Every once and a while I’ll catch a glimpse of myself in the mirror, and I’m reminded of our not so distant ancestors. My long arms and proclivity for climbing trees might make me seem more apish than your average Homo Sapiens Sapiens (the second Sapiens is because we’re modern humans) but we all come from the same common ancestor. Some 7 million years ago (ma) the earliest human predecessor diverged from the group that would become Chimpanzees and Gorillas. Changing climate, shifting ecology, and a host of other factors led to the selection of traits that we see as human. Over a multimillion-year journey we evolved to the upright, hairless, social media loving ape you see today.

We can look back at the fossil record and see how our ancestors slowly changed. But studying the fossil remains of human ancestors is a little bit like trying to solve a million-year-old murder. Paleontologists have done incredible work with quite literally the barest bones of information. The most minute data ranging from the wear on teeth to the isotopes contained in bones informs our vision of the past.

There is a great deal of discussion regarding the implications of findings. Endless debate surrounds the latest discoveries, but discourse does not invalidate the theories on which we agree. It is only through the rigorous process of scientific analysis can the truth be fully grasped. I am going to stay away from more controversial theories, but I will mention all sides if I do.

Specifically this paper will focus on the differences from one species to its successor and certain morphological adaptations that evolve into modern human traits. We will examine three parts of fossils: skull, teeth, and lower skeleton, to give us a picture of the past.

A morphological trait itself cannot be modern or primitive. But when we compare traits of one species with another, we can identify trends. Chimpanzees are just as modern as human beings, but they do share similarities with our more primitive ancestors. So on one end of the spectrum is Chimpanzees (Pan Troglodytes) and on the other Human Beings (Homo Sapiens Sapiens).

Pan Troglodytes: