| Human evolution:
Were Australia and America populated after the other continents? The end of the 20th century had provided a new interesting information in this regard.
Excavations on ancient settlement sites in northern Australia (Malakunanja and Nauwalabila) have shown that man started settling in the Australian continent 60 000 years ago, that is, much earlier than previously assumed.
Sometimes, even earlier dates are mentioned. Regarding America, according to archaeological findings, this part of the world was inhabited by man approximately 13000 years back.
However, exist evidences (which were not accepted by many till now), that the first migration in the New World happened long before - over 30,000 years ago. Human settlement on the planet was not restricted to continents but also spread to islands too. The islands of Okinawa (Japan) were inhabited more than 30 000 years ago.
Upper Paleolithic man appeared approximately at the same time in Taiwan. Tasmania had human settlements around 12,000 years ago.
In the late 80s of the 20th century, excavation carried out in the island Papua - New Guinea revealed that Upper Paleolithic man (Late Stone Age phase) arrived about 30-33 thousand years ago on the shores of this island, i.e away from the Pacific ocean boundaries.
It is still unknown about the types of navigational aids used by these ancient sailors, but the fact remains fact, that they left their settlements on the island.
Polynesian Islands were inhabited much later, approximately in the beginning of our era or a little earlier.
DNA analysis of people of various communities showed that mankind first appeared in Africa through at least two major migrations, but did not appear simultaneously in several parts of the planet.
Genetic observation also revealed that Homo erectus did not supersede other forms of pre-humans but mingled with them.
1. Gran Dolina, Spain
Homo antecessor - evidence that early man appeared in Europe about 800 thousand years ago.
2. Heidelberg, Germany
Human jaw, discovered in 1907, belonged to Homo heidelbergensis, who inhabited about 500 thousand years ago.
3. Dmanisi, Georgia
Homo erectus, existed 1.7 million years ago, was perhaps the first person who used fire and the first one, who came out of Africa.
4. Zhoukoudian, China
Skeletal remains of Homo erectus testify that Homo erectus, also known as Sinanthropus, reached Eastern Asia around 500 thousand years ago.
5. Nariokotome, Kenya
Homo ergaster, age of which equaled to 1.6 million years, was found by Richard Leakey in 1984.
6. Lake Turkana, Kenya
Flat faced Kenianthropus (Kenyanthropus platyops). Age -3.5 million years. Fossils of Lucy (Australopithecus afarensis) were about the same age.
7. Burya, Ethiopia
Australopithecus garhi. Age - 2.5 million years. Found in 1997. It is a primary contender for the role of the "missing link" between people and the kenianthropus or Lucy relatives. Probably, he was the first to have started using stone tools and eat meat.
8. Jawa
Homo erectus
Man from Dmanisi. The skull and jaw of small a narow-boned species, found in Georgia, raise the doubt in the theory, according to which skull size increased due to the migration of human ancestors out of Africa. Fossils with an age of 1.75 million years, resemble the African type of Homo erectus, called as Homo ergaster. |
A lamb with a human face was born recently in a Turkish village. The villagers burned it, as they said the lamb looked scary to them and even dogs were barking at it. While human-faced animals are considered the freaks of nature by usual people, the modern theory of evolution says that humans descended from animals - our ancestors were fishes, reptiles, and finally monkeys. From biology schoolbooks, we all remember the images of human embryo development and how at different stages the human embryo looks very similar to the embryos of different animals. Surprisingly, in our early stages, we look closest to rabbits. That may explain some human mating habits too.
