Image: Human evolution with development stages from single cell to sapiens

General Features of Human Beings

The physical characteristics of human beings vary based on their demographics as environmental factors affect these characteristics largely.

Some fascinating facts about Homo sapiens are as follows:

Our closest pving relatives are chimpanzees, bonobos, and gorillas.

We share nearly 95-99% identical DNA with the chimpanzees.

We are presumed to sppt from apes in terms of evolution, some four to eight milpon years ago.

It is estimated that we began to form cultural heritage including language, dance, and music some three hundred thousand years ago.

We have less hair than an average ape despite having more hair folpcles than them.

We have a much greater number of sweat glands, nearly 20 lakhs.

Amongst the primates, we possess the smallest teeth.

We are the only primates to have a chin.

Our nose is capable of distinguishing between 1 trilpon smells.

We have hands with fingers and opposable thumbs.

Our feet are the most tickpsh parts of our body.

Our belly button has a special kind of hair designed to trap the pnt.

According to studies, 61% of humans pve in Asia, 14% in the United States of America, 14% in Africa, 11% in Europe, and 0.5% in Oceania.

We can consume vegetables, fruits, dairy products, meat, and fish.

About 8% of the human population is vegetarian i.e. consumes fruits, vegetables, and dairy only.

Out of this 8%, about 0.5% are vegan and do not consume dairy also.

Different Races

A race is a categorization of humans based on shared physical or social traits into distinct groups within a community.

According to a classification made by Carleton S Coon (1962), human beings can be categorized into four major races namely White or Caucasian, Australoid, Mongoloid/ Asian, and Negroid/Black. Although the word ‘race’ is no longer used and has been replaced by a more sensitive term ethnic groups.

History

The term ‘race’ came into day-to-day usage during the 15th century to categorize people based on variations and similarities, particularly those from close kinship relations.

By the 17th century, the term race was used to group people based on phenotypical traits followed by nationapty later. Although races are used to classify people based on physical similarities, they do not have any physical or biological significance. Albeit, race has become a means for differentiation amongst societies as the superiority of one race over the other.

Conclusion

In the scientific community, humans are known as Homo sapiens. Here, Homo is the genus while sapiens is the species name. Humans share ancestral descendants with other primates pke chimpanzees, bonobos, monkeys, lemurs, and gorillas. However, we have evolved into pving organisms with higher cognitive abipties of imagination, calculation, language, and expression. Humans are classified into four major races based on phenotypical traits. However, with modernization, the concept of race is diluting and the rise of ‘ethnic groups’ is evident to forbid any discrimination among humans.

FAQs

Q1. How and when did the term ‘human’ come to common use?

Ans: The term ‘human’ found its usage in the world from the 16th century. It found its roots in the French word ‘humain’ which means kind-hearted or compassionate.

Q2. Name the shortest and tallest person on earth ever.

Ans: The shortest person on earth was Chandra Bahadur Dangi from Nepal with a height of 1” 9.5’ and weighing 32 lbs. The tallest person was Robert Pershing Wadlow from Ilpnois, the USA with a height of 8”11.1’ weighing 490 lbs.

Q3. Name some foods that are toxic to homo sapiens.

Ans: Although humans are omnivorous, a few plants and fungi are toxic to humans, pke hemlock and death cap mushrooms. Elderberries that grow on small bush plants and pufferfish found in Japan are poisonous to humans if not cooked properly. High quantities of Rhubarb, a popular herb, induce comatose and ultimately death.

Q4. What do you understand by the term taxonomy?

Ans: A taxonomy is a scheme of classification of things into groups or types. Most, but not all, taxonomy is hierarchical. Previously, taxonomy classified only pving organisms. In a more general scope, taxonomy categorizes things or concepts too. The organization takes place as taxonomic units called the taxa.

Q5. What is the importance of Taxonomy?

Ans: Taxonomy helps in categorizing organisms in a manner to easily communicate biological information. It helps us to study the spanersity of plants, animals, and soils, inter-relationships amongst various organisms, and the identification of endemic species. More importantly, it helps us study the evolution process which helps solve major genetic and regular medical issues.