HOMO SAPIENS: ORIGIN, CHARACTERISTICS, DIET - HISTORY - 2024

The Homo sapiens is a species belonging to the genus Homo. Despite the fact that there are different nomenclatures, more or less used, it is often considered that the modern human being falls into this category.

Some specialists distinguish between archaic Homo sapiens, Homo sapiens, and Homo sapiens sapiens. Although the first of them, understood as the closest ancestor to the human being, is widely accepted as a scientific term, there are some who do not make a distinction between the following two.

Representation of a Homo sapiens. Source:, via Wikimedia Commons

This hominid appeared in Africa during the Middle Paleolithic. From that continent, it was migrating to Europe, the Middle East and Asia, until it became the dominant one compared to other species. The chronology has varied greatly in recent years, as discoveries have been made with some fossils older than expected.

Homo sapiens has the same bone and brain structure as current human populations. Among its most outstanding characteristics is its greater intelligence and the ability to create more complex tools. The passage to the Neolithic era brought with it that he began to practice agriculture and form complex societies.

Origin

Homo sapiens is the only species of its genus that still survives. Many others that appeared during prehistory eventually became extinct. It could be said that sapiens was the end of a long evolutionary process.

Experts consider that the main difference of Homo sapiens from other Homo species is not so much physical as mental. Brain development and the capacity for abstraction and self-awareness separate the human being from his ancestors.

The most widely accepted hypothesis holds that Homo sapiens appeared in Africa during the Middle Paleolithic. The arrival of this hominid did not occur in a linear way, but 600 thousand years ago there was a division in their ancestors that resulted in the birth of Neanderthals, on the one hand, and Homo sapiens, on the other.

The different sites with fossils of Homo sapiens often mean having to rethink the age of the species.

When the remains of Jebel Irhoud, in Morocco, were discovered, the dating surprised scientists. Analyzes proved that they dated from about 315,000 - 286,000 years ago, longer than expected. In addition, it is a site located in North Africa, far from the supposed "cradle of humanity", further south.

Archaic homo sapiens

One of the subcategories that experts collect within the genus is that of archaic Homo sapiens, also called "pre-sapiens". This name encompasses several different species, which did not meet the anatomical criteria to be considered sapiens at all.

The remains found suggest that they could appear about 600,000 years ago. Their cranial capacity is similar to that of the current human being and, according to some specialists, they could be the creators of language. However, there are quite a few divergent opinions about his parentage as Homo sapiens.

Split point

One of the most recurrent scientific controversies in the field of the study of human evolution is about how and when the human being appeared.

One of the theories states that it did it about 200,000 years ago, quickly. The other indicates that a gradual evolution could take place during 400,000 years. The truth is that there is no precise answer to this question.

It is known, however, that the division between Homo sapiens and Neanderthals took place about 500,000 - 600,000 years ago. Some paleontologists think that there may have been some other species, still unknown, before the appearance of modern Homo sapiens.

Substitution theory

As previously mentioned, there is no scientific consensus on how human evolution and the subsequent expansion of Homo sapiens around the world occurred.

Among all the existing theories, the one with the most support is the substitution model. This establishes that Homo sapiens appeared in Africa and, from there, spread throughout the planet. Proponents of this theory are based on various genetic studies, the results of which do not show significant biological differences between humans.

Expansion

Until a few decades ago it was assumed that the human race had a focal origin in a region of East Africa. However, new discoveries seem to support the so-called Pan-African Origin Theory.

In this way, there would have been several different foci in which the new species appeared and, from there, they would have started to migrate to other lands.

How Homo sapiens became dominant among all hominid species is still a matter of debate. Researchers at the University of Cambridge found fossils that seem to indicate that the reason for the dominance of sapiens was simply their greater number and capacity.

When Homo sapiens arrived in Europe it found a territory inhabited by Neanderthals. However, the latter were few compared to the newcomers. It is estimated that the number of sapiens exceeded that of Neanderthals by a ratio of 10 to 1.

Apart from that, the new settlers had a greater technical and communicative capacity, which caused them to monopolize most of the scarce resources. In the end, Homo neanderthalensis ended up disappearing, leaving only Homo sapiens to dominate the planet.

Denomination of the species

The way of calling the species has undergone some variation with the passage of time. Thus, until relatively recently, the term Homo sapiens sapiens was used to distinguish it from one of its ancestors.

Nowadays, however, science has chosen to call it simply Homo sapiens, since the phylogenetic relationship between the Neanderthal and modern humans has been ruled out.

Physical characteristics

The oldest specimens of Homo sapiens found maintained certain characteristics similar to their predecessors. The first, the bipedal position, which Homo erectus already showed.

The skull, for its part, had undergone an evolution, especially with regard to cranial capacity. Also, the jaw had decreased in size, as well as the muscle mass. Finally, the orbital prominences of the eyes disappeared completely.

Regarding the general physical structure, the first Homo sapiens had an average height of 1.60 meters (women) and 1.70 (men). The weight ranged, depending on the sex, between 60 and 70 kilograms.

Skin

According to studies, early Homo sapiens had dark skin. Possibly due to adaptation to the sunny climate of the African savanna. Dark shades on the skin protect much more from the effects of ultraviolet rays.

The differentiation of the color of the skin occurred later, when the hominid migrated to other latitudes. Again, adaptation to each new habitat resulted in mutations that improved the chances of survival.

Something similar must have happened to the hair on the head. The rest of the body hair, which other predecessors had kept, was gradually disappearing.

Skull

The forehead of Homo sapiens was broader than that of previous hominids. The cause appears to be the growth of cranial capacity.

In general, the entire skull was modified during the process of appearance of the species. Apart from the size, the jaw was shortened and the teeth became smaller. This caused the chin to acquire a more pronounced and less rounded shape.

The eyes, meanwhile, were more focused on the face and the eyebrows lost part of their thickness and volume. The bones surrounded the eye sockets and there was an improvement in the sense of sight.

Other features

Homo sapiens feet were plantigrade, with five toes. These had lost the ability to be used to climb and, as with the hands, the thumbs were opposable. Nails, meanwhile, were flat rather than claws. Finally, the great development of the shoulder and elbow joints stands out.

The ability to walk on both legs, without having to use the hands for support, gave Homo sapiens a great evolutionary advantage. Thanks to this, he could use his free hands to pick things up or defend himself.

The digestive system was changing to adapt to variations in diet. The main one, the use of fire to cook food, which has already begun to be used with Homo erectus.

Feeding

The most recent research has concluded that the Homo sapiens diet was more varied than previously considered. Likewise, science has determined that to understand their diet it is more important to look at the natural environment than at the anatomy of individuals.

Until not too long ago, all studies on feeding focused on the size and shape of the teeth, as well as the remains of animals and the tools found.

In this regard, a new type of analysis has been developed based on tooth wear and another that uses isotopes capable of providing information from the remains of enamel. These isotopes can provide data on the vegetables and nuts these hominids ate.

Hunting

Starting in the Upper Palaeolithic, hunting became one of the main activities in primitive human communities. Compared to some of their ancestors, eminently scavengers, hunting offered better and larger game. The contribution of proteins of animal origin was essential for human intelligence to increase.

Homo sapiens had to adapt to the climatic changes of different times, having to look for new prey in the different environments in which it lived. For example, in Western Europe, many groups based their survival on the capture of reindeer, while in Russia they had to face the large mammoths.

In other areas, with coasts and rivers, hominids soon discovered the advantages that fish offered, so they developed methods to catch it. They did the same with mollusks, whose shells were used as tools.

Vegetables

One of the problems that the first Homo sapiens encountered was that the forests in which they lived began to decrease in size due to the little rains. The number of copies grew and the resources were insufficient to support them all. That was one of the reasons why they had to emigrate to other regions.

On the other hand, over time, hominids had lost the ability to metabolize some nutrients, such as vitamin C. A changed, they acquired a mutation to take advantage of the qualities of starch. This element offered them a source of fast energy, especially optimal for the brain.

Homo sapiens consumed the nuts and vegetables it found. His teeth, unlike other primates, allow him to grind and digest them more easily.

Later, he learned to cultivate the seeds and obtain regular harvests. The appearance of agriculture, already in the Neolithic, was another very important evolutionary leap in the history of mankind.

Cannibalism?

A controversial, but apparently well-documented issue is the existence of cannibalism among Homo sapiens. According to experts, this occurred in periods of famine, out of a simple need for survival.

In those cases, they did not hesitate to eat the meat, the marrow of the bones and even the brains of the victims.

Cranial capacity

Scientists use cranial capacity to measure the interior volume of the skull. It is measured in cubic centimeters and it has also become an indicator to determine the intelligence of each animal.

Homo sapiens continued the increase in cranial capacity that some of their ancestors had begun. Specifically, the size reached up to 1600 cubic centimeters, the same as those of the modern human being.

Thanks to this development, Homo sapiens presented levels of intelligence and reasoning much higher than the oldest species. Thus, he developed from complex thinking to language, in addition to improving his memory and his ability to learn.

In short, his brain provided him with fundamental tools for his adaptation and survival in all environments.

Used tools

In the beginning, Homo sapiens used stone as a fundamental raw material to build tools. This had already happened with Homo erectus, but the sapiens invented more advanced techniques that improved the quality, hardness and usefulness of the utensils.

Apart from the stones, he began to use bones, antlers and ivory. Thus, each animal that hunted not only offered food, but also materials to make tools.

Weapons for hunting

As previously mentioned, hunting became a very important activity for Homo sapiens.

To improve the possibilities, it was necessary to manufacture more effective and safer weapons. One of the improvements they introduced was to decrease the size of the spear tips, making them more regular. By attaching thrusters to launch them, they were able to hunt from a distance.

Primitive bows and arrows, as well as toothed harpoons for fishing, have been found at the sites. For this last activity, already in the last phases of the Paleolithic, Homo habilis began to weave nets and to make lines and hooks.

Mastery of metals

Another fundamental discovery made by Homo sapiens was the mastery of metals. Once he learned how to forge it with fire and shape it, the tools were greatly improved. They gained in toughness and variety, offering more chances of survival

Cultural characteristics

Homo sapiens was, and is, the only species that developed what can be considered as culture in the broadest sense. In this way, they formed communities in which there was a feeling of belonging, with a religious sense and their own behaviors.

First settlements

Already in the Neolithic, especially after the creation of agriculture, Homo sapiens founded settlements with a vocation of permanence. Thus, they left nomadism behind, becoming a sedentary species.

Homo sapiens, with its expansion, began to create populations throughout the world. Remains of settlements have been found in much of the earth's geography.

The language

There is no full consensus about when language appeared, one of the main differences between humans and other animals. Some experts claim that Homo erectus could already communicate with words, while others suggest that it was Neanderthals who started using it.

In what everyone agrees is that it was Homo sapiens that starred in a significant linguistic evolution.

What is not known is whether it started from a common language that later diversified or whether, on the contrary, it appeared in isolation in each community.

farming

When the Neolithic arrived, Homo habilis learned to cultivate the land and raise cattle for meat and milk.

This was a great improvement in the quality of life and was one of the reasons why he abandoned his nomadic life.

Culture

Once Homo sapiens became aware of itself, as an individual and as a community, it began to develop a culture, understood as the generic non-physical traits of the human being.

Thus, for example, he began to transmit his knowledge and experiences, first only orally and, later, in writing.

The emergence of symbolic thought led to the creation of objects that were endowed with meaning, be it historical or religious. Similarly, he made others simply to use as ornaments.

The first Homo sapiens began to bury their dead, erecting stone monuments, such as menhirs or dolmens, with a more developed religious sense than that of previous species.

References

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