Human Evolution Short Note | Evolution Class 12 Notes

In this article we will discuss about Human Evolution :- 1.Apes 2.  Ape man 3. Primitive man and 4. Modern man

  • Humans are evolved by gradual evolution
  • Human originated in east Africa
  • Human evolution started 15 mya

CHANGES OCCURRED IN HUMAN EVOLUTION

  • Left the arboreal life
  • Development of erect posture
  • Bipedal locomotion
  • Increase in the size of brain
  • Development of intelligence
  • Use of for limbs for on locomotory function

STAGES IN ORIGIN OF MAN

  1. Apes
  2. Ape man
  3. Primitive man
  4. Modern man

1. APES

  • 15 mya, primates called dryopithecus and ramapithecus were existing

DRYOPITHECUS

  • Fossils of dryopithecus discovered by LSB Leaky in 1930
  • Dryopithecus is considered as ancestors of modern day apes
  • They had semi erect posture, thick hair, larger and sharper teeth and vegetarian
  • They were forest dwellers and spent most of time on trees

RAMAPITHECUS

  • Fossils discovered from shivalik hills in India
  • Rampithecus is considered as ancestors of man
  • They had man like dentition & spent most of time on land

2. APE MAN

  • This stage is intermediate between apes and men
  • Australopithecus was an ape-man because it combined may characters of ape and man
  • It is 2-5 million years old

AUSTRALOPITHECUS

  • It was discovered by Prof. Raywond Dart
  • Australopithecus probably lived in East African grasslands
  • They hunted with stone weapons but essentially ate fruit
  • They were 4 feet tall and weighed 60-80 pounds
  • It is considered as missing link between apes and man

3. PRIMITIVE MAN

  • Man originated about 5 mya
  • They are connecting link between australopthecus and modern man
  • Mostly lived in caves and used fire
  • They developed speech and buried dead bodies
  • Some important primitive men

i) HOMO HABILIS

  • First human like being
  • First known tool maker
  • They did not eat meat
  • Brain capacities were between 650-800cc
  • Fossils were discovered by Dr. Leakey from rocks in Africa

ii) HOMO ERECTUS

  • Homo erectus was the first true man
  • They had large brain with cranial cavity around 900CC
  • Many subspecies are discovered of Homo erectus as given below

a) JAVA MAN (HOMO ERECTUS ERECTUS)

  • Fossils was discovered in Java in 1891
  • They used fire for hunting, Protection and cooking
  • They used tools of bones and stones
  • Cranial capacity was 800-1000CC

b) PEAKING MAN (HOMO ERECTUS PEKINENSIS)

  • W.C. Pei discovered the fossils from china
  • Cranial capacity was 850-1300CC

4. MODERN MAN

  • Modern man include all the existing men and also some extinct men
  • They appeared 3 mya
  • Modern man originated in Asia around Caspian sea
  • Many subspecies are discovered of homo sapians

i) NEANDERTHAL MAN (HOMO SAPIENS NEANDERTHALENSIS)

  • They lived east and central Asia
  • Fossil was discovered by Fulhrott in Neanderthal valley of Germany
  • They has brain size of 1400CC
  • Developed speech

ii) CRO-MAGNON (HOMO SAPIENS FOSSILIS)

  • Cro-Magnon man was first extinct modern man
  • Fossils discovered by Mac Gregor from Cro-Magnon rocks of France
  • He become extinct 20000 Years ago
  • They had cranial capacity of 1650CC
  • They wore clothes of animal skin
  • Domestication was stared by this man
  • They also painted beautiful painting on cave walls

iii) MODERN MAN (HOMO SAPIENS SAPIENS)

  • Arose 75000-10000 years ago
  • This is the man of today having brain capacity of 1300-1600CC
  • This man has well developed chin, speech, smaller head and reduced body hair
  • Agriculture was started around 10000 Years back and human settlements stared

 

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