Biology Stack Exchange
Biology Stack Exchange

Questions tagged [human-evolution]

The study of evolution with a particular focus on questions about the evolution of modern humans.

Questions often incorporate the study of our nearest ancestors, both the extant primates and extinct pre- Homo sapiens. Users should read the guidance on questions related to the relevant tags and and see meta where "on-topicness" of evolution questions are discussed.

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How do we know the human species arose in Africa?

I have heard (from multiple sources) that the current scientific opinion is that the human species arose in Africa. What are the reasons for this opinion? If possible, simple and non-technical explanations (as far as possible) would be appreciated.
Faheem Mitha
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Why are humans so variable in appearance

Most animals look almost identical to their peers. To distinguish lions we record the spots on their face; with whales we look at the blemishes on their tail or flukes. In other words, we have to try hard to distinguish one lion from another. In the…
hdhondt
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What niche was humanity theorized to fill before we possesd weapons and coordination to hunt & kill large prey?

I'm really interested in evolution, and for a err 'hobbyist' I think I understand a good bit of evolution and adaptation and the role it has played in many species. However, I feel I'm rather ignorant about a key period of time in human evolution. …
dsollen
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Which others human species/subspecies are known to have coexisted in the past with anatomically modern humans?

According to this article, interbreeding between archaic and modern humans There is evidence for interbreeding between archaic and modern humans during the Middle Paleolithic and early Upper Paleolithic. The interbreeding happened in several…
Pablo
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What motivates children to start walking?

Crawling is a way we first learn to translocate but , in all our lives, there comes a point where naturally try standing up and try to walk.. but why? What really pushes us over the edge to start walking? When we first start walking, usually we…
user56920
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Was there ever a very first Homo sapiens?

My friend keeps saying that there was a first Homo sapiens. Meaning, there was a very first human being that was ever born. I can't really understand what she means to say from a selection/gene mutation perspective. I can't understand how there…
Nathaniel
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Which theory has more evidence, humans appeared in Africa 200,000 years ago, or there were already humans in Europe at least 210,000 years ago?

This theory Modern humans originated from a woman who lived in modern day Botswana says Every person alive today descended from a woman who lived in modern-day Botswana about 200,000 years ago And this finding states Piece of skull found in…
Pablo
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How to interpret a phenotypic frequency density plot

I just read a paper that ran an evolutionary agent-based simulations aimed to test how genetic preparedness and social learning affect survival in various environmental conditions (changing environment, danger level, etc.). The full paper is…
Simonet
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Why do humans retain two kidneys?

If one kidney can function just as well as two, why do humans have two kidneys? The cost of growing two kidneys must surely be quite high, especially since one kidney is all that is really needed.
alpha-tetramer
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Books about human evolution

I want to read some books about human evolution and about other extincted types of humans. The book "Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind" writes about history of agricultural and scientific revolution too, which is the part that is not interesting…
MOON
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How did ancient human deal with biting insects like mosquitos?

How did early humans, once hairless, but before clothes and ointments. I understand that hairlessness was an advantage against parasites but it it seems like a disadvantage antagonistic for mosquitos and such.
Clay D. Nichols
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Are there hyoid bones of Homo habilis in the fossil record?

Hyoid bones have been found for Homo erectus, Homo neanderthalensis, Australopithecus afarensis, and some more hominids. Have hyoid bones been found from Homo habilis? References: Capasso, L., E Michetti., & R, D'Anastasio. (2009). A Homo Erectus…
homonidae
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What is the scientific consensus on whether humans were monogamous during the period of evolutionary adaptedness?

The book The Mating Mind by Geoffrey Miller asserts, as part of its thesis, that humans were not monogamous in the environment of evolutionary adaptedness. I found the book vivid and persuasive, but I'm interested in what others in the field would…
Eli Rose
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Does drying meat in the sun make digesting it easier?

I was looking into the relationships between man, fire, brain size, evolution, etc. and I learned about other methods of food preparation that eased digestion, but did not use fire. Then, this question popped into my head. Specifically, I am…
Curious Layman
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Evolution of the (phenotypic) facial features of the indigenous people of (west/central) Africa

I am not even remotely an expert in this field; I just got curious, so help me. First of all, let us remove all human sentimental attributes from this question (such as connotations of scientific racism or emotional reactions thereof) and ask it…
Nanashi No Gombe
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