Modern people (Homo sapiens) are the sole surviving representatives of the human family tree, but we are the final sentence of an evolutionary story that began about 6 million years ago and gave rise to at least 18 species collectively known as hominins.
According to the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History in Washington, at least nine species existed about 300,000 years ago. Homoto contain H. sapiens, Common in Africa, Europe and Asia. All but one have disappeared one by one H. sapiens. Neanderthals and group HomoKnown as the Denisovans, he lived next to H. sapiens They interbred for thousands of years, and even today, as evidenced by DNA fragments that remain in many people. But over time, Denisovans and Neanderthals also disappeared. About 40,000 years ago H. sapiens was the last hominin.
So what was the secret of our success? Why? H. sapiens Could we survive when all our relatives died?
To understand how we survived as a species, we first need to look at what we have in common with other hominids, said William Harcourt-Smith, a paleoanthropologist at Lehman College and the American Museum of Natural History in New York. Bipedalism is at the top of that list. Bipedal walking emerged in one group ardipithecus – from our earliest human ancestors who lived about 4.4 million years ago – and Australopithecusemerged about 2 million years later. Both groups were “little more than bipedal apes” with relatively small brains, Harcourt-Smith told Live Science.
Bipedalism was a key evolutionary step for hominids, but it didn’t prevent extinction Ardipithecus, Australopithecus and the third type of hominin — Paranthrope. Australopithecus When did it appear? Ardipithecus disappeared; Paranthropes and the first kind Homo It originated in Africa about 3 million years ago. Australopithecus We were dying
Unlike new species HomoThey had larger brains and smaller teeth than their predecessors. Paranthrope These animals had small brains and looked more ape-like, with large back teeth and powerful chewing muscles, Harcourt-Smith said.
“For a long time Homo And Paranthrope “They occupy perhaps different niches, but similar landscapes, and both are doing very well,” Harcourt-Smith said. But after about 1 million years paranthropes disappeared and “Man “Eventually it will take hold and multiply throughout the world,” he said.
What was destroyed ardipithecus , Australopithecus And paranthropes “Nobody knows for sure, and there was probably more than one,” said Elizabeth Sawchuk, assistant curator of human evolution at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History.
“Potential factors include environmental change, competition for food and resources among modern hominid species, and low population density,” he told Live Science in an email.
Bigger brain Homo undoubtedly gave this species an advantage ParanthropeWith a larger brain comes improved cognition and tool-making abilities, greater behavioral flexibility, increased sociability and better problem solving, Harcourt-Smith added.
“They were probably in fairly complex family groups; perhaps they buried their dead. They built shelters; they threw weapons; they used controlled fire,” he said. “You start to see specialization emerge, different tools for different tasks. They interacted with the landscape in a sophisticated way.”
Maybe he created a species Homo more resilient and adaptable than Paranthropebut understand why H. sapiens survived all other species Homomore difficult. Harcourt-Smith said ancient tools, art and other artifacts show that our cognitive abilities, technical skills and problem-solving abilities were more advanced than those of our close relatives. Flexible social strategies can also help H. sapiens Savchuk suggested that they survive where other species have died out.
“Our flexibility as a species has served us well,” Savchuk said. “One of the reasons we’ve spread so effectively is that we’ve learned to adapt to a variety of environments—not just biological ones, but also cultural ones—through our technologies and behaviors.”
Another factor could be chance, Harcourt-Smith added. Small populations of species can quickly disappear after natural disasters, disease outbreaks or climate change, leaving previously occupied areas open to other species.
“Serendipity is part of it,” he said. “You have to be in the right place at the right time.”
Flexible and competitive
Homo erectus It was the first species Homoappeared and spread throughout Africa and East Asia. Over hundreds of thousands of years, more species appeared: Homo heidelbergensis, Homo naledi, Homo floresiensis And Homo luzonensisAnd H. sapiens, Neanderthals and Denisovans.
After appearing in Africa H. sapiens They migrated into Europe, where Neanderthals settled, and into Asia, where they met the Denisovans. Today, human DNA evidence suggests that these groups interacted, and it is possible. H. sapiens It outpaced and defeated these groups and probably other species Homothose yet to be identified.
“Although we don’t know what role we played in the extinction, it seems likely that our expansion into Africa caused stress on other species due to competition for resources,” Savchuk said. “Our species is very good at moving and mating, which is probably one of the reasons we are still here.”
Global climate change is also believed to be contributing to the extinction of some species. Homo“But it’s hard to say what role it plays,” Savchuk said. “For example, our kind Homo sapiens “It evolved in Africa but survived the ice ages in Europe, whereas Neanderthals, who were adapted to cold conditions, did not. It’s clear that the equation is not just about climate.”
After all, that’s what condemns our relatives Homo“It was probably a combination of factors that included an element of random chance,” Savchuk said.
How did it happen at some point? H. sapiens was in danger of extinction. A recent genetic analysis of more than 3,000 individuals across African and non-African groups found lower-than-expected genetic diversity, which scientists traced to a reproductive “bottleneck” between 813,000 and 930,000 years ago. Homo It has fluctuated at a level of about 1,300 individuals over more than 100,000 years.
“It’s important to remember that our survival is not guaranteed,” Savchuk said. “Returning to our resilience and collaboration skills will help us when we face new challenges.”
Source: Port Altele
