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- 1. PopulatingThe Earth Vocabulary- POPULATE, MIGRATION, ENVIRONMENT, ADAPT, CLAN, ANIMISM KEY IDEAS- Over time, modern humans populated most regions of the world. As they migrated, humans learned to adapt to various environments. Art and other evidence reveals that human societies became more complex and developed religious beliefs. Over millions of years, many groups of early humans appeared and then died out. Homo sapiens, or modern humans, were the last of these groups to appear. As you will read, scientists still have much to learn about the development of the first modern humans. But one fact is clear: These large-brained "wise people" were often on the move.Overmanythousandsofyears,theyspreadouttopopulate,orbecomeinhabitantsof,almosteverylandareaoftheworld. The Human Migration Most archaeologists agree that Homo sapiens have walked on Earth for only about 100,000 years. But they do not agree on where modern humans came from or how they spread around the world. In search of answers, they have studied both fossils and genetic information, or the physical qualities that living things pass from one generation to the next. They have developed two main theories, or possible explanations, about the movement of early humans. Two Theories About Migration Some scientists think that Homo sapiens ,like other early humans, originated in Africa. From there, they argue, Homo sapiens began a migration to other regions of the world. A migration occurs when people leave their homeland to live somewhere else. Scientists who support the "out of Africa" theory suggest that as modern humans migrated from Africa to new places,they gradually replaced the older groups who were already living there. Not all scientists agree that modern humans migrated from Africa. Some argue that large-brained humans developed separately in many different parts of the world . These scientists believe that as regional populations mixed together, the different groups eventually became the one group known today as Homo sapiens. New Evidence For years, there was little fossil evidence to support either theory. In recent years, however, new evidence has emerged. In 2007, scientists analyzed a fossil skull that had been found in South Africa. Test showed that the skull was about 36,000 years old. It was the same as skulls found in Europe from the same period. This similarity suggests that humans were already in their modern form when they migrated from Africa. In 2008, scientists completed a genetic study of nearly a thousand people aroundd the globe. Scientists found the greatest genetic variety in communities closest to Africa. This finding supports the idea that, as people migrated away from Africa , groups branched off to populate new areas. The new evidence gives a boost to the "out of Africa" theory. Still, many questions about human migration remain unanswered. Wherever Homo Sapiens first appeared, they eventually spread across Earth. By about 30,000 years ago, these modern day humans were livening in Africa, Asia, Europe, and Australia. Evidence suggests that modern humans were already living as far south as central Chile by 12,500 years ago.
- 2. Adapting to Varied Environments As modern humans migrated, they settled in a variety of environments or surroundings. Each new place had it’s own climate, plants, and animals. With each move, people had to adapt, or change their way of life, to suit their new environment. They had to find out which plants could be eaten. They had to learn to hunt different animals and to find new materials for tools and shelters. A Changing Climate Over time, people also had to adapt to changes in the world’s climate. During the past 2 million years- including most of the Stone Age- the earths has experienced four long Ice Ages. The last great Ice Age began about 70,000 years ago, soon after modern humans appeared.During the last Ice Age, thick sheets of Ice called Glaciers, spread across large regions of Earth. Glaciers covered the northern parts of Europe, Asia, and North America. Ice Age Hunters Parts of Southern Hemispheres were also under ice. Moving glaciers created m any of the world's mountains, lakes, and rivers. With so much of Earth's water frozen in the glaciers, rainfall decreased. Areas that had once been well-watered grass- lands became deserts. Sea levels dropped, exposing "land bridges" where ocean waters had once been. Because of these changes, many animals had to migrate to find food. The people who depended on those animals for food had little choice but to follow the herds. Staying Warm Ice Age hunter-gatherers adapted to climate change in many ways. As winters grew longer, people learned to use whatever materials they could find to build warm shelters. In Eastern Europe, for example, people built huts out of mammoth bones. Mammoths were huge furry animals, related to elephants that lived during the Ice Age. To keep out the winter wind and snow, hunters covered these huts with animal skins.People also found other ways to stay warm. Using bone needles, they sewed snug clothing from animal skins and furs. They kept fires burning in their hearths day and night. Forming Larger CommunitiesSome groups adapted to change by forming larger communities. In larger groups, hunters could work together to kill animals such as mammoths. They could also better defend their communities from attack by other nomadic groups.Growing communities might be organized into clans, or groups of families with a common ancestor. A clan may be made up of 25-50 people. Clan leaders took on decision making roles, such as organizing hunts. Everywhere human society developed networks of clans or families played a vital role in creating strong communities.In time Stone Age communities began to trade with one another for special stones or shells. They likely also traded information about finding food during hard times. Developing Complex Cultures Over the course of the the Ice Age, the cultures of Paeolithic communities became more and more complex. One of the most important signs of a complex culture is the existence of artwork such as painting and statues. Painting in cavesIn 1940, four French teenagers and their dog made a remarkable discovery. The boys were exploring a cave near Lascauz in southern France. By the dim light of their lamps, they were amazed to see that the walls were How could Ice Age Hunters bring down a prey as large as a mammoth? Advantages people had 1) Hunters had learned to work together 2) They developed strong sharp weapons 3) They used intelligence to construct and set traps.
- 3. covered with paintings of horses, bison, bulls, and other prehistoric animals. Other paintings in the cave showed human figures and abstract designs. Scientist later determined that the Lascaux cave paintings dated back about 16,000 years, to the time of the last Ice Age. Some images were carved into the stone, but most were painted. The artists made pigments by grinding up minerals of various colors. Even older cave paintings have been found elsewhere in France, as well as Spain. Examples of cave and art rock has also been discovered in many other parts of the world. Stone Age artists also carved small statues. Like the cave paintings the carvings represent animals. Others depict pregnant women. WHAT DO THEY TELL US? Early works of art such as these show that the stone age people were capable of complex thoughts and actions. After visiting on French Cave, an archeologists commented, “The mark of human genius is here, full-blown, with its immense and eternal mystery, and with all its potential for hope in the success of the adventure of Modern man. We become modest in these surroundings; a great feeling of timelessness emanates from them. When we return to the surface, we can't help but question the motivations that lie behind the creation of all those frescoes. To imagine the unimaginable , In any case, in contemplating them we feel the presence, like a watermark, of an intense, enormous will to create.” We don’t know the exact reasons Stone Age people created these works of art. Perhaps the hunter gathers believed that creating an image would give them power over that animal during the hunt. Statues of pregnant woman may have been intended to bring good luck to women about to give birth. Developing Complex Cultures: Religious Beliefs and Practices Cave paintings and other art provide strong evidence that the cultures of Stone Age people became more complex over time. Another sign of more complex culture is the development of religious beliefs and practices. Many of these practices involve death and burial. Scientists have found much evidence to show that Ice Age people buried their dead . One grave found in present-day Russia contained the bodies of two children, a boy about 13years old and a girl about 8years old. Both children were covered with thousands of ivory beads. On his chest, the boy wore an ivory pendant carved in the shape of an animal. The girl wore a bead cap and an ivory pin at her throat. Early Religious Practices Discoveries such as cave paintings, statues, and burial sites may suggest how early humans reacted to what they thought were mysterious and powerful forces. These rituals and symbols were an important part of early culture. They go beyond survival, and express deeper meanings of the natural and social world. The evidence suggests that these early people believed that the natural world was filled with spirits, a belief known as animism. To early humans, there were spirits in the animals they hunted. There were also spirits in the trees, rocks, water,and weather around them. Prehistoric people may have painted pictures of animals, such as bison or deer, to honor the spirits of those animals and to ask for-giveness for having to kill them. The Next Big Change By the end of the Paleolithic Era, human beings occupied many regions of the world. They had developed complex spoken language, learned to make a variety of tools and weapons, and adapted to different environments. Yet, in many important ways, their lives had not changed. They still lived i n relatively small groups as hunter· gatherers, following the herds of animals that they depended on for survival.Then, around 10,000 years ago, humans learned a new skill that forever changed how they would live. This development marked the end of the Paleolithic Era, and the beginning of what we call the Neolithic Era, or New Stone Age.