Human Evolution: Planet of the Apes?

Take a few minutes to interpret the following cartoon: Identify some of the most common misconceptions about human evolution.

Humans do not descent from primitive forms of life

Natural selection does not have a ‘goal’

Evolution happens over a very long time, not during a life-time.

There are still some pieces of the puzzle missing.

A big family tree. Draw a family tree. Think and answer the questions: Is your cousin your ancestor? Did your great grand parents have many children? Did they have children in turn? What is the definition of an ancestor?

Human descending from apes?

Fossil evidence indicates common ancestry.

Timeline of human evolution

Human Evolution Tree: relationship with other apes

Human evolution tree: Genus Homo.

Characters of humans: Brain size.

Characters of humans: Walking upright (bipedal locomotion)

Australopithecus: Lucy

The Neanderthals: the lost branch

Genus Homo

The Ice Man 5300 years old DNA extracted for the first time from tissue links it to Central european populations Died from an arrow lodged in his shoulder. Scientist could reconstitute his meal and the vegetation of the area a the time.

Human Evolution Revisited with Modern Genetics Modern techniques of genetic engineering have allowed scientists to analyze and compare DNA from different species. You can reconstruct family trees, just by looking at the DNA. You can calculate when various branches of the tree split, based on the number of mutations found in the DNA. We can now extract DNA from old bones or tissue.

Evolution Studies using genetics Tracing populations using Mitochondrial DNA Comparing species Defining evolutionary distance between species based on genetics.