the most important events in human history took place, plants were domesticated, and
soon after, animals as well. This agricultural revolution set the stage for the events in
human history that eventually led to civilization.
The next evolutionary stage, is modern humans as we know them. Early Homo
sapiens developed the traits that were discussed earlier, and man as we know it, came
to exist. But how do we know all these things occurred, and why? It all comes from
several very important steps in paleoanthropology. The earliest human skeleton ever
found was discovered in 1974 in a remote region of Ethiopia, a very well preserved A.
afarensis fossil. Nicknamed Lucy, paleoanthropologists have found out periods of
millions of years through her, and have used that knowledge to speculate on other
discoveries. Footprints, bones, teeth, etc. are all used to help piece together the puzzle.
Human evolution may have reached a dead end, foreseeable for a while at least.
Despite the enormous changes that we have wreaked on our environment, major
evolutionary changes in humans will not occur in the distant future. Scientists dismiss
the idea that the species is ?going somewhere? under natural selection and then
describe how most successful species are stable through their geological lifetimes.
Furthermore, given the relative pace of cultural change and lack of isolation of human
populations, there is little chance for a new different human species.
Modern understanding of human evolution rests on known fossils, but the
picture is far from complete. Only future fossil discoveries will enable scientists to fill
many of the blanks in the present picture of human evolution. Employing sophisticated
technological devices as well as the accumulated knowledge of the patterns of
geological deposition, anthropologists are now able to pinpoint the most promising
locations for fossil hunting more accurately. In the years ahead this will result in an
enormous increase in the understanding of human biological history.
Edgar, Blake, and Johanson, Donald. From Lucy to Language. New York: Simon and
Schuster, 1996.
Fagan, Brian. The Journey from Eden – The Peopling of Our World. London: Thames
and Hudson, 1990.
Gallagher, Richard B., Michael Murphy, and Luke O?Neill. ?What Are We? Where Did
We Come From? Where Are We Going?? Science 14 Jan. 1994: 181-183
Gibbons, Ann, ?When It Comes to Evolution, Humans Are in the Slow Class.? Science
31 March. 1995: 1907-1908
?Human Evolution.? Microsoft Encarta. 1996 ed. [CD-ROM]
Leakey, Richard. The Origin of Humankind. New York: Basic Books, 1994.
Lemonick, Michael ?New Thinking on Human Evolution? Time 14 March 1994: 81-87