HISTORY 100
WORLD HISTORY
Lesson 1:  HUMAN ORIGINS

A couple of notes before beginning. You will note two little icons above and to the left of these words. You will encounter these icon throughout our on-line pages during the course of the semester. If you click on the first icon, the book, you will be taken to a Merriam-Webster dictionary in which you can search for any word you do not understand. Take the time to learn this dictionary’s way of showing you how the word in question is pronounced and learn both the meaning and pronunciation of the words you look up. Part of your hour and final examinations will include a test of your ability to pronounce correctly the terms that are important for this course. It can be difficult to keep the sequence of things straight. If you click on the second icon, the scroll, you will be taken to a web site that specializes in names and events, and when things happened. Don’t be afraid to use these aids. When you are finished with them, you can always return to this site by clicking the BACK arrow near the top of your screen.
The second matter is that, when I refer to “man” or “mankind,” I consider the terms to include both genders. I know that a different and more specifically gender-neutral terminology is preferred by many, but this is the grammar and style with which I grew up and this is the usage with which I am most comfortable.
Today’s subject is the study of Genus homo, the entire family of manlike creatures, of which our own species, homo sapiens, is the most recent, and apparently the only surviving example. At the close of this section, you should
● Know the meaning of the terms hominids, homo habilis, homo erectus, and homo sapiens, and be acquainted with the importance of Lucy, the Leakey’s, and Olduvai Gorge.
● You should also know something about Charles Darwin, The Evolution of Man, the Theory of Evolution, and the role played by variation and natural section in driving that evolution.
● You should have started to ask some basic questions about these matters
○ Did hominids emerge in a single place and at a single time, or did various species arise at different places and times?
○ Why has hominid evolution progressed so slowly?
○ Why have other hominid species disappeared, leaving only homo sapiens?
○ What essential differences distinguish homo sapiens fro other members of the primate family?
○ what importance is it to know something of the origin and early nature of our species?

ASSIGNMENTS
REQUIRED
You should begin your study of this section with the excellent series of modules maintained by the Washington State University. Go through the modules comprising The Long Foreground: An Overview of Human Evolution, which covers hominid “history” from “Lucy,” the earliest example yet discovered, to the appearance of homo sapiens. Take the time to access Lucy, in order to learn a bit more about this earliest example of the hominid family, and how and where she was found.
RECOMMENDED
There is a site dedicated to discussing perhaps the most important question that can be asked about the materials you have studied for today: What is Human? There is also an excellent exhibit of Human Prehistory accessible.
QUESTIONS TO THINK ABOUT
The section introduces a number of important concepts, some of which we will be discussing, in various forms, from time to time. Darwin’s concept of the factors driving evolution and the question of whether hominids emerged in a single place or in several different places are of particular importance.
There are several questions that are not addressed directly in the materials you will be studying since the focus of these materials is upon the hominids other than modern man. Think about the following questions:
● If evolution tends to create species uniquely adapted to their environment, why do new species evolve? Why did homo erectus supplant homo habilis and why did homo sapiens prevail over homo neanderthalensis? What makes this an important question?
● Many scientists are interested in discovering the nature of the hominids and their way of life, and some seek this sort of information by studying the behavior of animals such as gorillas and chimpanzees that we supposed to be descended from the same early mammal from which hominids emerged. Why is the nature and character of the remote ancestors of modern man a significant question?
● Is there something of a problem with Darwin’s formulation of the process of evolution? If variation is an important factor in evolution, why have hominids advanced so far? How much variability do the hominids display in comparison with other animals, such as cats? Is this a legitimate criticism?
● Finally, what characteristics marks the most important differences between the hominids, including modern man, and other animals? Is it speech, the ability to make tools, the capacity for abstract thought, or what?

This text was produced and installed by Lynn H. Nelson
19 January 1998
Lawrence KS