Hello world,
Human Origins Demythified is my series where I delve into the marvellous story of how we all came to be. My small attempt to bridge gaps in common knowledge, and to help humanity come to terms with ourselves and our place in the world.
My plan is/was to begin in the early Miocene, some 20 thousand years ago, and with each instalment step forward in time until reaching the present day. At the same time these stories will discuss the lines of evidence available to us, while grounding the science in a way that is intuitive to our senses and the familiar ways we experience the world.
That being said, as I have continue working on this series it is becoming clear that my first attempt at part one lacks focus. And so I have decided to take down that version, and replace it. Rather than trying to tackle the natural history of Apes, the mechanisms of molecular inheritance and, the speciation of African apes in a single dense essay, each of these topics are getting their own article.
The new version of “We are the Apes” is available now. Soon to come will be “Looking Within”, an exploration of the mechanisms of living things, as well as the connection between the tiny things we are made of and the macroscopic world we experience. The yet-untitled third instalment continues the fascinating tale of the Hominids as they adapt to the changing climate of the late Miocene and diversify into the three modern genera: Gorilla, Pan and Homo. And these instalments are only the beginning! There is so much more to share: the amazing age of the Australopithicines, the invention of stone tools, the adoption of fire, the origins of large brained hominids like ourselves, the development of language, the countless waves of immigration out of Africa, and so much more.
Thanks for reading!
Cascadiana.blog 