The creation of a family tree is not only an entertaining activity that helps people find out their roots, establish connections, and observe a variety of genealogic lines. From a scientific point of all, all humans are the products of their family trees, and all primates usually share a common ancestor and possess diverged abilities (Mader and Windelspecht 654). The DNA inherent from ancestors defines certain physiological characteristics and body functions. Thus, the investigation of the existing lines of descent in a human family tree allows scientists to determine the worth of connection dots and differences and similarities between the ancestors.
Despite the intention to prove the progress and differences between the past and the present, certain connections remain inevitable and critical for understanding human evolution. A family or evolutionary tree represents a conventional structure that shows the relationships and documents common ancestry (Mader and Windelspecht 654). The purpose of any family tree is to demonstrate a lineage and enhance a better understanding of a crucial organizing principle of biological modifications. According to Mader and Windelspecht, Darwin’s idea that all humans evolved from apes is one of the “most unfortunate misconceptions” in the world (654). However, the dots in the human family tree reveal prosimians like lemurs and lorises as the first primates that diverge from the primate line, and apes, to which humans are related, represent the last group. This example proves that humans and apes might share a common ape-like ancestor, and humans cannot evolve from apes because both continue living at the same time. Therefore, connecting the dots in the evolutionary tree is important to avoid misunderstandings and wrong interpretations.
Sometimes, people do not find it necessary to know more about their ancestors, their existing differences, and their similarities. Still, there are many examples that explain the worth of such a connection. The evolutionary tree contains all lines of descent, and it is clear that the genes of the first two lineages are almost identical (Mader and Windelspecht 655). With time, genetic changes occur, and some of them are not related to adaptation. The split between humans and apes occurred about 7 million years ago in the human tree, and chimpanzees are the most closely related hominins that share about 90% of the human DNA (Mader and Windelspecht 655). This knowledge is important for such fields as psychology, medicine, and pharmacology because people might use these animals to promote new braincases and other experiments to help humans manage their health problems. Although many people reject the possibility of animal experiments for scientific purposes, the worth of the evolutionary tree in terms of finding the connections and biological similarities is evident.
In general, the reasons for connecting the dots of the human family tree and the awareness of human ancestors have to be clearly explained and recognized in biology. In addition to strengthening people’s understanding of the evolutionary modes, this knowledge helps explain the changes in human characteristics. It is important to find the answers to such questions as why evolution is not evident today or why human lines do not diverge the same way apes or other hominin representatives did. The human family tree is a vivid example of how to interpret molecular data and comprehend the split between human and ape lineages. Multiple benefits characterize the decision to connect the dots, and the most evident is the promotion of knowledge structuring in human evolution.
Work Cited
Mader, Sylvia, and Michael Windelspecht. Connect with LearnSmart Labs Online Access for Inquiry into Life. 16th ed. McGraw Hill, 2020.