The difference between anthropogenesis and other branches of anthropology is that anthropogenesis studies variations in the structure and development of the human organism that unfolded in time. In this field, time is understood as the entire period of human existence on Earth, which is the last 4-5 million years. Humans are understood as members of the hominid family. The concept of the human sphere was introduced in the 30s of the XX century simultaneously in different countries by several scientists (including Vernadsky). This is the concept of the noosphere (anthroposphere). At the very center is the biological mass of all mankind. The next circle is society. Human sociality is an absolutely special phenomenon unrelated to the sociality of other animals. By now, the stages of human evolution have been considered by scientific sources in terms of bio-cultural changes, taking into account a growing set of social factors.
In Explorations: An Open Invitation to Biological Anthropology, the authors compiled a detailed overview of all the stages of human ancestral change that led to the emergence of Homo Sapiens. The researchers point out that an important step in evolution was the direct appearance of the genus Homo, the first representative of which was the “able man” (Homo Habilis), which existed 2.3 million B.P. – 1.5 million B.P. ago. It was characterized by the ability to make stone and bone tools, omnivorousness, and by the rapid growth of brain size. He had a more advanced body structure, with smaller teeth than Australopithecus (Chapters. Explorations: An Open Invitation to Biological Anthropology). Occurred in South and East Africa. Founded the Olduvai culture, the oldest on Earth. Beginning to build simple dwellings.
It was replaced 1.6 million years ago by the lycanthropes, the most ancient humans. Their group included the Asian upright man (Pithecanthropus and Sinanthropus (but Sinanthropus is much more advanced) – its local variants) and its African version, the working man. The authors of “The History of Our Tribe: Homini” note that a significant change in morphology distinguished them: tall, long legs were accustomed to living in open spaces. There was a tendency for the final humanization of teeth; the brain grew considerably (The History of Our Tribe: Hominini). Moreover, lycanthropes had fire. With them began the Stone Age, the Ashelian culture.
The classic representative of paleoanthropes, ancient humans, was the Neanderthal (200-24 thousand years BC). Middle and Upper Pleistocene (ice age). Predator. Already possessed almost human-like features of structure and behavior but differed from us primarily in the massiveness of the skeleton and skull. The article “Anthropology” claims that probably many features of the Neanderthals in Europe have formed under the influence of the severest conditions of the Ice Age about 70-60 thousand years ago (Anthropology). The authors believe that “some representatives of Homo Neanderthalensis had a brain volume exceeding the values typical of modern humans” (Anthropology). They had religion, fire, technology was not inferior to Cro-Magnons, and there was art. At the same time, most modern scientists believe that this is a dead-end branch of evolution that coexisted with the Cro-Magnon man, our ancestor. For reasons unknown to science, most likely warming, the disappearance of mammoths – the main food of Neanderthals – they went extinct about 24,000 years ago. Thus, among numerous changes within the evolutionary development, scientists make an emphasis of those which were connected with the social and cultural aspects.
Works Cited
“Anthropology.” ScienceDaily, 2019, Web.
‌Chapters. Explorations: An Open Invitation to Biological Anthropology. Web.
“The History of Our Tribe: Hominini.” Milne Open Textbooks, Web.