human evolution- page 2
From which species of the genus Homo have modern humans evolved? Modern humans, also called Homo sapiens sapiens (wise man), are a subspecies believed to have evolved from archaic Homo sapiens, who in turn evolved from Homo erectus. Archaic Homo sapiens typically include Homo heidelbergensis (Heidelberg man), Homo rhodesiensis (Rhoden Man), and Homo neanderthalensis (Neanderthal Man), because their brain size is very similar to modern humans. Archaic Homo sapiens are distinguished from modern humans by having a thick skull, prominent brow ridges, and the lack of a prominent chin. How old are the earliest fossils of modern humans? The earliest fossils of modern humans are from the middle Paleolithic period, about 200,000 years ago, such as from the Omo 1 site in Ethiopia. These fossils show the beginnings of the skull changes that we associate with modern people, including a rounded skull case and possibly a projecting chin. Who are the cro-magnons? The cro-magnons wer...