How old are humans?

[gib65]

For how long has the current genome of the human species remained unchanged. That is, how old is the modern human being? I've been told we are 100,000 years old. Is this true (roughly)?

[Glider]

I guess it would depend on which stage you chose to call 'human'. Australopichicus (bipedal tool user) lived around 5 million years ago, but there have been intermediate stages since then.

 

As for remaining unchanged, well, average height and weight for adult humans has changed significantly within the last 500 years, so I guess you'd have to define 'change' also.

 

Change is still happening too. For example, the female pelvis is becoming more android (male-like) leading to more difficult births. This change has been noted comparitively recently.

 

Speaking more generally though, humans haven't changed that much in the last 50-100,000 years.

[gib65]

By "unchanged" I mean in terms of our genetic coding. But I guess genetic coding is always changing too. That trend you mention of female pelvic size becoming more adroid probably has something to do with selective breeding which would in turn select specific genes to be passed on. But what I'm talking about is genetic mutations. When was the last time the human species as a whole went through a genetic leap by way of mutation. The 50-100,000 year answer you gave is what I was after (I think). And now I have a follow up question:

 

How long ago did oral language come into use? I've been told between 30 to 40 thousand years ago. If this is true, then oral language can't be genetically determined. I mean, if we haven't gone through a genetic leap within the last 50 to 100 thousand years, it would seem the ability to use spoken language is learnt. Is this true?

[Royston]

How long ago did oral language come into use? I've been told between 30 to 40 thousand years ago. If this is true, then oral language can't be genetically determined. I mean, if we haven't gone through a genetic leap within the last 50 to 100 thousand years, it would seem the ability to use spoken language is learnt. Is this true?

 

It's genetically determined as far as brain capacity and the lowering of the larynx...though the latter happened some 200,000 years ago. Language would probably of been a refined progression from onamatapeia (I think this was discussed in another thread.)

 

Take a look at this bbc article, may help...

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/science/horizon/2003/learnthink.shtml

[silkworm]

If it helps, I heard on Science Friday today that the genus Homo appeared about 2.7 million years ago.

 

As for modern humans, I was born in 1981 baby.

[neo007]

This site might help (has a genetics sub-section for each species, use the menu on the left):

http://www.ecotao.com/holism/hu_sap.htm

 

I don't think there is a definite time scale for how long modern homo sapiens have been alive, but the timeline for the homosapiens started between 100,000-300,000 years ago.

[Prime-Evil]

That's a great article. Thanks.

[Steph]

hasn't Austrolopithecus been discounted as a homo sapiens ancestor?

[insane_alien]

no Austrolopithecus is a human ancestor. its just a different family or something(not so big on taxonomy) but it is in our evolutionary past.