Human Evolution (Part - 2) - Notes, Botany, Class 12 PDF Download

Human Evolution

Human evolution : Fossils of apes : 

(1) Propliopithecus :- Origin & evolution in Oligocene epoch so called as Oligocene apes. Evolution about 30-35 million years ago.

(2) Agyptopithecus :- Origin and evolution in late Oligocene and Miocene epoch so called as Miocene apes. 

(3) Proconsul :- Its fossils were discovered by Leakey from East Africa near Victoria lake in Kenya from Miocene rocks. It walked on its four legs (considered as common ancestor of man and apes).

(4) Dryopithecus :- Evolution ≈ 15-20 million years ago.

– Direct ancestor of modern day apes.
– They were forest dwellers spending most of the time on the trees.
– Origin & evolution in Miocene epoch.
– Semi erect posture.
– Quadra pedal locomotion, forlimbs longer than hind limbs.
– Thick growth of hair.
– U shaped jaws.
– Teeth larger and sharper.
– By nature vegetarian, fruit eater.

 Fossils discoverd byLewis fromShivalik hills in India.
   Fossils discovered from Kenya by Leakey.

– Origin and evolution in Pliocene epoch.
– They are considered as ancestors of human but in characteristics same as Dryopithecus, but spending most of the time on the land.

(7) Australopithecus :- Prof. Raymond dart discovered a fossil of skull of 5 - 6 year old baby from the old pliocene rocks of Tuang region (S. Africa). He named it Tuang baby, later on he renamed it A. africanus.

– About 3-2 million years ago it lived in East African grasslands.
– Evedences shows they hunted with stone.
– It was an apeman because it have many characters of man and apes so it is also considered as connecting link between apes and man.

Apes like characters :
 – Less cranial capacity - 600 c.c.
– Thick growth of hair on body
– Jaw U shaped and prognathous.
– Teeth larger and sharper.
– Eyebrow present over eyes.

Man like characters : – Complete erect posture (first man who stood erect)
– Forelimb shorter than hindlimbs.
– Bipedal locomotion (first man)
– Dental formula same as human.  
– Vertebral column with distinct lumber curve.
– Some other varities of Australopithecus were also descovered by some other scientist.
– A. boisei [zinjanthropus] by leakey from East Africa [Tanzania]
– A. afaransis [Lucy] by Donald Johanson from Ethiopea.

Prehistoric man :-A number of other species of Homo appeared and became extinct from time to time on the evolutionary sense before the origin of homosapiens. These extinct species are called prehistoric species of man. 

(1) Homo habilis :- The Tool maker man or Handy man. – First human being like. – Its fossils were discovered by Dr. Leakey from 2 million years old rocks in Africa. – Lived in caves. – Cranial capacity - 650 - 800 c.c. – Complete erect posture. – Chin absent, dental formula same as human. – Jaw 'U' Shaped (Prognathous). – First man who made tools of stones for hunting animals. – By nature omnivorous, also show cannibalism.

(2) Homo erectus :- direct ancestor of homo sapiens – Java man – Peking man – Heidelberg man ( Branch from main line of Human evolution) Java man :  Homo erectus erectus name given by Mayer.or Pithecanthropus erectus given by Dubois.

– Fossil obtain from central java by Eugene Dubois.

– Lived in caves

– They used Tools of bones and stones

– Cranial capacity - 800 - 1000 c.c.

 – First man who used fire for hunting, protection, and cooking 

– Origin and evolution, 1.5 - 2 million years ago.

– Chin absent, Jaw prognathous

– Complete erect posture – Omnivorous, cannibalism have also found.

– It is also known as erect ape man

Peking man :- Homo erectus pekinensis name given by Mayer Sinanthropus erectus name was given by Davidson Black

– W. C. Pei discoverd the fossil of peking man from China.

– Origin & evolution before 6 lakh years

– Lived in caves

– Cranial capacity

- 850 - 1300 c.c. – Complete erect posture

– Chin absent, Jaw prognathous

– Used sharp chisel shaped tools of stones, bones for cutting and killing animals.

– Omnivorous, cannibalism has been also found

– Used fire for cooking meat and for protection.

Heidelberg man :-

A fossil of lower jaw obtain from Heidelberg in germany it was discoverd by Ottoschotensack.

– Mandible was large, tooth raw rounded – Cranial capacity - 1300 c.c.

– Origin & evolution

- in Pleistocene epoch. It is believed that this species was evolved as a branch from main line of evolution and got extinct after some time

(3) Homosapiens :-

– Neanderthal man

– Cromagnon man

- Direct ancestor of modern man

– Homo sapiens sapiens

- Modern man (Man of today) 

(i) Neanderthal man :- Homo sapiens neanderthalensis 

– Origin & evolution before 40,000

- 1 lakh years – Fossils were discovered by C. fulhrott from Neanderthal velly of Germany. 

– They lived in huts.

– Cranial capacity 1300

- 1600 c.c (same as H. sapiens sapiens) Average (1400 c.c.)

– Complete erect posture

– Semicircular jaw, Orthognathous

– Ceremonial burial of dead body with floweres & tools – Woar cloths of animal skin – Less developed chin. – Speech centre developed – By nature - omnivorous (He was not only skilled hunter but true predator). – First man believed in "immortality of soul" 

(ii) Cromagnon man :- Homo sapiens fossilis – Origin and evolution 10,000 - 50,000 years ago. – Fossils discoverd by Mac gregor from Cromagnon rocks of France – Lived in caves – Cranial capacity - 1650 c.c. (maximum) – Complete erect posture – Larger forehead, well developed speech centre – Semi circular jaw, well developed chin, orthognathous jaw. – Woar cloth of animal skin. – This man was hunter and used domesticated dogs in hunting, so domestication of animals started by cromagnon man. – They also painted beautiful painting on cave walls. (Prehistoric cave art developed about 18,000 years ago. – The cromagnon man is regarded as the direct ancesntor of modern man. – By nature carnivorous.

(iii) Homosapiens sapiens (Modern man) :- Man of today – Origin and Distributed in whole world 10 -11 thousand years ago. – Cranial capacity - 1300 - 1600 c.c. (Same as Neanderthal man) – Complete erect body posture – Semi circular jaw, orthognathous – Well developed chin, well developed speech centre – Smaller forehead, front eyes – Less hairs on body as compared to fossil man – By nature omnivorous. – It is belived that modern man evolved in Africa, later its members migrated to westwards, eastwards and south wards – Agriculture was also started by them. 

Special Point

The course of cultural evolution is divided in to three age.

Palaeolithic – Age of tools of stones and bones.

Mesolithic – Age of animal husbandry, language, reading, writing.

Neolithic 

(i) Bronze age -- Age of agriculture, knowledge and use of clothes.

(ii) Iron age – Present age is also known as Iron age.

Man of future :- homosapiens futuralis – Dr. Shapiro named man of future as Homo futuralis – Taller and hairless body – Tomb like head and larger brain. – With no fifth finger

Special Point :-

(1) Anthropology :- Study of evolutionary history of man.

(2) Ethology :- Study of animal habbits and behaviour.

(3) Hylobates hoolock (The Gibbon) is the only ape found in India (forests of Assam)

(4) Races of human – 4 types – Caucasoid, Negroid, Mongoloid, Australoid. 

(5) Hobit – Recently Rechard roberts scientest discovered a 18,000 years old fossil of a lady from flors island situated near Australia. He gave name it to Hobit/Dwarf man/Homo florasiansis.