![]() In order to understand the biological nature of humans and their special features, one must deal with their development and look way back into the history of evolution. Evolutionary Frameworks for Understanding Human Nature The fossil representatives of Homo sapiens are now dated to 300,000 years ago. Hominins evolved from the human lineage approximately three mya with the single genus Homo, all species of which, except for Homo sapiens, are now extinct. Eight mya, the human evolutionary lineage separated from that of today’s apes. Within the mammals, whose origins date back to 250 mya, the first primates emerged in an ecological niche 65 mya. With regard to the masticatory system, functional and constructional morphological changes had already begun in the ocean (the formation of teeth and of a secondary temporomandibular joint and increased diversification of teeth for the exploitation of specific food niches). The preconditions for this process included the oxygenation of the atmosphere, the ability to breathe atmospheric oxygen, alternative modes of reproduction and locomotion, access to new food sources, etc. It was another milestone in the history of evolution when, about 400 million years ago (mya), vertebrates left their aquatic habitats and began to adapt to terrestrial life. The diversity of life as it presents itself today shows how successful this process has been so far. Presumably, purely chemical processes were responsible for the beginning of biological evolution. As yet, it is unclear how the primordial cell (Last Universal Common Ancestor), or LUCA, came into being. Life on Earth began with the formation of the first molecules and dates back to approximately four billion years ago. There is no doubt that we are biologically adapted to culture, but it is questionable how much culture humans can cope with. Thereby culture does not form a contrast to nature but represents its result. Culture is permanently in a dominant position compared to natural evolution. Our recent lifestyle and diet are essentially determined by our culture rather than by our millions of years of ancestry. The comprehensive data pool allows extraction of all findings of medical relevance. The studies presented allow us to reconstruct food supply, lifestyles, and dietary habits: from the earliest primates, through hunter-gatherers of the Paleolithic, farming communities since the beginning of the Anthropocene, to the Industrial Age and the present. ![]() However, neither physically nor psychosocially have we made this adjustment and we are paying a high health price for it. Modern living conditions and the quality of human life are better today than ever before. Bioarchaeologically and biochemically, this can be traced back to our earliest roots. It was not until about 12,000 years ago that humans began domesticating plants and animals. For almost 99% of human history, gathering and hunting have been the basis of nutrition. Today’s way of life is drastically different from that of our ancestors. Anyone who wants to understand the biological nature of humans and their special characteristics must look far back into evolutionary history. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |