Evolution of Man and Origin of Life Theory

Over the years, when a noticeable change appears in a species’ biological figure and hereditary characteristics, it is called evolution. Evolution can be found and seen in every living thing existing on Earth, from plants to humans to animals to many other living beings. From the beginning of life to the vast sea of life, studying the genetic changes of living organisms and finding out about the origin and evolution of man is the theory of evolution. The theory of evolution was explained extensively by Charles Darwin after his grandfather Erasmus Darwin; Charles Darwin published a book called ‘One The Origin of Species.’

Origin and Evolution of Man

The Earth is about 4.54 billion years old, and the first-ever sign of any living thing is calculated to be about 3.5 billion years old in the Eorochen era. Microbial mat fossils were found in the lands of Western Australia, which are said to be about 3.48 billion years old; some ‘remains of biotic life’ were also seen in Western Australia, which are about 4.1 billion years old. Another evidence of life found is said to be 3.7 billion years old and was found in metasedimentary rocks of the Greenlands, now known as Graphite. 

The newer biochemistry studies claim that life’s origin started from the chain of simple and small chemical reactions turning into complex reactions and eventually resulting in life. They claim that life may have started from the self-replacing molecules such as RNA; since they believe that high functioning and energetic chemistry was turned into self-replicating molecules, the origin of these self-replicating molecules is around 4.1 billion years old.

Every living thing that ever existed on the face of this planet Earth since the beginning of life comes from the same gene pool, meaning all organisms share a common ancestor. The species and signs of life existing on planet Earth are the evidence of the evolution of living beings; current living beings have diversified so much over many billion years. 

Origin of Life Theory

Erasmus Darwin first introduced the theory of the origin of life in the 18th century, but that theory didn’t get as popular during his time. Charles Darwin, his grandson, later wrote a book called ‘On the Origin of Species, which popularised the origin of life theory and the evolution of man. The origin and evolution of man are discussed extensively throughout Darwin’s book, and he wrote the book in the 19th century with other biologists.

Darwin’s theory of the origin and evolution of man is based on the term ‘natural selection.’ According to his origin of life evolution theory, the species or organisms with the most power and will for survival and an ability to reproduce were the species that lived on to see the current evolution of their genes.

Stages of Human Evolution

The initial stage of human life didn’t look anything like it does now; years of evolution have evolved humans into more capable and intelligent living beings. The process of extinct primates that humans were first born as to the current stage is the definition of Human Evolution. Homo Sapiens is our scientific name, and it is believed that the human form first walked and evolved in the regions of Africa almost 315 hundred thousand years back. Darwin said the primates, our descendants, were apes, and they are our first ancestors. Many anthropologists and biologists worldwide believe in this origin and evolution of man, yet many scientists dismiss the theory altogether. Fossils were found to indicate that Homo Sapiens evolved from primates to our present form, but it doesn’t prove the theory of humans descending from apes. 

The stages of human evolution are in this particular order according to the timeline depicted by biologists and anthropologists:

1. Miocene – the early apes.

2. Hominids – earliest evolution or split into gorillas and chimpanzees.

3. Pliocene – earliest bipedal.

4. Pleistocene – the stages that include the ape-like figures evolving into the human form equivalent to Homo Sapiens from Australopithecus. 

The five stages of the Pleistocene are:

• Australopithecus 

• Homo habilis

• Homo erectus

• Neanderthals, Homo bodoensis

• Homo Sapiens

Conclusion

The origin and evolution of man and the stages of human evolution teach us so much about the origin of life and where we first stood as a sign of life on this vast planet. In the earlier times, no one bothered to know about or were curious about how life started. Erasmus Darwin introduced the theory in the 18th century, saying that all life started from the smallest organisms of life. Charles Darwin took his grandfather’s theory to the next level with his elaboration of the origin and evolution of man. Further, he explained the descendants of human beings with stages of human evolution.