Becoming Human: Last Man Standing

"Last Human Standing." Becoming Human. PBS NOVA. 31 Aug. 2010. Television. 

Becoming Human: Last Human Standing 

This T.V. program,

Becoming Human: Last Human Standing, 

was about how homo 
sapiens ended up being the last human to 

survive on Earth. I 
learned a lot from this movie. I learned that it was not only our 
brain size that caused us to be the last humans standing, but we were also able to adapt to different conditions. Since we were able 
to adapt to changes, we could outlive other 

species. Also our 
brain was naturally more intelligent than the 

rest. We were able 
to make specific tools for specific jobs. For 

example, we could 
make hooks to fish seafood, we made 

specific stone shapes for 
crushing and slicing, and we also made the throwing spear. I 
also learned other interesting things, like there was four different humans living all at the same time. The 

T.V. program also 
emphasized on our body and brain features in comparison to 
other 
humans. Homo erectus was the first human to have similar bodies to us. Homo 
erectus was also the very first human to 
leave the continent of Africa. It was 
also fascinating 

how
 homo 
erectus may have buried their dead. This evidence 

was found in Spain, in which 
over 80 individual skeletons were 

found. A fascinating fact was that 
Neanderthals are in fact the 

closest humans to us, according to research. 



All of this intriguing research and information were found by 
different people and found in different places.   Of particular 
interest were two findings in Belgium and Spain because they 
were very important for revealing our deep past.  Over
80 individuals were all found in the same
place in Spain, in a 

cave which may have 
been exposed during the time of homo 

habilis. Since it was 
probably exposed during this time, the 

homo habilis used it as a burying pit. Also, the very first Neanderthal was found in Murz 
Valley in Belgium. 
 Once important 

contributor was
 Charles Darwin was the person who made up 

the 
evolutionary theory. The evolutionary theory 
states that all 

living things change over time because of 
changes in their 

ecosystem. An important icon mentioned in this show is Turkana boy. 
Turkana boy is the nickname for a homo erectus that was 

found near lake Turkana. Turkana boy represents the change between human like and ape like.

From Grunts to Grammar: The Evolution of language

Miller, Jeanne. "From Grunts to Grammar: The Evolution of Language." Odyssey: Adventures in Science

FROM GRUNTS TO GRAMMAR: THE EVOLUTION OF LANGUAGE NOTES 

In this article, "From Grunts to Grammar", I found out about the beginning and the development of language. For a long time scientists and researchers have been asking when  humans start to have more complicated language. We also have been asking when our brain was actually complex enough to develop, use, and understand more intricate language. To be able to have language we didn't only need a developed brain, but also the vocal chords to make the sounds. According to evidence and artifacts we have found, Homo Habilis might have had an area in their brain for speech. Over time our ancestors' brains have changed in complexity and size. This was a major factor in the development of languages. The larynx developed over time so that we can make different noises. Humans have a space right above our larynx. This is helpful because sounds that we make can be modified because of our throat and neck muscles. This probably helped in our development of language.

 The author also talked about how we are different from other mammals because most mammals breathe through their nose only but we breathe through our nose and mouth. Scientists think this developed when we were in the African savannah and needed to hunt. Since we breathed through both nose and mouth, we had more stamina.We actually have no evidence of language since it was 100% oral, but we can find out a bit about language by looking at our ancestors larynx and brain. To travel from place to place, it was important to have communication. An example was when homo sapiens were spreading to Australia. To be able to make boats to go across water, they needed a lot of communication.

 I think this article is great because it goes into depth about the major factors of the development of language. It also talks a lot about these factors and how they were changed over time. One thing the author could do better is explain how the larynx works because I got very confused. I also liked how the author describes why and how the different factors  affected language development. The article  has a lot of details and examples to back up its different points.

Taming Fire: The First Scientist

TAMING FIRE: THE FIRST SCIENTIST? 

NOTES 

This article, "Taming fire: The first scientist" is an article about how, when, and why our ancestors started to use fire. In the article they talk about how for a very long time humans were quite frightened and curious about the great power of fire. Scientists think that humans have been using fire for at least 250,000 years but some think that we have been using it for at least 1,000,000 years. They think that humans first got fire by getting it from natural fires. Some examples of this are from lightning and forest fires. Later, humans were able to control fire. They did this by creating hearths. Hearths are a very simple form of a fireplace, and were usually just a ring of rocks to prevent fire from spreading. Scientists know this because unburned and intact tools were found near hearths, proving that they could control fire. Also fire from hearths are at a higher temperature than wildfires. So the more burnt objects were obviously from a hearth. The author also talks a lot about the purpose of fire. We used fire for several different purposes. One of these purposes was that we used it for cooking meat. By cooking our meat it made it softer and easier to chew. It also killed any dangerous bacteria and parasites, hidden in the meat. Additionally, we used fire for keeping ourselves warm and scaring off animals.  Fire was used for light, as well. By having a source of light at night, we could work even when it's dark. This provided them with a longer day. I think this is a very good article because the author gives both sides of an argument. He talked about how some scientists think that we started to use fire 250,000 years ago and some say 1,000,000 years ago. There is one bad thing about this article. I personally think the author could have added more facts and information. This is such a broad topic and I think he leaves a lot of loose ends.

On our own two feet

Whitt, Stephen. "On Our Own Two Feet." Odyssey Adventures in Science Oct. 2009: 26-28. Print.

ON OUR OWN TWO FEET

         The article “On Our Own Two Feet” by S Whitt presents our “missing link” between humans and apes. The author also talks about the similarities and differences between humans and apes. The article discusses many interesting facts about ape and human skulls. Ape skulls have a jaw that is more jut out than ours. However, our skulls have a much larger brain case. An Australopithecus Afarensis, which is one of our early ancestors, has a jaw that juts out and a smaller brain case similar to apes even though they are one of human’s earliest ancestors. Another difference between ape and human skulls is the positioning of the foramen magnum. The foramen magnum is a hole at the bottom of the skull where the spinal chord fits to connect with the brain. The foramen magnum of an ape needs to be a bit backward and downward. It needs to be like this because apes walk on all fours so their spinal chord is positioned so that it angles up a bit. Our foramen magnum does not need to be angled a bit back and downward rather it needs to be horizontal because our spinal chord is vertical. As apes "walk on all fours, their spines angle up slightly, but are nowhere between up and down". If you look at the foramen magnum of an Australopithecus Afarensis you would notice that it is horizontal, like ours.


The author talked about bipedality as well. Scientists now have evidence that may be even older than Australopithecus Afarensis. Bipedality may have started with Ardipithecus Ramidus and even Orrorin Tugenesis. Both of these early hominins are older than Australopithecus Afarensis. A previous theory about the purpose of bipedality was that early humans needed bipedality to be able to make and use stone tools. But the fact that stone tools were created after hominins became bipedal prove the theory wrong. One other theory is that hominins became bipedal because they needed to carry food to their mates in their hand while walking. As the author states, “By sharing food we made it possible for one parent to focus on raising children.” 

An Ape Skull in comparison to a human skull 

Who's Who Among Early Hominins?

Susman, Randall. "Who's Who Among the Early Hominins." Odyssey Adventures in Science Oct. 2009:

     22-25. Print.

SUMMARIZATION OF ARTICLE

I read a very intriguing article called  “Who’s Who Among the Early Hominins” by Randall Susman. In this article the author talks about the similarities and differences of early hominins and how the different species branched off. He also discussed the different characteristics of several hominins. A similarity of Homo habilis and Homo neanderthalensis is that they both used stone tools for hunting and building things. This was helpful because they could catch their food and build things a lot faster and easier. Another theme in the article is about where the hominins were found. Many different species of hominins could have lived at the same time and same place with each other. For example, Homo Sapiens and Homo Neanderthalensis lived together and maybe even interacted with each other. Earlier hominins such as Orrorin tugenensis were only found in Kenya but later hominins were found all over Africa, Europe and Asia. An example of a later hominin that spread to multiple places in the world is Homo erectus.

Evolution also changed hominins. According to the author "The fossil record of early hominin evolution shows both primitive and advanced features”. Their brain sizes got bigger over evolutionary time. This meant that later hominins were more capable of doing things such as making stone tools.  For example from Homo Habilis to Homo Sapien the brain size changed greatly and helped them with common logic and hunting and gathering food. Another topic addressed in this article is how scientists classify hominins by giving them a genus name then a species name. Archaeologists who discover a new species sometimes add the location, characteristics, or someone's name into the genus names. For example, Homo (which means early man in latin) classifies smarter and later hominins like Homo Habilis. Another genus name is Paranthropus which means similar to man. 

A replica of a Homo Neanderthalensis skull.

Summarization of Article notes

 Summarization of Article notes

In class we read and took some notes about an article we read. This article was about why we study human origins. In this article the author talks about many things on this topic.  One thing he discusses is how the fossil record gives us information about the past.  Fossils can show us the physical and behavioral changes our ancestors went through over time. They also tell us about their change in behavior.  Theories about our prehistoric ancestors have changed over time. In the past theories were based on religion, but now they are more scientific.  Darwin and Huxley were pioneers in evolutionary theory. Since then the fossil record have supported evolutionary theories.  Knowledge about hominids has changed over a long period of time based on what we find in archaeological digs. 

Reference: Susman, Randall. "Why We Study Human Origins." Calliope: Exploring World History Sept. 1999: 4-5. Print. 

Blog Post 6

Human Ancestor May Put Twist In Origin Story 

By Brent Stirton For National Geographic 

I read a very interesting article on how archaeologists have found a new primate that is probably related to modern humans in 2008. Recently they have found many new evidence and discovery about this new primate, which is called the Australopithecus Sediba. They have found some fossilized skin and the remains of a child and an adult women. The a. sediba is thought to have a mix of ape like features and human like features. For example scientists think that the a. sediba could hold and make stone tools. The a. sediba could stand and walk upright its ankles were human like but it had ape like heels. The a. sediba is also thought to have longer and more agile hands, it was probably used for shaping tools. I found this article interesting because this is a big discovery of a link between our ancestors and modern day humans.

Blog Post # 5

Huge Gladiator School Found in Austria 

Article By Traci Watson for National Geographic News 

I recently read an interesting article about a new archaeological find: A giant roman gladiator school found in Austria near the river Danube. The new gladiator school found in Austria, had many features that was not found in roman gladiator schools. One of these new features that was found was the remains of a wooden training dummy. Archaeologists also found a gladiator cemetery outside of the school's gates. Archaeologists think that the school was erected around 150 A.D. The whole structure is a total of 200,000 square feet. Archaeologists stated that the complex is gigantic, it is about the size of two super centers.The central buildings of the school seem to resemble the remains of the schools uncovered in Rome and Pompeii "The school is a powerful reminder of how the cultures of the empire's urban centers are linked together" Something I found interesting about all this is how massive this school is for something so old and ancient I think it is amazing.

Blog Post 4

How Do Historians Learn About the Past?  

Historians take several procedures and/or steps to learn about information from the past. The most commonly used method is called the historical method. The very first step in the historical method is to gather several sources and evidence. They need to make sure that they gather primary and secondary sources to get the most variety of information. After they do that the must categorize and determine their sources that they gathered.For example they need to determine if a source that they got is a written or if it is a non-written source. The next step is to evaluate their sources and make sure it is reliable, accurate, and genuine. Historians determine this by using the 5 w's questions: Who was the writer and/or creator? What kind of source is it? When was the source produced? Where was the source produced? Why was the source produced? By utilizing these questions, historians can determine if their sources are accurate, reliable, and genuine. The next step is to interpret their information. It basically means how the historians think the evidence fits together. The very last step is to share their findings or theories. They could do this by putting it in a magazine, online, or in a book.

Human Settlements In The Past

In the past where did humans tend to settle and why? 

There were many different places where people used to settle in the past most of which depended on the topography and climate. Topography refers to physical features of an area. Some examples are valleys, mountains, lakes, and rivers are all physical features. Climate is the pattern of weather in an area over time. In the past people usually used to settle in places that are good for farming or building cities. During this time period they needed to live in an area in which you can farm crops for food. Most areas that are good for farming must have the good topography and climate. It could have perfect climate; lots of rain and a warm or medium temperature, but it could have horrible topography, maybe the land was too rocky to plant any crops. You also need a good topography and climate to have plenty of animals to hunt. The main reason to settle in theses areas was for food. 

To have a perfect farming area you must have a good topography, flat land, near a source of water, and a medium or lower altitude (not too low or it might flood easily). You also needed a good climate, sunny (but not a desert), and have a good amount of precipitation.Good places to farm are places that are flat and is near a river, because a river usually means that the soil around it is moist and perfect for crop growth.  

There were some other minor details you had to take in consideration when our ancestors were building their farms. They needed to have their farm in a place where there were not pests such as packs of dogs and insects like locusts and beetles. One last thing they needed to take into consideration was if the land was prone to natural disasters like floods and earthquakes.

                           

What Is History and Why Do We Study It?

I think history is recorded events, people, ideas, culture, global society, and more. Our ancestors recorded these over long periods of time by writing it on paper, engraving it on walls, and more recently, uploading it on the internet. Many people over time have found these writings or have found artifacts that help us learn about the past. I think we need to study history to help us move forward. In other words we can use patterns we found in history to help us predict the future. Here is an example: If a scientist was looking at weather patterns for the last year he could use this information to predict future weather. Another example is if you study about history and learn about other cultures you can be more open to people from other cultures. Here is a quote about history:
                                     

"If you do not like the past, change it." William L. Burton 

I think this means that we can always change history since it is always occuring, if we try. In other words it means you can be the one who changes history. 

"Only a good-for-nothing is not interested in his past." Sigmund Freud 

I think this quote means that history is really important and it is a waste if you don't use it.  

My First Project

My First Humanities Project 

I think that my first project in Humanities went well. Our assignment was to research two countries. One of them had to be a country we had a passport for and one of them had to be where we want to live, have lived, or visited (it can be a country you have a passport to if you have two passports). We had to find symbols, historical people, current leaders, population, and more for each of our countries. 

I reported on Florida (U.S.A.) and Spain. I did Florida because I lived there for almost all of my life. I gave many details on my Florida research because I had personal experiences there. I did Spain because I have visited Spain and I might want to live there. I want to live in Spain because it is a beautiful country with a rich culture. I also gave details on Spain because I visited Barcelona a few years ago. I found a lot of connections between Spain and Florida but one interesting one is many Spanish explorers, such as Ponce De Leon, traveled from Spain to Florida.