Modern humans have been around for a long time, but it took even longer for us to evolve to this point.
While scientists have determined that we evolved from animals similar to chimpanzees around seven million years ago, there is still some mystery regarding how long after that point before the Homo genus emerged.
Anthropologists and other scientists have found a variety of different types of remains over the years, and there is considerable debate on whether they are examples of modern humans or not.
One famous example is known as Lucy, which is a set of bones that are about 3.2 million years old and was discovered in Ethiopia in 1974. Lucy has since been classified as being of the species Australopithecus afarensis.
Other scientists found a jawbone in Ethiopia, which has been dated at 2.8 million years old. They have worked to determine that the person who left this bone was a member of a species that was more advanced than Lucy.
The scientists who found it claim that it is the earliest example of a member of the Homo genus family, but other experts disagree.
There are many other examples of bones of ancient humans out there. The earliest one that is almost universally accepted as a human, was found in Africa. It is about two million years old.
Its species is known to have traveled across much of Asia as well as Africa. These successful migrations helped anthropologists to classify them properly.
Looking into the bones of our ancient ancestors is a great way to learn more about our history, and how we have evolved over the years.
Many people, including scientists, debate over what classifies them as modern humans or not.
In general, it is agreed that characteristics like migration, use of fire, artistic practices, and holding funerals are all important aspects of modern humans.
Understanding what makes an early human a part of our species is fascinating.
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