We explain what hominines are, how they originated and their evolution. In addition, what are their characteristics and the types that existed.
What are hominins?
The term “homininos” refers to The different species of the genus Homo that make up the evolutionary process of the human being. The homininos include the Homo erectushe Homo sapiens and the Homo Neanderthalensisamong others. Currently, the only surviving species of hominins is the Homo sapiens sapiensthe current human being.
Hominan They belong to the Biological Family of Hominidsterm with which it is usually confused. Hominids are the biological family of bipedal primates, which includes chimpanzees, bonobos, orangutans, and humans, among other species of animals. Homininos are a category within hominids.
See also: Primitive Man
ORIGIN OF HOMININOS
Although there are debates about which the first hominine should be considered, It is believed that hominins appeared on earth during the Miocene (Historical period of 23 to 5 million years ago).
At the end of the Miocene and early Pliocene (between about 12 and 8 million years ago), there were two large groups of hominids: the driopitecinosadapted to wooded habitats, and Ramapitecinosadapted to open field habitats.
Ramapitecinos have hominid features and survived to the Pliocene (between 10 and 3 million years ago) and it is believed that from there the derive of the Australopithecuswhich are the first ancestors of the homininos. Its fossil remains allow to date its existence between 4 and 2 million years ago.
Differences with hominids
On many occasions these terms are often used as synonyms. However, they are terms with different meanings. The term “hominid” refers to the family of biped primateswhich includes orangutans, gorillas, chimpanzees and humans, among others.
On the other hand, The “hominino” concept only encompasses individuals from the species of the genus Homowhich are part of the human evolutionary process.
Evolution of hominins
Charles Darwin postulated the theory of evolution in his book The origin of speciespublished in 1859. This theory maintains that some individuals of each species present mutations of certain biological characteristics that can be selected by environmental conditions. This situation favors the survival of these individuals, who will have greater opportunities to transmit mutations to their descendants.
Currently, scientists from different disciplines claim that All species are the result of the accumulation of successive changes over a very long time.
The evolution of man was not a linear process. Archaeological evidence indicates that some species of hominins coexisted over time: some were extinguished and others evolved. However, a chronology can be established with the main evolutionary jumps of the homo genre that led to the appearance of the current human being:
- Australopitecus
- Homo habilis
- Homo erectus
- Homo Ergaster (subspecies)
- Homo heidelbergensis (subspecies)
- Homo Rodhesiensis (subspecies)
- Homo sapiens
- Neanderthal man
- Homo sapiens sapiens (subspecies)
Australopithecus Afarensis
It is considered that Australopithecus is the initial point of evolution towards our species. It is a set of species of Bípedic Hominan that emerged 4 million years ago. They were bipedal primates, lived in savanna habitats and were vegetarians. They had an average of 450 cm3 of cranial capacity. They walked upright, which gave them a series of advantages such as the release of the hands during the transfer and a frontal vision.
This species was able to use stones as a rudimentary instrumentto open bones or shells and extract meat or marrow. The best preserved specimen of this species, nicknamed “Lucy”, was found in 1974 in Ethiopia.
Two different and parallel evolutionary lineages descended from them. On the one hand, the Paranthropusof greater robustness and hard vegetable diet. On the other hand, the Homoweaker physically but with a greater brain. These species lived for a million years, until gender Homo evolutionarily took off with the Homo habilis.
Homo habilis
He Homo habilis (“Business man”) was A hominine that lived in the early and midocene2.6 million years ago.
Your name It comes from the amount of lithic instruments (stone) found next to their fossils, which means they learned to make stone utensils. 1.40 meters were measured and their cranial capacity was up to 700 cm3. They developed speech, manufactured tools and built transient shelters.
Homo erectus
He Homo erectus He migrated for Africa, Europe, Asia and Oceania for 1.5 million years And he lived until about 500,000 years ago. Its specimens came to measure 1.60 meters and their cranial capacity reached 1000 cm3. They hunted small animals, lived in camps and caves, and learned to control the fire.
Within the category of Homo erectus Other Hominan groups that are known by other names are included, such as Homo Ergaster. Its extinction is linked in some areas with Toba’s catastrophe theoryof the lower and middle pleistocene (the alleged eruption of the Toba Supervolcan) and with the evolution towards the Homo sapiens.
Homo Ergaster
He Homo Ergaster It emerged in Africa about 1.9 and 1.4 million years ago. Has a greater cranial capacity (around 850 cm) than the Homo habilisand a size similar to that of modern humans.
Among the specialists, it should be considered as a subspecies of the Homo erectus or as a separate species. It is thought that it could have some form of articulated language, although there is no evidence of any sample of complex symbolic thinking. This species was The first to migrate from Africa to Asia and part of Europe.
Homo sapiens
He Homo sapiens It is the species that evolved from the different variants of the Homo erectus. The evolutionary transition began 500,000 years ago, but only 200,000 years ago the Homo sapiens As a clearly separate species.
To the variety of Homo sapiens who lived this transition is called Homo Sapiens Archaic. Many specialists consider that the Homo antecessor and the Homo heidelbergensis They belong to this category, since from them the Homo sapiens that led to modern man.
The cranial capacity of Homo sapiens reached 1500 cm3 And scientists consider that for 200,000 years he had the same intellectual potential as that of the current human being. The Homo sapiens They manufactured more elaborate tools than their predecessors, gave more complex use to language and developed a symbolic intelligence, which manifests itself in the burial of the dead.
Homo Neanderthalensis
The “Neanderthal man” was a species that coexisted with him Homo sapiens and the Homo sapiens sapiens For thousands of years. Europe lived, the Middle East and Central Asia approximately 230,000 to 30,000 years ago. They were hunters and lived in larger groups.
When the first fossil remains of the Homo Neanderthalensisscientists considered that they were a genre Homo distinct. However, today it is included as a subspecies within the genre Homo sapiens.
They still discuss what were the reasons for their extinctionbut most studies point to numerical and adaptive superiority of the Homo sapiens sapiens. As it was, the coexistence between the two groups generated biological and cultural exchanges, which led to cases of hybridization between species. This means that a part of the Neanderthal genome today endures today in some percentage of the human population.
Homo sapiens sapiens
The Homo sapiens sapiens as The subspecies of Homo sapiens What are the humans today. The Homo sapiens sapiens They populated Africa, Asia, Europe, Oceania and America.
The oldest remains date from 100,000 years ago. Group hunting techniques on large animals dominated. They developed symbolic thinking, practiced religious rites and represented reality in paintings and sculptures.
Continue with: Quaternary period
References
- López Serrano, A. (1996). Hominization and material culture process. The contribution of historical anthropology.
- Harris, M. (1981). Introduction to General Anthropology. Alliance.
- Leakey, R., & Lewin, R. (1994). Our origins. RBA Editors.
- “Hominine” on Wikipedia.
- “Homo” on Wikipedia.
- “The first Hominan. Human Paleontology” in the National Museum of Natural Sciences of Spain.
- “Overview of Hominin Evolution” in Nature.
- “Hominin History” in National Geographic.
- “Hominin” in The Encyclopaedia Britannica.
