Mankind Rising - Where do Humans Come From
Summary
TLDRThe script narrates the improbable and extraordinary journey of human evolution over 4 billion years. Starting from a single cell in a primordial soup, life on Earth faced numerous challenges, including disasters and predators, leading to the emergence of diverse species. Key evolutionary milestones include the development of sight, the transition from water to land, and the ascent of mammals after a mass extinction event. The narrative highlights significant adaptations, such as the shift to bipedalism and the development of complex brains, culminating in the emergence of Homo sapiens as the dominant species on the planet.
Takeaways
- 🧠 Humans are the most complex creatures on Earth with a big brain and two-legged mammal characteristics, having evolved from the raw materials of the Earth.
- ⏳ The story of human evolution spans nearly 4 billion years, involving numerous evolutionary twists and turns, and overcoming various disasters and predators.
- 🌊 Water is essential for the origin of life, and it's believed that asteroids or comets delivered water to Earth, creating a soup of chemicals and organic compounds.
- ⚡ Life began with a single cell, which through a series of improbable events, including lightning strikes, formed the first genetic material.
- 🔬 The first living thing was a cell that could reproduce itself, and all life on Earth can trace its origins back to this single cell.
- 🧬 Sexual reproduction introduced variation through the combination of genes from two cells, leading to the evolution of distinct species.
- 🐟 Our ancestors evolved from water-dwelling creatures to land-dwelling beings, adapting to various environmental challenges along the way.
- 🦷 Developments such as jaws and teeth allowed our ancestors to consume more food and grow stronger, contributing to their survival.
- 🦂 A catastrophic event 250 million years ago led to the extinction of 95% of all species, but a few, including our distant ancestors and dinosaurs, survived.
- 🦇 After the extinction of the dinosaurs, small, rat-like mammals faced the challenge of surviving in a devastated world, leading to the rise of mammals.
- 🕊 The evolution of bipedalism in our ancestors allowed them to walk on two legs, freeing up their hands for tool use and other activities.
- 🔨 The ability to make and use tools was a significant milestone in human evolution, enabling us to manipulate our environment and improve our survival chances.
- 🔥 The control of fire for warmth, light, and cooking was a transformative step, providing safety and a means to prepare food more easily.
- 🗣️ The development of speech allowed for complex communication, cooperation, and the formation of societies, distinguishing humans from other species.
- 🌏 Homo sapiens, meaning 'wise man', emerged around 200,000 years ago with the largest brain of any creature, capable of spreading across continents and adapting to various environments.
Q & A
How did life on Earth begin according to the script?
-Life on Earth began through a series of improbable coincidences. Experts believe that water, delivered by asteroids or comets, was essential. The water, filled with chemicals and organic compounds, was struck by lightning, which provided the energy to trigger a chain of events that led to the formation of genetic material. This material was then engulfed by a blob of oily material to create the first cell.
What is the significance of the first living cell in the script?
-The first living cell is significant as it is the origin of all life on Earth. It was capable of sending out chemical instructions and reproducing itself to create a perfect clone, marking the beginning of life's diversity and evolution.
How did the process of sex contribute to the evolution described in the script?
-Sex introduced variation into the evolutionary process by combining genes from two cells, leading to offspring with traits from two parents. This increased genetic diversity and allowed for the development of distinct male and female sexes, which was crucial for the survival and evolution of species.
What adaptation allowed our ancestors to move from water to land?
-A significant adaptation that allowed our ancestors to move from water to land was the evolution of the ability to breathe air. This was triggered by the need to survive in stagnant water where oxygen was scarce, eventually leading to the development of lungs.
What evolutionary advantage did the development of sight provide?
-The development of sight provided a critical evolutionary advantage by allowing our ancestors to differentiate between dark and light, find more prey, dodge predators, and thus live longer and produce more offspring.
How did the extinction event 250 million years ago impact the evolution of life on Earth?
-The extinction event 250 million years ago, caused by volcanic eruptions in Siberia, wiped out 95% of all living species. This catastrophe allowed the small reptiles that survived, including our ancestors and the dinosaurs, to evolve and adapt, eventually leading to the rise of mammals and dinosaurs.
What adaptation allowed our ancestors to survive the harsh conditions after the asteroid strike 66 million years ago?
-After the asteroid strike, our mammal ancestors survived by becoming smaller and nocturnal, which made them harder to catch and see. They also developed tough skin to protect from the sun and claws that helped them move across rough terrain.
What significant evolutionary step did 'Ardipithecus ramidus' represent?
-Ardipithecus ramidus represented a significant evolutionary step as it was the first of our ancestors to walk on two legs, freeing up hands for other tasks like picking food. This bipedalism was a key adaptation that changed the course of human evolution.
How did the development of tools impact human evolution?
-The development of tools had a profound impact on human evolution. It allowed our ancestors to access new food sources, such as bone marrow, by creating the first tools. This innovation led to a cascade of advancements, including the growth of our brains and the eventual development of complex societies.
What role did cooking play in the evolution of 'Homo erectus'?
-Cooking played a crucial role in the evolution of Homo erectus. It made food easier to digest, freeing up energy for brain development. The consumption of cooked food also led to a reduction in the size of molars, as the need for powerful teeth to chew raw food decreased.
How did the development of speech contribute to the evolution of 'Homo sapiens'?
-The development of speech was a pivotal moment in the evolution of Homo sapiens. It allowed for complex communication, cooperation, and the passing of knowledge between individuals, which was essential for survival and the building of societies.
Outlines
🧬 The Dawn of Life: From Single Cell to Complex Creatures
This paragraph delves into the origins of life on Earth, tracing the evolutionary journey from the first single-celled organism to the emergence of complex life forms. It highlights the improbable and extraordinary sequence of events that led to the creation of life from a lifeless ball of rock and dust. The narrative emphasizes the role of water, the delivery by asteroids or comets, and the formation of the first cell through a series of fortunate coincidences. The paragraph also touches on the significance of genetic material, the first instance of cellular reproduction, and the introduction of sex as a catalyst for variation and the emergence of distinct species.
🐍 Evolution's Path: From Water Worms to Land Creatures
The second paragraph continues the evolutionary saga, focusing on the development of vision and the transition from aquatic to terrestrial life. It describes how a water worm, our ancestor 550 million years ago, evolved to develop light-sensitive cells, which eventually led to the formation of eyes. This adaptation provided a significant advantage in the ancient oceans, allowing for better predation and evasion of predators. The paragraph also discusses the process of natural selection, the evolution of jaws and teeth for better feeding, and the challenges faced by our ancestors, such as the great white of the ancient oceans, which posed a threat to their survival.
🦈 The Struggle for Survival: Adapting to Land and the Loss of Gills
This section of the script details the challenges and adaptations our ancestors faced as they moved from water to land. It discusses the evolutionary leap of developing lungs to breathe air, a response to stagnant water conditions that lacked oxygen. The narrative explains how our ancestors, like the ichthyostega, adapted to life on land with thicker skin and tough claws, eventually leading to the development of a tough-shelled egg and the birth of live young. The paragraph underscores the significance of these adaptations in shaping the future of our species and the emergence of mammals.
🔥 The Great Dying and the Rise of Mammals
The fourth paragraph discusses a pivotal moment in Earth's history: the 'Great Dying' event 250 million years ago. This catastrophic event, triggered by volcanic eruptions in Siberia, led to a mass extinction with 95% of all species perishing. The paragraph describes how our ancestors, small and fur-covered creatures called ectoninion, survived this apocalyptic scenario. It also highlights the emergence of dinosaurs as the dominant species post-extinction and the subsequent competition for survival between them and our mammalian ancestors.
🦕 The Dinosaur Era and the Evolution of Mammals
This paragraph explores the relationship between the dominance of dinosaurs and the evolution of mammals. It explains how the presence of dinosaurs influenced the development of our ancestors' senses and brains, as well as the shift from laying eggs to giving birth to live young. The narrative also recounts the asteroid impact that led to the extinction of dinosaurs 66 million years ago, setting the stage for mammals to rise as the new dominant species on Earth.
🌳 Life in the Trees: The Primate Ancestors
The sixth paragraph shifts the focus to the arboreal lifestyle of our primate ancestors, the alti atlassias. It describes how changes in the environment, such as shrinking forests and temperature fluctuations, led to adaptations that allowed these early primates to thrive. The paragraph also discusses the formation of the East African Rift Valley and its impact on our ancestors' evolution, as they were forced to adapt to new challenges in their search for food and survival.
🦶 The Bipedal Revolution: Walking on Two Legs
This section of the script marks a significant turning point in human evolution: the development of bipedalism. It tells the story of artipithicus ramidus, an early hominid that walked on two legs, freeing its hands for other tasks. The paragraph explains how this adaptation allowed our ancestors to cover greater distances in search of food and resources, and how it led to further evolutionary changes, such as the development of a larger brain and the need for parental care due to the challenges of childbirth with a narrower pelvis.
🛠 The First Toolmakers: The Emergence of Homo Habilis
The seventh paragraph introduces homo habilis, or 'handyman,' the first of our ancestors to create and use tools. It discusses how this development marked a new phase in human evolution, enabling our ancestors to manipulate their environment more effectively. The narrative also touches on the importance of tool use in shaping our ancestors' bodies, particularly the evolution of stronger thumbs and the development of more complex cognitive abilities.
🔥 Fire and Family: The Evolution of Homo Erectus
This section highlights the emergence of homo erectus and the significant advancements in human behavior and social structure. It describes how the control of fire provided warmth, light, and safety, and how the ability to cook food led to physiological changes, such as a reduction in the size of molars and an increase in brain size. The paragraph also discusses the importance of communication and cooperation within early human families and the development of speech as a critical tool for survival and social cohesion.
🌏 Homo Sapiens: The Masters of the World
The final paragraph of the script celebrates the arrival of homo sapiens, the wise men, who emerged as the most intelligent and adaptable species on the planet. It recounts the journey from the first single-celled organisms to the complex human societies that now dominate the Earth. The narrative emphasizes the uniqueness of our evolution, the near impossibility of its replication, and the remarkable story of our 4-billion-year-long struggle for survival and dominance.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Evolution
💡Natural Selection
💡Mutation
💡Extinction
💡Adaptation
💡Ancestral Lineage
💡Genetic Material
💡Mass Extinction
💡Hominids
💡Bipedalism
💡Tool Use
Highlights
Human evolution is an improbable and extraordinary story spanning nearly 4 billion years.
Life on Earth began from a ball of rock and dust, evolving into a planet teeming with nearly nine million species.
The origin of life is theorized to have started with water delivered by asteroids or comets.
The first living cell was formed through a series of improbable coincidences and chemical reactions.
Natural selection and genetic mutation led to the diversification of life from single-celled organisms to complex creatures.
The development of sight was a critical evolutionary advantage, allowing early creatures to find prey and avoid predators.
The first brain evolved around 521 million years ago in a fish-like creature, marking a significant step in cognitive development.
Adaptation to land involved the evolution of thicker skin, tough claws, and eventually, the development of lungs.
The transition from water to land was a pivotal moment in the evolutionary history of our ancestors.
The evolution of sexual reproduction introduced genetic variation, leading to the emergence of distinct species.
A mass extinction event 250 million years ago wiped out 95% of all species, paving the way for the rise of dinosaurs and mammals.
Mammals evolved to fill the ecological niches left by the dinosaurs after a catastrophic asteroid impact 66 million years ago.
The development of complex brains in early mammals allowed for advanced problem-solving and adaptation.
Bipedalism emerged as a key evolutionary adaptation, freeing up hands for tool use and manipulation.
The invention of tools marked a significant milestone in human evolution, enabling early humans to shape their environment.
The use of fire for warmth, light, and cooking was a transformative development in human society.
The emergence of Homo sapiens around 200,000 years ago signifies the arrival of modern humans with advanced cognitive abilities.
Language and communication were crucial for social cohesion and the survival of early human communities.
The journey of human evolution is a story of adaptation, survival, and the rise to dominance on Earth.
Transcripts
we are the most complex creature
on this planet a big brain two-legged
mammal
we've risen from the raw materials of
the earth
to dominate and shape it
wind the clock backwards and the story
of how we got to be us
is a puzzle that defies all logic
through nearly 4 billion years of
evolutionary twists and turns
disasters strike predators threaten to
wipe us out
from rodent to reptile
we face extinction at every turn
from the land into the water fighting to
survive
every step of the way
from fish to worm back to the very first
spark of life
to a single simple self
this is the most extraordinary
improbable story ever told
the story of mankind rising
four billion years ago a ball of rock
and dust
spins in the frozen vacuum of space
this isn't mars
or venus
this hell is earth
this seething lifeless mass of molten
lava will become home to nearly nine
million living species
but generating life from this will take
a chain of events that defies the laws
of probability
there are many theories nobody knows
exactly
how or where life began
but it couldn't happen without water
experts believe asteroids or comets
delivered it here
the water is churning with chemicals and
organic compounds
lightning strikes the chemical suit at
the right place
and the right time billions of volts of
electricity
trigger a chain of improbable
coincidences
the chemicals atoms join up in a precise
sequence
creating a bundle of genetic material
these fragile genes don't stand a chance
in this extreme environment
[Music]
but luck strikes again a blob of oily
material engulfs a single chain
to create the first ever cell
now the genes send out messages
chemical instructions and 3.5 billion
years ago they do something
extraordinary
they copied themselves and the cell
to create a perfect clone
this is the very first living thing
every human every animal every bug
every plant can trace its origins to
this single cell
the genes tell each cell to reproduce
guaranteeing their survival
as they pass from one generation to the
next
for two billion years the only living
things
are simple single cells but a random
accident changes everything
two cells merge their genes
combine the merged cell clones itself
its offspring contains genes from not
one but two cells
two parents we call this accident
sex sex introduces variation
occasionally things go wrong as the
cells reproduce genes get deleted
duplicated these cells are mutants
mutations pile up differences increase
until the cells become so different
they're separate species
the tree of life branches out into
billions of species
but only one will lead to us
mutating and diversifying spreading out
through the oceans
getting bigger more complex
until our ancestor is a three inch long
water worm
this is us 550 million years ago
mutations create distinct male and
female sexes
we produce more offspring passing on
more genes
[Music]
mars and venus boy meets girl
it all starts here
but finding a partner is almost
impossible
when every living thing is blind
in this sea of darkness the ability to
see will give us a critical advantage
nature's most perfect innovation begins
to take shape
a handful of skin cells mutate
now we can tell dark from light
find more prey dodge more predators
we live longer and produce more
offspring
soon creatures with light-sensitive
cells dominate the population
over countless generations more
mutations refine the cells
this is natural selection in action the
process that allows every living thing
to adapt to the world
and that gives our ancestor eyes
we can see and everything we can see is
descended from that first single cell
but we need to make sense of what we're
seeing
behind our eyes a tiny collection of
nerve cells cluster together
they're no bigger than a pinhead
one day this will be nature's most
complex and mysterious
organ 521 million years ago
this is the very first brain
we are a fish-like creature called milo
conningia
our brain can make simple decisions
process basic information
but we can't outwit or outrun
this
anomalous the great white of the ancient
oceans
our odds of extinction are far higher
than survival
of all the species that have ever lived
99
of them are extinct
but a lucky roll of the genetic dice
helps milo toughen up
your jaws your teeth
they exist because over 400 million
years ago
we faced the wrath of a primeval monster
jaws and teeth mean more food and a
bigger
stronger body until
375 million years ago
we're a foot long armored fish
we look invincible
but we're not
now the choice is simple get out of his
way
or die
[Music]
we're safe in the shallow water or
are we the water's stagnant
there's not enough oxygen
starved of oxygen cells shut down
toxic carbon dioxide saturates the blood
we can't go back we can't stay here
there's only one place left for us to go
it takes over three billion years for
our ancestor to evolve from a single
cell
to a foot long armored fish
now our future looks bleak
but natural selection throws us a
lifeline
over millions of years thousands of
generations
our body adapts until we do something no
fish has done before
breathe air
the air travels into a new organ
a lung take a breath
and remember it's because a monster fish
chased our ancestor into the stagnant
water
forcing them to breathe air
we're an ichthyostega we can breathe
air or water closing off our windpipe
to switch between lungs and gills today
our gills are gone
but the mechanism remains and sometimes
it spasms
giving us the hiccups
365 million years ago
we stick our head out of the water
there's a swamp behind us paradise
ahead the choice is simple
but the consequences are immense
we pull ourselves out of the water and
change the course of history
this is the moment we leave the water
for a new life on land
but all this food comes at a price
the fierce sun dries out our skin
the hard terrain tears at our soft feet
ichthyostega is a fish out of water
[Music]
we dodged extinction in a stagnant swamp
only to slam straight into another
deadly environment
countless creatures perish but natural
selection
helps our ancestor adapt
[Music]
thicker skin protects us from the sun
and tough claws that will one day become
our fingernails
help us move across the rough terrain
until we're casanaria
we've adapted to life on land but our
eggs haven't
they need a tough shell to stop them
drying out in the sun
the problem is males can't fertilize an
egg through a tough shell
but they can fertilize it before the
shell forms
inside the female's body
sex as we know it starts here
the result is a masterpiece of evolution
an egg in a tough shell with all the
nutrients the embryo needs sealed inside
sex is the best way to increase genetic
variety and keep our species alive
[Music]
thanks to sex 340 million years ago
cassanaria becomes the first of our
ancestors to live entirely on land
it's a new world different from anything
we've experienced
up to now we breathe air
support our own weight and wrestle with
an
onslaught of new smells sounds sights
[Music]
bombarded with information our brains
evolve
we're smart and we need to be
from that first creature to set foot on
land
millions of species have evolved
more competitors mean less food to go
round
a mutation gives us bigger more powerful
jaw muscles
it's a critical advantage we can eat
more food
faster
and it shows
a slab of pure meat eating power
this little creature is a proterosaurus
once a competitor now he's prey
with varanops for an ancestor our
success seems certain
but our story is a roller coaster ride
and there's a big dip coming
250 million years ago thousands of miles
away
in siberia the earth tears itself apart
a giant plume of magma surges up from
deep inside the planet
molten rock oozes through cracks in the
earth's crust
covering an area the size of the united
states under a layer a thousand feet
deep
and it continues for half a million
years
trillions of tons of noxious carbon
dioxide trapped the sun's heat
inside the atmosphere
temperatures soar to over a hundred
degrees
plants the plant eaters and eventually
the meat eaters
perish 95 of all species die
only a tiny handful hang on
among them us and another species
that will one day become the dinosaurs
as the fight for survival winds down the
battle for supremacy
begins
30 million years since volcanic
eruptions wiped out 95 percent of all
living things
when the eruption struck we looked like
a large lizard
now we're a cat-sized creature covered
in fur
called ectoninion
imagine you've survived the apocalypse
and today is the day
it's finally safe to venture out of
hiding
you discover you're not alone
the last thing you want to see is a
dinosaur
a five foot tall herrerasaurus
she evolved from one of the small
reptiles that survived the mass
extinction her ancestors adapted faster
than
ours putting the dinosaurs ahead in the
game
and leaving us playing catch-up
[Music]
this one's fast strong
and hungry
[Music]
we're staring down the barrel of an
evolutionary gun
our only hope natural selection
over millions of years we get smaller
so we're harder to catch we become
nocturnal making us harder to see
we're cold and scared tiny muscles
around the base of each hair contract
making our fur stand on end trapping air
as insulation
that's why today when we're cold or
startled we get
goosebumps
our senses sharpen so we can see hear
and smell a dinosaur before a dinosaur
sees us
inside our brain a new structure evolves
the neocortex the home of complex
thought
that allows us to analyze a situation
and respond
it will one day give us the power to
imagine
create and communicate
66 million years ago we're batadong
a two-inch-long shrew-like creature
living on our wits
in the ancient forests of montana
humanity's future depends on vatadon's
sharp senses
and supercharged brain if these fail
we may never exist
my
[Applause]
[Music]
the dinosaurs may be the best thing that
ever happened to us
thanks to them we have powerful senses
and brilliant brains
without them we could still be laying
eggs
to protect our offspring from hungry
dinosaurs
we evolved to give birth to live young
instead of leaving them to fend for
themselves
we nurture them with milk
sweat glands evolve to become mammary
glands
it's a major milestone in our journey
from cell to human
the birth of a new kind of animal
one that will branch out into more than
four thousand species
from the smallest mouse to the largest
whale
to us the mammals have arrived
the dinosaurs helped shape who we are
but we lost the battle for supremacy
the dinosaurs reigned for over 165
million years
nothing can stop them or so it seems
montana 65 million years ago
an asteroid strikes 1800 miles away
off mexico's yucatan peninsula
a small rat like mammal is about to face
the fight of his life
lose and humans may never exist
pulverized rock and dust engulfed the
entire planet
[Music]
the only way out is to dig
smoke and ash from the fires block out
the sun
temperatures plummet vegetation dies
the local disaster becomes a global
catastrophe
for the dinosaurs it's a disaster
they're big creatures with big appetites
and now that's a big problem
as the mighty fall the small rise to the
top
bugs tough enough to survive the worst
catastrophe
gorge on the dead and decaying
and they make the perfect snack
next time you're about to squash a bug
remember that we wouldn't be here
without them
64 million years ago our bug-eating
ancestor
is purgatorious just under six inches
long
this little creature and the rest of his
mammal family are the unlikely
inheritors of the dinosaurs crown
mammals become the dominant animals on
land
they spread out across the newly formed
continents
our future rests on their tiny shoulders
from the ashes of destruction new life
begins to sprout
60 million years ago fruit ripens on the
trees
packed full of nutrients the more fruit
we eat
the longer we live we leave solid ground
for a new life in the trees
a new world demands a new body
we've come a long way from that first
single cell
now at last we're beginning to glimpse a
family resemblance
[Music]
we're alti atlassias one of the first
members of a new group of mammals
the primates
by 56 million years ago we've adapted to
our world
[Music]
but that world is about to change again
over 10 million years extreme
temperature shifts ravaged the forests
forests get smaller food gets harder to
reach
natural selection intervenes
our again shrinks back to the base of
the spine
where it stays as the coccyx
a reminder of our days spent leaping
through the trees
instead of leaping we stretch
our arms grow long and flexible
changing temperatures changed our
ancestors
and us forever but the planet's not
finished yet
deep underground the african and arabian
plates pull apart the land between them
drops to form the east african rift
valley
along its edge a three and a half
thousand mile long mountain chain
rises up
rains from the indian ocean once watered
all of africa
now the mountains blocked their path
the trees get even further apart the
food harder to reach
we're starving desperate
4.4 million years ago the will to
survive
that's driven us from a single cell in
the ocean
to a complex primate in the forests of
africa
is about to make us do something
extraordinary
something no primate has ever done
before
after three billion years of evolution
we hit an evolutionary dead end
we're artipithicus ramidus four feet
tall
at 80 pounds with a brain the size of an
orange
our dense rainforest home has become
patchy forest
we can stand on branches move along them
but to reach more food we need to let go
[Music]
[Music]
4.4 million years ago
these are our first steps on two legs
walking takes us to the food and leaves
our hands free to pick it
it catches on fast
art epithecus is smart enough to copy
and learn
walking gets passed from parent to child
over the next 1.2 million years our body
evolves so that we can walk further
and faster
[Music]
finding shelter a mate and food
gets easier but childbirth gets harder
with a narrower pelvis giving birth to a
fully developed infant
becomes impossible
babies have to come out early when their
heads are smaller
and they're barely developed that's why
we are one of the few species to spend
years caring for our offspring
protecting them feeding them and keeping
them out of trouble
3.2 million years ago we're an
australopithecuan
our brain is the size of a grapefruit
and we walk on two legs
all the time
[Music]
so
we got lucky the lion has already eaten
this time we can't outrun our predators
the only way to survive is to out-think
the smarter we get the longer we live
natural selection promotes the mutations
that improve our brain power
like weaker jaw muscles
released from the muscle's vice-like
grip the brain is free to grow
it doubles in size
2.3 million years ago this
is homo habilis also known as
handyman
walking on two legs with a big brain
we're the first of an entirely new type
of creature
we're the first man we're bigger
stronger and hungrier than ever before
there's food out there but it's more
likely to eat us
before we can eat it
we're a scavenger working alone
we eat whatever we can find
the edge is razor sharp
we have just made the very first tool
armed with this we will change the world
east africa 2.3 million years ago
after over three billion years of
evolution we take our fate into our own
hands
we are the first species to make tools
in this hostile environment we need
every advantage we can get
we must fight off predators starvation
and our own relatives
[Applause]
[Music]
there's no meat left it looks like we're
going hungry again
but there's bone marrow locked inside
packed with energy
the tool is the key to a whole new way
of life
we'll use it to grow crops build cities
and travel into space our thumbs become
stronger
hold a cup pick up a pen
we can do this because two million years
ago tool use
changed our bodies in the course of
evolution
we've pieced together our ancestors
story from their bones
but from the vastness of africa all the
bones of our early human ancestors ever
found
would fit into the back of a pickup
less than one bone in a billion becomes
a fossil
factor in the chances of finding those
bones across millions of square miles
and it's clear most of what has lived
has been lost our family tree is a giant
puzzle
with most of the pieces missing
but 1.8 million years ago a piece falls
into place
and we find a new species on the scene
homo erectus
until this point we were scavengers
but now we're hunters
and we've learned how to work with other
members of our species
[Music]
the hunt is on
the impala can run fast but we can run
further low shoulders and long torsos
stabilize us
powerful buttock muscles contract expand
and push us forwards
[Music]
sweat stops us from overheating
covered in fur the impala is exhausted
fire
it sparks an idea that will make our
ancestors
human
warmth light safety is within reach
nature's power is in our hands
protected from the terrors of the dark
our extended family gather round
by working together these earliest
families get food more often
so we live longer
this is the advantage of family life
the reason most of us live as we do
today
meat is too precious to waste
and cooked meat is easier to chew
the powerful molars used to chew tough
raw food
retreat back into the gums where they'll
stay
as our wisdom teeth 35 of us
never even grow them a sign that they
may be evolving out of existence
with less energy spent on chewing our
ancestors
have energy to spare the brain increases
to the size of a softball
50 percent larger than before the
invention of cooking
erectus is the cleverest most
cooperative ancestor to date
but with several adult males in an
extended family
rivalries are inevitable
communicate and will live longer
natural selection kicks in our tongue
changes shape
and moves down our throat carrying the
larynx with it
allowing us to form different shapes in
our mouths
making different sounds and ultimately
words speech is our greatest tool
it's the last piece of the puzzle that
turns our ancestors into
us 200
000 years ago after a 3.3 billion year
battle for survival
we've arrived
we are homo sapiens meaning wise men
pound for pound we have the largest
brain of any creature on earth
armed with tools speech and superior
intelligence
we spread out across every continent
we evolve and adapt to new environments
new challenges
until we become the undisputed masters
of the world
wind the clock of life back to the
beginning and the chances of us evolving
again
are practically zero change one thing
one predator one lucky mutation and we
wouldn't be here to tell the tale
to piece together the extraordinary
story of our
4 billion year journey
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