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Early Humans
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The first known link in the evolutionary chain between primates and early humans can be traced back to
Australopithecus afarensis, a hominid that lived approximately 3.9 to 3 million years ago. On November 24th, 1974 the Anthropologist Donald Johansen discovered
a female hominid (whom he later named "Lucy") near the Awash River in Hadar, Ethiopia.
Anthropologists classified Lucy as Australopithecus afarensis and believe this hominid to be the
earliest common ancestor shared between primates and early humans.
Anthropological and archeological evidence suggests Australopithecus afarensis
was bipedal (walked on two legs) which attributed significant advantages over the ape (his ancestor) and ultimately
led this species to evolve into the early human form. Australopithecus afarensis had a relatively
small skull, bipedal knee structure, and molars and front teeth more similar to modern humans than to
the great ape. The archeological evidence suggests Australopithecus afarensis had the same relative size of a modern human,
but possessed a smaller skull and smaller body.
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In approximately 45,000 - 38,000 BC, the Cro-Magnon and Neanderthal peoples vied for supremacy over the natural domain upon which they roamed. Over time, the Cro-Magnon’s – direct ancestors to modern humans (Homo sapiens) – displaced the Neanderthal tribes whether by natural selection, direct confrontation or disease. Around this time several civilizations spring up within the Mesopotamian region. Then, as modern man continued to spread out from the African plains to the Fertile Crescent along the Euphrates and Tigris river valleys (an area covered by present day Iraq, Syria and Azerbaijan), a dramatic change in ancient society occurred. Civilizations began to experiment in basic food production and with time the favorable topography and climate yielded a bounty of crops. The descendants of these ancient peoples refined the agricultural model of their ancestors by incorporating new crop cycles and domesticating animals. Those tribes that successfully transformed their societies into agrarian based models soon out-produced traditional hunter gatherer societies, resulting in their ability to sustain greater populations. Over time, these larger agriculture based populations grew immune to germs and disease through their exposure to beasts of burden and indigenous plants that they incorporated into their flourishing societies.
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Larger populations, of course, required a more sophisticated form of government and a departure from traditional hunter gatherer tasks. As the agrarian societies matured, so did their political systems and their literacy leading to the creation of more specialized roles chiefs, priests, scribes, armies and farmers. The complexities introduced by the new society paradigm forced the agrarian people to find innovative solutions to the mundane and pressing issues of the day, ultimately leading to new technology in the areas of warfare and agriculture. Subsequently, the agrarian societies exerted their relative advantage over the more primitive hunter-gather tribes that still relied on their traditional means for sustenance. Whether through direct conflicts, or via the spread of germs and disease, the agrarian societies eventually conquered the hunter gatherer tribes across Eurasia. From these origins, the earliest civilizations take root.
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