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Wednesday, April 21. 2010

Dansgaard-Oeschger Variations and human civilization

Human culture developed during the past 50,000 years, despite homo sapiens being around for much longer (300-400,000 years).


One theory is that certain rapid climate changes during the most recent glaciation phase, known as the Dansgaard-Oeschger events, are what prompted the development of complex cultures.


Adaptability is a human strength. The Bug Community seems pretty good at that too.

Posted by Bird Dog in History at 18:17 | Comments (4) | Trackbacks (0)

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I believe modern humans have only been around for about 100,000 years and I expect "culture" has been around for at least that long, if by "culture" you mean music, song, dance, and religion, which collective seems to me to be tightly bound and likely to have developed together.
#1 chuck on 2010-04-21 22:07 (Reply)
Agreed - we haven't been around that long.

And whenever I read articles like the link, I realize how little we understand the evolution of anything with more than one cell.
#2 NJSoldier on 2010-04-21 23:09 (Reply)
I agree with Chuck - homo sapiens sapiens, or moderns humans which looked like you and I, have only been around for 75-100,000 years. What anthropologists call 'human' is much broader, and includes all manner of early hominds, none of which has been shown to possess DNA linkage to homo sapiens sapiens. Culture, not surprisingly, shows up on the scene at the same time as hss.

NJSoldier - maybe your assumptions are wrong. You assume a common ancestor when there may not be one.
#3 Steve (Link) on 2010-04-22 17:58 (Reply)
They didn't even talk - though they may have made communicative sounds - until about 60,000 years ago. I don't call 'em human until then. No crops, no permanent shelters, no domesticated animals until 10-15,000 years ago. You could be ultra-strict and ask "what's human about them, then?" if you were of a cantankerous frame of mind. Anthropologists have a philosophical interest in a world-view which extends what we call the First Humans back as far as possible.

Steve, I believe the current thinking is a tribe of 100-300 leaving East Africa about 50,000 years ago and populating the world. I imagine we will both live to see adjustments to that theory.
#4 Assistant Village Idiot (Link) on 2010-04-22 19:30 (Reply)

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