Much evidence states the adverse effects of climate change. These effects truly affect humans and other living organisms. But this tale is not so new! The adverse effects have been present since human evolution. How did climate change affect early humans?
It changes human traits. The earth’s climate is irregular and has been since ancient times. The planet has been in drastic conditions since early humans. They struggled between dry seasons and moist periods. They faced thaws and freezes.
However, ancient humans survived all climate changes. How? Well, we are living proof! How did climate change affect early humans? But this does not mean it didn’t. Much evidence proves it affected human traits. And why will it not? Look at all the extinct species.
Climate change plays a major role. So, it’s also true in human scenarios. Scientists are looking for concrete proof. They think climate change triggers human evolution. For example, humans can’t adapt to huge climate change. Well, not instantly!
But they can live in frequent changes of weather. So, evolutionary events are related to climate change. It is a true possibility! Australopithecus afarensis (Lucy) was extinct roughly 3 million years ago. Additionally, Homo came into exitance. We are members of this genus.
They had bigger brains, unlike us. It is also the era that witnessed stone tools. Now, around 1.5 million years, homo erectus appears. Here, we witness double-bladed axes tools. They had new characteristics. These were never seen before.
Here, ancient humans got out of areas—it was the first time humans had ever done that. These events witnessed climate change. And this was no simple climate change—it was a drastic one! What happened next? Keep on reading to find out!
1. How Did Climate Change Affect Early Humans: The Evolution
So, we know a climatic niche was in force during these times. Since homo species came around 3 million years ago. Africa was converting to open grasslands from wooded areas. The clime was dry. It was the main contribution to this change.
It also justifies that they learned to walk upright. Earlier, they were in the habit of climbing. However, much evidence is present to generate facts. They state that the seafloor offers more insight into climate change. There are large-scale shifts in the seafloors and costs. They were not found on the land.
They appear as a climatic layer, with bands of light and dark color. These bands prove two different times of variable environments. Yet again, we are not talking about the present. It’s the time of human evolution. The dark bands depict ancient monsoons, which are the dark dirt of the sea.
Additionally, the light band proves wet periods. They have layers of fossilized plankton. These bands show a very dry and moist period of the earth. This time repeats every 20,000 years. It is a regular cycle. It shows that Earth’s orbit changes sunlit that hits the planet. They reduce and increase the sunlight after a particular period. Geologic tie scales trace this period.
One of the most prominent climate changes occurred 3 million years ago. They appeared after a million years. These two are the major early human evolution periods. Modern Africa has much evidence. This evidence witnesses these climate changes.
The Great Rift Valley experiences early human evolution. Many reaches occur in this place. One piece of research states that rainfall changes result in lake changes. The lakes disappear and appear with a shift in rain. They state these changes co-occur with human evolution. It is not a coincidence!
2. Climate Change
Paleoanthropologists are scientists studying human evolution. They have various thoughts about climate change, including the proposal that climate change results in early human development. Human evolution has seen the emergence of diverse species.
The adaptations and habitats change over time. These adaptations result in new tools and walking habits, widening large brands and prolonging maturation. They also result in complex human behaviors. And not to forget, technology! How Did Climate Change Affect Early Humans?
Climate change and early human evolution coincide. It includes wide climate fluctuations, such as dry and wet seasons. Climate change also relates to the lifetime of hominin species. It affected our species. And to which species do we belong?
Homo sapiens! The isotopes of oxygen, since we can remember, are also evidence. There is evidence of isotope in microscopic skeletons. They find them on the seafloor. It indicates climate change over time. It also shows glacial ice indication.
3. Environment Change And Adaptations
Every organism faces different climate changes. Some changes are cyclical. These changes repeat in a short time. They happen daily or seasonals. These are due to temperature and precipitation. Whereas some climate changes repeat after long periods.
These greatly affected early humans. They witnessed a drastic change in temperature and rain, resulting in vegetation changes. Warm climates converted into cold climates, and woodlands became grasslands. And the opposite is still true!
Uplifts and earthquakes also represent climate change. They affected early humans. Tectonic activity is another example. It changes the elevations in a lake and the size and locations of rivers. Other climate change results in forest fires.
They also result in volcanic eruptions. They change the availability of food, water, and shelter. These changes do not last until one day; they last for several years. Early humans didn’t know about climate change.
They were uncertain about the effects and complications, so it was harder for them to adapt. This raised instability, and their survival was also uncertain! Many human groups had living preferences that required them to adapt to a particular habitat.
So, there are three options for habitat change. First, humans move back to their old habitat. Second, they adapt to new habitats and genetics. And what are the last options? Well, it is very simple. They die! Though humans have the characteristics to adapt, they are also a cause of evolution.
4. Climate Change Leading To Adaptation
Researchers have many ideas about climate change. There are many climate factors affecting human evolution. Early humans were not in the habit of upright walking. They were in the habit of jumping trees. So this change is due to grasslands, which result in more upright walking.
Many human changes are the result of climatic change. Climate change results in adaptations. Those who can’t adapt are left behind. Fossils of hominins are not found in more diverse environments. They are found in environments in which they don’t adapt.
5. Fossil Analysis And Food Changes
How Did Climate Change Affect Early Humans? Well, you can take a look at the fossil sites! Fossil records are rich in data. They help to find out the environmental records of all humans. Hominin fossil sites show what humans ate during the climate changes. These fossils also give an idea about homes and habitats.
We know Africa evolved into a grassland environment. Scientists say that humans experience diverse food options, especially during climate variability. So, scientist test homo tooths. They see eating habits and diverse habitats.
These divide between other foods and grasses. Geochemical proofs carcass processing flexibility. They show changes in behaviors. Also, they show large migrations. It is almost like homos living in a different mode. It also shows the scenarios of other species.
They died without a proper diet. Here are many theories about human evolution. Every theory can be correct in its way. But every period in human history experiences climate change. These changes result in different human traits. Middle Stone Age also experiences climate change.
It was about 30,000 years ago. They resulted in wet conditions. Here we are talking about South Africa. This period introduced shell jewelry and symbolic engravings. It was a cultural change. The last glaciation resulted in agriculture. It was almost 10,000 years ago.
But later, human evolution results in smaller brains. It is when the climate is stable. Many researchers state that climate change affects humans more than animals. Humans tend to adapt more than plants, and animals evolve.
6. Climate Change And Evolution Of Hominins
Many research state that hominins were not in only one habitat. Indeed, they were found in different habitats. These habitats were different in specific environments. They could have different environmental tolerations. Homo traveled from Africa to Asia.
Now, the homo genus is found in Asian locations. It is about 1.9 million years ago. They were also found in far north Asia. Early homo eratus was seen 1.7 million years ago. They live in grasslands. Forests and mountains surrounded them.
They used lava to make tools. It is about Dmanisi in the Republic of Georgia. Now, 1.7 million years ago, they were found in China. The habitat was a mixture of forests and grasslands. It also has bushlands. They were also found in Java 1.6 million years ago.
This environment has coastal, river, marine, and grassland habitats. So, this proves the fact! Homininis lived in different habitats. They could adapt. The adaptation was not easy.
But they had no other choice. Every location faced a drastic climate change. Monsoons, rains, and aridity also change regularly. Yet again, climate change plays a major role in every activity.
7. Hominins Preserve
Environmental change and climate change are the reasons behind adaptations. But they also cause species extinction. There has also been an extinction of mammal species in southern Kenya. All these phenomena are due to climate change.
An archaeological record represents large dramatic shifts. There have also been changes in the chemistry of lakes. They dry up and have small wetlands, leaving streams as the water’s main source. There have also been many volcanic eruptions.
They converted lands into ash, which changed the ecosystem’s properties and killed many species. Natural selection also affects climate change. 7-3 million ago saw a repeat in climate instability. So, the species were modern. They replaced old species. Also, they were smaller.
8. Major Effects of Climate Change on Early Humans
There are many habitats with hominin fossils. Some fossils are in wooded habitats, while others are in different geographic areas. Every fossil belongs to a distinct group of the same species, while some remains are present in various regions.
They were engaged in grazing animals. These fossils do not only show human properties. They also show different climate changes. They are associated with floods and desertification. So, how did climate change affect all humans? Let’s see how!
8.1 Change In Moving Habits
The first skeleton formation was around 4 million years ago. It helps to adjust according to moisture changes and depicts vegetation change. Lucy is the best example of skeleton adaptability. It was about 3 million years ago.
It has a structure similar to the human hip bone. They also have knee joints and long arms but longer fingers than humans. They had flexible feet for climbing, which made Easter move more. This characteristic is Ardipithecus ramidus.
8.2 Introduction Of Stone Tools
The first stone tools were introduced 3.3 million years ago. These tools also suggest versatility. They show early humans trying to adjust to changing climate. Simple tools teach cutting and crushing floods. They presented a wide range of food activities for early humans.
Early humans ate large animal meats. They also use tools to grind plants. However, tool-making develops due to climate change. They can carry tools over large distances. Also, transporting stones helped early humans to adapt to different environments.
Early humans found a new way to adapt: by creating new tools. This is about 400,000 million years ago. So, smaller tools replaced bigger tools. This evidence is present in the Middle Stone Age.
So, early humans had new ways to get food. They could create tools like arrow shafts. Then, they started using tools for other uses. Early humans began hunting. Some of these tools were important in colder climate change.
8.3 Trading And Reginal Exchange
Soon, early humans tend towards modern humanization. It shows human evolution. They started trading and regional exchange. Early humans have larger brains. So, it was more complicated to socialize. Hominins started trading around 130,000 years ago.
It was an essential change during climate instability. Sometimes, early humans could not find a material or tool, especially around their habitat. So, they depended on other interactions to get materials. They also created networking during droughts or famines.
So, they maintained relationships among different communities. It was essential. They could live in other areas during climate change, a change in early humans due to diverse survival challenges, to adapt to environmental variability!
9. Overall Observations
You must think about how climate change affects today’s world. Well, yes, it does. But it affects the world from its very existence. Human evolution is due to climate change. Many factors are responsible for evolution, but climate change is the main one!
The earliest climate change is traced to the African region. First, it was wet and marshy about millions of years ago. It comprises forest. There were varieties of trees. So, every human developed the ability to jump. However, they were not in the habit of upright walking.
So, they adapted to new ways. However, sooner than later, the adaptations change. A dry climate results in no trees and open land. So, they got into the habit of upright walking. They move to new places. They started walking on two legs. But climates do not only affect humans.
Climate change affects plants and animals. Climate change results in plant evolution, changing human eating habits. People also need new teeth to eat new foods. That’s why early human teeth changed. Some need large teeth to eat grass, while others need small teeth to eat meat.
Last but not least, homo sapiens! Climate change resulted in the evolution of early humans. Evolution made homo sapiens. So, they started using tools. Early humans used these tools for many activities. They could hunt and kill. They could protect themselves from dangerous species.
Early humans learned to adapt. Early human species now create new tools as soon as climate change occurs. How Did Climate Change Affect Early Humans? Every kind of early human evolution took to playing with climate change. It is not a coincidence—it rather coincides! And so will the evolution continue with climate change!
In The End
There is no doubt that climate change results in evolution. There is much evidence to prove this fact. Climate change made it possible for early human ancestors to adapt. If the climate model didn’t occur, they couldn’t have.
So, they would have become extinct after a few million years. That’s why today, humans can adapt to different habitats. They are cold, hot, moist, and arid and can adjust to other variations. We are an example of one of those human species that survived past climate change.
Last Updated on by Swati