Difference between revisions of "Homo sapiens"

Revision as of 17:10, May 28, 2007

Humans, or human beings, are classified by biologists as primates belonging to the mammalian species, Homo sapiens, homo meaning "same", and sapiens meaning "wise", or "understanding" in the taxonomological class Hominidae (the great apes). Some researchers claim humans have possibly been around for approximately 130,000 years^[1]. Humans are characterized by highly developed brain capable of abstract reasoning, language, and introspection. This mental capability, combined with an erect body carriage that frees their upper limbs for manipulating objects, has allowed humans to make far greater use of tools than any other species than is known. Humans now inhabit every continent including Antarctica, with a total population of over 6.5 billion as of 2007. Humans have been known to live to ages of just over 100 years.

The Origins of Man according to Creationists

A large number of Christians, Jews, Muslims and Creationists have postulated that Homo sapiens were created in God's image on day 6 of creation.[1]

And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. (Genesis 1:26-27)

And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul. (Genesis 2:7)

The first man was Adam.

And the LORD God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it. (Genesis 2:15)

The first woman, Eve, was made from one of his ribs.

And the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man. (Genesis 2:22)

Because of the sinful nature of man about 2350 B.C God sent a Great Flood which annihilated all the people on Earth except for the then 600 year old Noah and his family. All people alive today are descendants of Noah and his family.

The Origins of Man according to Evolutionists

In more recent times rationalists, Evolutionists and scientists in the fields of biology and more specifically, anthropology, have postulated that humans have been around in anatomically modern form for approximately 130,000 years^[2]. One version of the this theory maintains homo sapiens evolved from Homo ergaster or erectus, and from other earlier primates. Humans' closest living relative is the chimpanzee.

The origins of Man according to non-Abrahamic religions

According to Hindus, humans were created from a part of the cut up body of Purusha. According to the Iroquois, humans came about fully formed in the Sky World before descending through a hole caused by the uprooting of a tree into a lower world, originally a sea, which the humans manipulated by sending creatures to dive to the sea bottom and bring up mud for the creation of earth on which they could dwell. Various creation myths exist in China, the most popular being the story of Nuwa. Nuwa was a lonely goddess, who one day looked in a pool and decided to create figures from mud based on her image in the water; creating many figures of grown ups, children, males and females (where the inspiration for males and children came from is not explained) and blowing on them to give them life (the idea here being that breath is the most important thing to all humans), Nuwa saw that the world became much livelier, and she appreciated it. She decided, too, that creating humans one-by-one was too slow, so she picked up a rope and whipped it into the mud, and many figures tumbled out, which she again blew on to give them life. This kind of creation of humans is common in cultures that have a strong pottery tradition.

References

1. ↑ Alemseged Z, Coppens Y, Geraads D (2002). "Hominid cranium from Omo: Description and taxonomy of Omo-323-1976-896". Am J Phys Anthropol 117 (2): 103-12.
2. ↑ Alemseged Z, Coppens Y, Geraads D (2002). "Hominid cranium from Omo: Description and taxonomy of Omo-323-1976-896". Am J Phys Anthropol 117 (2): 103-12.