LINEAGE OF HUMANS:
Avoiding Extinction:
A super-volcano known as Toba, which is located in Sumatra, Indonesia, erupted 73,000 years ago to form a 35 x 100km crater, while dispersing ash and vaporised rock into the air that covered an area of 500km cubed (Doermann, 2010). South Asia, the Indian Ocean, as well as the Arabian and South China Sea were all coated with a 6cm layer of ash (Krulwich, 2012). This debris in the atmosphere blocked streams and smothered plant-life, while preventing the sunlight hitting the Earth, which interfered with the seasonal rains. As a result of this suffocating ash, (which covered a duration of 6 years (Krulwich, 2012)), a chain-reaction of negative impacts followed. Plants began to die, causing a reduced food source (such as the loss of berries and other fruits), hence, African game starved. Early hominids that lived in East Africa also starved as a result of the restricted food supply, as it had become a case of survival of the fittest.
This volcanic eruption immediately resulted in a ‘volcanic winter’ (Doermann, 2010), causing a brutal ice age in the northern hemisphere, which occurred 70,000 years ago because of the accumulation of ash and debris in the atmosphere that were reflecting the warming sunshine into space (Krulwich, 2012). This ice age essentially killed humans of various species that were spread over Eurasia (Lavine, 2014), while in specific locations on the planet, temperatures declined between 20 and 30 degrees.
The declining temperature did not impact our ancestors in Africa; however, it was the effect of the temperature that may have caused their extinction. The game in Africa available for hunting may have been increasingly scarce, due to the limited food supply, while grasslands may have died off and receded, hence, our ancestors in Africa starved as a result. This bottleneck effect dramatically reduced the human population to less than 10,000 individuals (Doermann, 2010).
The ability of Homo sapiens to adapt to change and an evolving culture is a vital characteristic that permitted the survival of our species. For example, Neanderthals managed to survive in small groups, hunt large game and form stone technology, however, archaeologists have revealed that Neanderthals displayed little variation over thousands of years (Lavine, 2014), as they were unadaptable to change. As the ice age diminished vegetation coverage, there was no protection from ambush attacks (Lavine, 2014), hence, rigid hunting styles eventually lead to the extinction of Neanderthals, as they were unable to adapt to the changing surroundings.
Over evolution, the characteristics that may have enhanced the survival rate of Homo sapiens include the development of bipedal motion (Cornell, 2010). Bipedal movement permits the hominid to stand taller in order to see potential threats (such as a predator), food sources (such as an abundant fruit tree), or a mate, travel larger distances and free their hands. Free hands enabled the development of opposable thumbs (Cornell, 2010), which allowed the initiation of tool manipulation, such as the stone tools (Oldowan), as well as hand axes (Acheulian tools), which aided the hominids to hunt prey, prepare food and make clothing (such as animal skin), for example. Homo sapiens also had a large cranial expansion and brain capacity (Cornell, 2010), when compared to other hominids; therefore, they had an increased intellect. This feature may have enabled Homo sapiens to learn how to manipulate fire, develop tools and weapons, use animal skins as a form of clothing to keep the body warm, as well as develop communication methods and complex hunting strategies.
This volcanic eruption immediately resulted in a ‘volcanic winter’ (Doermann, 2010), causing a brutal ice age in the northern hemisphere, which occurred 70,000 years ago because of the accumulation of ash and debris in the atmosphere that were reflecting the warming sunshine into space (Krulwich, 2012). This ice age essentially killed humans of various species that were spread over Eurasia (Lavine, 2014), while in specific locations on the planet, temperatures declined between 20 and 30 degrees.
The declining temperature did not impact our ancestors in Africa; however, it was the effect of the temperature that may have caused their extinction. The game in Africa available for hunting may have been increasingly scarce, due to the limited food supply, while grasslands may have died off and receded, hence, our ancestors in Africa starved as a result. This bottleneck effect dramatically reduced the human population to less than 10,000 individuals (Doermann, 2010).
The ability of Homo sapiens to adapt to change and an evolving culture is a vital characteristic that permitted the survival of our species. For example, Neanderthals managed to survive in small groups, hunt large game and form stone technology, however, archaeologists have revealed that Neanderthals displayed little variation over thousands of years (Lavine, 2014), as they were unadaptable to change. As the ice age diminished vegetation coverage, there was no protection from ambush attacks (Lavine, 2014), hence, rigid hunting styles eventually lead to the extinction of Neanderthals, as they were unable to adapt to the changing surroundings.
Over evolution, the characteristics that may have enhanced the survival rate of Homo sapiens include the development of bipedal motion (Cornell, 2010). Bipedal movement permits the hominid to stand taller in order to see potential threats (such as a predator), food sources (such as an abundant fruit tree), or a mate, travel larger distances and free their hands. Free hands enabled the development of opposable thumbs (Cornell, 2010), which allowed the initiation of tool manipulation, such as the stone tools (Oldowan), as well as hand axes (Acheulian tools), which aided the hominids to hunt prey, prepare food and make clothing (such as animal skin), for example. Homo sapiens also had a large cranial expansion and brain capacity (Cornell, 2010), when compared to other hominids; therefore, they had an increased intellect. This feature may have enabled Homo sapiens to learn how to manipulate fire, develop tools and weapons, use animal skins as a form of clothing to keep the body warm, as well as develop communication methods and complex hunting strategies.