National Academy does not shy from controversy: Human Evolution and Climate in one report!

Adam Retchless

This should be a good read:

Understanding Climate's Influence on Human Evolution

The hominin fossil record documents a history of critical evolutionary events that have ultimately shaped and defined what it means to be human, including the origins of bipedalism; the emergence of our genus Homo; the first use of stone tools; increases in brain size; and the emergence of Homo sapiens, tools, and culture. The Earth's geological record suggests that some evolutionary events were coincident with substantial changes in African and Eurasian climate, raising the possibility that critical junctures in human evolution and behavioral development may have been affected by the environmental characteristics of the areas where hominins evolved. Understanding Climate's Change on Human Evolution explores the opportunities of using scientific research to improve our understanding of how climate may have helped shape our species.

Comments

Hi Adam, would you perhaps have any examples of this?
I'm particularly interested climate change effects that may have had a play in the time around when humans first crossed out from Africa, theories(climate/evolution in scope) on that event are welcome too ;)

Tree Thunderchild | 03/19/10 | 14:56 PM

I just gave you two down below, Tree. ;-)

EricFD (not verified) | 03/19/10 | 15:09 PM

Wow, and thanks Eric!
Its interesting that Toba sort of weeded out, those unable to adapt to changes, that required changes to our enviornment (how we lived, wearing furs etc?) or other elements nessesary to survive in extreme change, by changing "ourselves" and those who did not, paid the price.
I'm looking forward to getting my hands on this book! Though at that price its going to have to wait.
I'm on around $20 a month income for the last 3 years (life average income under $1000 per year)
Thankful for the internet were income is not a determining factor in education, on how to evolve as a human, to prosper in that enviornment.
So in my enviornment, I'm learning all I can (science), to help me evolve into a human who can live within his means. Nice to know this skill runs far far back into what it means to be a human. :)
The more I know....... the more amazed I am, and the more I want to know, about the art, of being human.

Tree Thunderchild | 03/19/10 | 23:52 PM

You're quite welcome, Tree. As a matter of fact, there are some paleoanthropologists who contend that this bottlenecking effect as a result of the Toba eruption is what ultimately led to human beings creating civilizations. Whether it's true or not....who knows? But, I thought you might enjoy that little tidbit from academia. ;-)

EricFD (not verified) | 03/20/10 | 00:14 AM

If that event preceeded civilizations, than even if those caught up in or thier decendants it did not realize it, it shaped our future.
The more clearly I understand our past the more clearly I can see.....
Well, as I say a lot, what wolf taught me, you cant get ahead of the herd if your following it.
If you watch it, see where it has been, what direction it goes in.... you can get a better idea, how to get ahead of the herd.
I'm a human being, who knows often in earths history, the more evolved has a improved survival ablity.
Thats why I did not wait for the world to change, I did.
Besides, I got out of the rat race, the rats kept winning.
I'd like to understand where we have been clearly, so I can more clearly see where I came from, where we are now, so I can see where we are going, and get there myself.
Instead of waiting for humanity to change, or the world to change
(I tried that and it didnt work very well)

I am a human, so -I- changed, in quest of evolution, in quest, of improved survival.
To be a human, but not the same as my ancestors, to evolve, into something quite different.
I cant do that, if I stay the same, but rather than have it be forced by enviornmental changes,
do so, by my own will.
In my 50's still amazed by what it means, to be a human.

Tree Thunderchild | 03/20/10 | 01:17 AM

It does give meaning to the present to know from whence we came and to have that context in which to frame the present.

EricFD (not verified) | 03/20/10 | 01:27 AM

Just saw the PDF file link for the free download! One happy camper!
Thanks Adam!!!!

Tree Thunderchild | 03/20/10 | 16:20 PM

Hi Tree,

I'm actually a novice when it comes to human evolution. That's why I'm excited about this report. I've generally found that NAS reports are good resources for members of the public to inform themselves about the issues that are covered. They tend to be really thorough, taking the reader from the data to the theories, and not assuming that the reader is an expert in the field.

I think they aim these things at groups such as high-school teachers and government officials. You've got to have some general background knowledge to understand it, but nothing all that specialized.

Adam Retchless | 03/21/10 | 15:08 PM

Making my best effort to speak the common language here, yet many are already familar with tree being a bit (ahem) outside the box...
How do I put this in scienctic terms...
"If" time was not separate (past present future), if I am connected to those who are my ancestors not just physically but what is also me that is not physical, then understanding events of the past of my life source, would help me put into perspective things I might connect with, that without this information, I could not understand so clearly, as I can with this information.
Like going "oh my gosh, now I get it", learning, makes things once hard to understand, more simple and easy to understand, once I can connect dots where I did not before, see them (like a child looking at his toes wondering why he has them, applying 'grabbing tree limbs' to that understanding makes more sence to the purely physical part of me,...).
It gives me a "more clear" view and understanding of the total (quantim mechanics, chemistry, social science, evolution) yet not specialist in one field, or at least of the known sciences, that are all apart of this total.
The more I learn the more it makes me smile, and makes me hungry for more :)
Like filling a box with truth until it overflows and becomes part of what is outside the box.
Seen more clearly at a distance, instead of just one corner of the box from the inside.

Tree Thunderchild | 03/21/10 | 17:24 PM

The more I learn the more it makes me smile, and makes me hungry for more :)
Like filling a box with truth until it overflows and becomes part of what is outside the box.
Seen more clearly at a distance, instead of just one corner of the box from the inside.

Tree: that is poetry - you have a wonderful way with words.

Patrick Lockerby | 03/21/10 | 17:27 PM

Human, to me is more of a second lauguage, I struggle to overcome the setbacks of years in the wilds, speaking in a different way, a more common launguage, that those of science understand more clearly than those who are not, seeking to know infinite truth.
but as best I can, in keeping with a connection, with my ancestors...
we began with cave art
symbols of spotted horses
Now symbols are more elaborate
and are called words
And those, have gone digital
I type, wires connect
sparks fly from my fingertips
to dance on this screen of yours
in the majic art of talking leaves
(words on paper)
electrified.

In gratitude for our ancestors good teachings,
and your kind words of freindship and encouragement.

Tree Thunderchild | 03/22/10 | 03:13 AM

Well, certainly the eruption of the supervolcano, Toba and the resulting volcanic winter it induced at the time of the dawn of our species certainly had a bottlenecking effect, in which the more clever of our species survived, while the not-so-bright of our species didn't.

This certainly limited the gene pool dramatically, leaving behind a much smarter Homo sapien sapien than before, who could and did survive the ice age that immediately followed the volcanic winter---coincidence btw and not causal. The ice age would have happened regardless of whether Toba had erupted or not.

But, you could say by means of natural selection, the eruption of Toba helped prepare Homo sapiens to endure the rigors of an ice age.

Many mass-extinction events had a profound effect on evolution. One of those mass-extinction events brought about the Cambrian explosion of life with dramatically increased diversity.

I agree, this book should be a good read. Thanks for mentioning it, Adam. : )

EricFD (not verified) | 03/19/10 | 15:08 PM

In the Mayan concept of human history and development, according to their calendar, the eruption of Toba at 73,000 years, took place in the middle of the last cycle of reason, a feminine attribute, from 102,000 BC to 3115 BC and the beginning of the cycle of law, which led us to the cycle of power, from around 1870 AD to be transcended by the cycle of ethics, our current transitional cycle.
Hopefully those in power won't force us to bring about another major mass-extinction event, before letting go of power concepts over fellow human beings and will let ethics bring about a real change in our context in which to frame the past/present/future window on life
It may be a bit more controversial than even the National Academy's view on things, but this is a theory based on a 16.4 billion year system of cyclical changes, and many cataclysms have been endured by life along the way......and we're still here.....

Aitch

Henry Cox | 03/22/10 | 00:47 AM

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