably lived in East African grass lands.
 Australopithecus africanus also gave rise to man-like apes called A. robustus and
A. boisei along a separate line that ended blindly (did not give rise to any other
creatures).
 6 species of Australopithecus are known. These are A. africanus (African apes
man , Tuang baby), A. afarensis (Lucy, female human ancestor), A. ramidus, A.
aethiopicus, A. robustus and A. boisei
Characteristic Features:
 About 1.5 m high
 Had human and ape like characteristics
 Had human-like teeth, omnivorous diet (essentially ate fruits), bipedal
locomotion, and erect posture
 More ape-like brain, brow ridges projected over the eyes and have no chin
 Brain capacity was about 500 c.c, similar to that of apes.
 Australopithecus africanus gave rise to Homo habilis

Homo habilis (Able / Skillful man / The Tool Maker / Handy Man)

 The fossils discovered by L.S.B. Leakey and his wife Mary Leakey (1960) from
Pleistocene rocks in East Africa
 Lived about 2 mya
 About 1.2 – 1.5 m tall.
 Bipedal locomotion and erect posture.
 Omnivorous feeders, probably did not eat meat.
  Brain capacity was between 650 – 800 c.c.
Habilis = mentally able / skilful
 Was the first too maker, used tools of chipped stones extensively.
 Also called handy man because heaps of tools, including sharpened stones,
found with their fossils which indicates that Homo habilis was capable of
‘making tools’

Homo erectus (Erect Man)

 Appeared around 1.5 mya in mid Pleistocene epoch.
 H. erectus evolved from Homo habilis.
 About 1.5 – 1.8 m tall
 Males were probably larger than females.
 Erect posture and bipedal locomotion
 Protruding jaws, projecting brow ridges
 Small canines and large molar teeth
 Omnivorous, probably ate meat.
 The cranial capacity was about 900 c.c
 Made more elaborate tools of stones and bones
 Knew use of fire for hunting
 Homo erectus includes 3 sub-species
 Java Apes man
 Peking Man
 Heidelberg Man
1. Java Apes Man
 Discovered from Pleistocene rocks in Central Java (Islands of Indonesia) by
Eugene Dubois, in 1891.
 Named it as Pithecanthropus erectus. (Pithecanthropus means ‘apes-man’)
 Live in caves in small groups or tribes.
 First pre-historic man to make use of fire for hunting, cooking and defence
2. Peking Man
 Fossils of Peking man was discovered by W.C. Pei from the lime stone caves of
Peking, China, hence the name.
  First named as Sinanthropus pekinensis, and now renamed as Homo erectus
pekinensis.
 Live in caves in small groups or tribes
 Tools were relatively more sophisticated.
 Clear evidence of use of fire by them.
3. Heidelberg man
 Excavated from the middle Pleistocene rocks in Heidelberg, Germany.
 Named it as Homo erectus heidelbergensis
 Had lower jaw with all the teeth which were human-like
 Used tools and fire
 Massive jaw was ape-like
There is another gap of about 50,000 years in the fossil records of evolution of
man

3. True man Including Living Modern Man

Neanderthal Man (Homo sapiens neanderthalensis)
 Fossils were first obtained from Neander Valley in Germany from the late
Pleistocene epoch.
 Lived between 1,00,000 – 40,000 years back.
 Had slightly prognathous face.
 Walked upright, receding jaws and high domed head.
 The cranial capacity was 1400 c.c.
 They were legendary cave dwellers.
 Natural caves became campsites that were illuminated and heated by fire.
 Both skilled hunters and true predators
 Omnivorous. Meat as main diet
 Adapted to live to a cold environment.
 Used skin clothes to protect themselves against harsh climate.
 They buried his dead with flowers and tools.
 Had religion.
 It is usually considered that Homo sapiens neanderthalensis did not evolve into
Homo sapiens.
Homo sapiens fossilis (Cro-magnon Man)
 Fossils were first discovered from Cro-magnon rocks of France by MacGregor.
 Cro-magnon man emerged about 34,000 years ago in Holocene epoch.
 Regarded as the most recent ancestor of today’s man. Also, direct ancestors of the
living modern man.
 1.8 m tall and well-built body
 Perfectly orthognathous face with elevated nose, broad and arched forehead,
moderate brow ridges, strong jaws with man-like dentition, and well-developed
chin.
 Cranial capacity was about 1650 c.c, more than ours.
 More intelligent and cultured than the man of today.
 Omnivorous
 Could walk and run faster
 Lived in families in caves
 Made excellent tools and ornaments using stones, bones and elephant tusk.
 Tools include spears, bows and arrows
 Use of skin clothes confirmed.
 Cave paintings and carvings have been discovered.
 Had art and culture

Homo sapiens sapiens (Living Modern Man)

 Appeared around 25,000 years ago in Holocene epoch.
 Started spreading all over the world about 10,000 years ago
 Further evolution of man from Cro-magnon man involves the evolution of culture
rather than that of anatomy.
 A slight raising of skull cap
 Thinning of skull bones
 Formation of 4 curves in the vertebral column
 A slight reduction in cranial capacity (1300-1600 c.c, average about 1450 c.c)
  It is believed that man of today first appeared in the region around Caspian and
Mediterranean seas. Later migrated all over the world
 Pre-historic cave art developed about 18,000 years ago
 Agriculture started around 10,000 years back.
 Has art, culture, language and speech
 Cultivate plants and domesticate animals.

Morphological Changes involved in Evolution of Man

The following are the main morphological changes occurred in the ancestors of
modern man.
 Narrowing and elevation of nose
 Formation of chin
 Reduction of brow ridges
 Flattening of face
 Reduction in body hairs
 Development of curves in the vertebral column for erect posture
 Formation of bowl –like pelvic girdle with broad ilia in support of viscera
 Increase in height
 Attainment of erect posture and bipedal locomotion
 Enlargement and rounding (arching) of cranium
 Increase in brain size and intelligence
 Broadening of forehead

Homology in Chromosomes of Man & Great Apes

 Each human somatic cell contains 46 chromosomes, with 44 autosomes and 2 sex
chromosomes (X and Y)
 Each somatic cells of gorilla, chimpanzee and orangutan has 48 chromosomes.
 A comparative study of the banded chromosomes of man and the great apes has
been done
 The banding pattern of individual human chromosomes (particularly chr. 3, 4, 5
and 6) is very similar to the banding pattern of corresponding chromosomes in
apes.
 It indicates a common origin for man and chimpanzee
Evidences for Common Ancestry of Man & Great Apes
 Evidences in the banding pattern of chromosomes
 Evidences from blood proteins: It has been proved by blood protein tests that
man is most closely related to great apes and next closest, in order, are the old
world monkeys, the new world monkeys and tarsiers.
 Evidences from blood groups: In humans, 4 blood groups A, B, AB and O
occur. The blood groups A and B are found in apes but not in monkeys. This
indicates that human beings are more closely related to apes than to monkeys.
 Evidences from Haemoglobin: There is 99% homology in Hb of man and
gorilla. This suggests that the two are closely related.

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