Homo Sapiens
Name
Institution
Introduction
Homo Sapiens are always considered to be the modern man. (Banathy, 200). These species are the only existing human species. They are said to have existed for over 200,000 years ago. They originated from Africa, and majorly South and Eastern Africa. History suggests that the first batch of this group moved towards Europe about 100,000 years ago. Homo Sapiens are usually classified under a group that is known as the hominids. Hominids are the earliest groups that were humanlike. The Homos Sapiens are, therefore, considered to be unique as compared to the other species of evolution. In terms of their development, they also proved to be superior to others. Various anatomical features such as bipedalism provided an edge for this species of humans. However, their other anatomical features that also made the Homo Sapiens successful behaviorally.
Anatomically, the Homo Sapiens had larger brains compared to the other species. This was one of the benefits that this specie had over the others. With a larger brain capacity of about 1500 cubic centimeters, they were the highest. This meant that they had a better thinking capacity compared to the other groups. This influenced their behaviors since they could process and store a lot of information. The higher brain capacity at that period meant that they could solve problems, communicate by language, create images, and generate ideas. The larger brain capacity also influenced them to form social networks and organize themselves in social groups. For instance, they formed communities characterized by some sense of social complexity. It is often cited that the early Homo Sapiens had a higher brain capacity than the current ones who have about 1300 cubic centimeters. Therefore, the Homo Sapiens were successful as a species and behaviorally civilized. However, the current Homo Sapiens have got a more complex brain. It is also cited that the Homo Sapiens groups that lived in the cold areas had a larger brain capacity compared to those in warm regions.
The other anatomical structure that affected the behavior of the Homo Sapiens is the body structure. Unlike the other species that were covered with a loft of hair in the skins, the Homo Sapiens had exposed skins will less hair. This factor influenced the settlement pattern of the Homo Sapiens. They could survive better in tropical areas as their skins were well adapted. (Stringer, 2012). Their settling behavior was also influenced by the fact that they had evolved and could adapt even in the cooler regions. This adaptation was also enhanced by their body structure, such as the slender trunks and the long limbs.
There were other anatomical traits that distinguished the Homo Sapiens from the others. The first one is their limbs and pelvis structure. Compared to the other species, the Homo Sapiens had got thinner limbs. These limbs were also less strong compared to their counterparts. However, they could move faster. The species also tended to have longer legs and shorter arms. This was different from others that had relatively long arms, and they used them in walking. Consequently, the Homo Sapiens had to move and do things with their hands as they walk with their two legs – Bipedalism. The other anatomical structure that also influenced the behavioral pattern of this species is the pelvic structure. The Homo Sapiens had a narrow and deeper pelvis. This was unique as other species had a thicker pelvic structure. Therefore, thinner and bowl-shaped pelvis influenced their movement. They could move faster and for longer as they were flexible. The other anatomical structure is the Jaw and the teeth structure. Homo Sapiens had a shortened jaw structure and a different arrangement of the teeth. The teeth were smaller too. Therefore, these anatomical structures influenced their behavior in terms of the foods that they consumed – and how they consumed it.
The Homo Sapiens is always considered to be the most culture-cumulative species in the history of evolution. (Buskes, 2019). This species adopted various culture and technologies that was mean to enhance their existence. Some of these cultures, however, were harmful to the human species. Art was one of the earliest cultures that were adopted and advanced cultures by the Homo Sapiens. Art was essential as it was somehow a way of communication. There are various shreds of evidence of paintings – done by red ochre, which are linked to early humans. Art wasn’t only drawings and paintings, but it also included music. For instance, the early instruments that were used to play music were the bone flute. Consequently, this provided entertainment to these early communities. The other culture that was beneficial to the human species was clothing and personal beautification. Hides were often used as clothes by the early species. However, as time went by, they adopted the sewing, making buttons, beads, etc. For example, personal adornments such as beads were made from mammoth ivory. Therefore, humans were now focusing on their appearance too.
There are, however, some cultures that were adopted but proved to be negative to the human species. One of these cultures was war. As the Homo Sapiens organized themselves in communities, and conflicts would, sometimes, occur among various groups. This had the potential to lead to war. Wars have often led to numerous deaths in human history; thus, a negative culture that affects the community. The Homo Sapiens also adopted the culture or technology of settlement, where they had to clear the environment to provide room for settlement. This culture has been followed by the human species and has significantly affected the environment. It has even affected other animal species and makes them go extinct – due to the destruction of their natural habitat. Therefore, this validates why these cultures were bad for human species.
Reference
Banathy, B. H. (2000). The Story of the Evolution of Homo sapiens sapiens. In Guided Evolution
of Society (pp. 89-142). Springer, Boston, MA.
Buskes, C. (2019). The Encultured Primate: Thresholds and Transitions in Hominin Cultural
Evolution. Philosophies, 4(1), 6.
Stringer, C. (2012). What makes a modern human. Nature, 485(7396), 33-35.