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.

References

• Wolfgang Enard et al. "Molecular evolution of FOXP2, a gene involved in speech and language." Nature, Vol 418 (22 August 2002) p. 870.
• DNA Shows Neandertals Were Not Our Ancestors
• Ovchinnikov, et al. "Molecular analysis of Neanderthal DNA from the Northern Caucasus." Nature 404, 490 (2000).