Anthropology, human origin, evolution and human revolutions
Anthropology is the holistic science and the subject is multidisciplinary in nature. The subject matter of Anthropology is human beings and their evolutionary history, biological aspects, cultural diversity as well as archaeological aspects. The subject is vast, diverse and it is a holistic study of the human species. The subject is broadly divided into physical anthropology, social-culture anthropology and archaeological anthropology. These are specialized sub-fields and one is distinguishable from the other. Another subfield, known as linguistic anthropology has emerged and it focuses on the communication and language aspect of human beings. Lastly, psychological anthropology deals with psychological aspects of human beings.
The human origin, evolution and revolution are part of physical anthropology. The study mainly emphasizes on Homo sapiens and its origin along with the process of development. The study of human origin mainly refers to the development of modern humans from early hominids (200,000 to 300,000 years ago). The modern humans have developed from their predecessors and about 50,000 years ago, human beings formed the capacity for developing language. Studies show that the lengthy process involving the transformation of ape-like creature to modern-day humans is referred as the human evolution. Moreover, scientific evidence shows that the behavioural as well as the physical traits of modern-day humans are similar to their ancestors. Approximately, six million years ago, the process of human evolution started (Introduction to Human Evolution. 2010). Modern humans share the genetic as well as physical similarities with their ancestors. Africa is considered as the origin of the human race. Scientists have already proven the similarities between modern Homo sapiens and other primate species. Moreover, the great apes share similarities with humans and therefore, the evolution of humans from apes has been evident.
The term “human revolution” is commonly used by anthropologists, archaeologists as well as other specialists. It mainly denotes the “sudden” and spectacular revolution of human beings. Revolution in the form of consciousness, culture change and language development has been witnessed only within the human species (Gibbons, 2015). The change was abrupt and therefore referred as “revolution in human evolution.” The sudden interbreeding has shaped the present appearance and health of modern humans. In other words, researchers believe that this revolution has contributed towards making us more “human” in a literal sense.
References
Gibbons, A. (2015). Revolution in human evolution. Science, 349(6246), 362-366. doi:10.1126/science.349.6246.362
Introduction to Human Evolution. (2010). The Smithsonian Institution’s Human Origins Program. Retrieved 28 April 2020, from http://humanorigins.si.edu/education/introduction-human-evolution