The Real Eve
...haviors; learning to work as a collective unit to better their odds of survival. They roamed the land and fed on fruits and seeds, also gathering in groups for hunting. It is unknown how early Homo sapiens migrated to the continent of Australia. Any evidence from that first group of colonizers is likely to have been lost in ocean waters. However, in Malaysia, remnants have been found that could shed light to the time period of this journey. Scientists have discovered tools and artifacts, dating over 74,000 years, buried in the ashes of a great volcanic eruption known as the Toba Explosion. During this time, the ocean waters were 160’ below current levels and most of the islands were connected, creating the Sunda continent. With this evidence, it is now believed that the first descendants arrived Australia thru Sunda about 45,000 years ago. The discovery of a skeleton in Lake Mungo (located in New South Wales, Australia) has been the center of controversy among Paleontologists. This controversy has stemmed from the results of the study and analysis of a single gene extracted from this skeleton. It proves that although anatomically comparable to modern humans, it has no DNA ancestors. The human gene pool is very limited when compared to other species of life. So the question arises, why are we so different? A simple answer may be the evolution of body composition because of environmental adaptation. One such difference, the skin pigmentation, is due to the quantity of sunlight a given individual may be exposed to. The darker the skin, the higher the concentration of UV it can withstand. Studies have proven that it takes roughly 20,000 years for skin pigmentation to evolve from black to white and vice-versa. 30,000 years after the initial emigration from Africa, a change in climate occurred, improving living conditions in what used to be inhospitable areas. Migration to the continent of Europe was now possible thru the once vast desserts of Syria and Lebanon. Archeological discoveries have proved that, 40,000 years ago, burial rites were common; a burial site was found in Macedonia, in which a skeleton of a 12 year old boy was found, affirming such practice. Neanderthals inhabited the European region for over 250,000, gaining their name from the Neander Valley in Germany, where first evidence of their existence was found. They had a short stature, sloping foreheads, protruding jaws, long thumbs and large-wide noses. The bigger nose is believed to have been an evolution of their kind to better inhale oxygen in cold and air-thinning conditions. Neanderthals are believed to be an entirely different species from Homo sapiens with similar DNA ancestors. Within 10,000 years of their initial encounter with humans (called the Cro-Magnons during this time period), the Neanderthals were completely wiped out. A theory about their extinction is the possibili...