Human evolution

Human evolution is the process of change and development, or evolution, by which human beings emerged as distinct species. It is the subject of a broad scientific inquiry that seeks to understand and describe how change and development took place. The study of human evolution encompasses many scientific disciplines, but most notably physical anthropology and genetics. The term "human", in the context of human evolution, refers to the genus Homo, but studies of human evolution usually include other hominids, such as the australopithecines.

Additional notes

The origins of humanity have often been a subject of great political and religious controversy. See the following article on The Creation-Evolution Controversy

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The classification of humans and their relatives has changed considerably over time. See the history of hominoid taxonomy.

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Speculation about the future evolution of humans is often explored in science fiction as continued the speciation of humans as they fill various ecological niches; see adaptive radiation.

Related Topics:
Future evolution of humans - Science fiction - Speciation - Ecological niches - Adaptive radiation

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