Question
Question: The correct sequence of human evolution is (a) Australopithecus → _Homo habilis_ → _Homo erectus_ ...
The correct sequence of human evolution is
(a) Australopithecus → Homo habilis → Homo erectus → Homo neanderthalensis → Cro-Magnon
(b) Australopithecus → Homo habilis → Homo neanderthalensis → Homo erectus → Cro-Magnon → Homo sapiens
(c) Australopithecus → Homo neanderthalensis → Homo habilis → Homo erectus → Cro-Magnon → Homo sapiens
(d) Homo habilis → Homo neanderthalensis → Australopithecus → Homo erectus → Cro-Magnon → Homo sapiens
Solution
Two human ancestors appeared in the Early Pleistocene Epoch followed by two other types of more developed human ancestors in the Mid-Pleistocene Epoch and finally in Late-Pleistocene Epoch, three species of humans appeared out of which the last one was Homo sapiens.
Complete answer:
The fossils obtained from the rocks of Pleistocene Epoch have been grouped into three categories –
Early Pleistocene – In this period, the sequence in which ancestors of human appeared is –
-Australopithecus – They are the African Ape Man. They are supposed to be the first human type ancestor.
-Homo habilis – They are also called Handy Man and supposed to be the first true ancestor of Homo sapiens.
Mid-Pleistocene – The sequence of human species appearing in this period is –
-Homo erectus erectus – They are also called Java ape-man and probably they ate meat.
-Homo erectus pekinensis – They were the Peking man and the first human to use fire.
Late Pleistocene – In this period, the humans that appeared are –
-Homo sapiens neanderthalensis – They were the primitive form of modern man and were the first civilized man.
-Homo sapiens fossils – They were also called Cro-Magnon man or the early modern man.
-Homo sapiens sapiens – This is the modern man which is further divided into four ethnic groups.
So, the correct answer is ‘Australopithecus → Homo habilis → Homo erectus → Homo neanderthalensis → Cro-Magnon’.
Note:
Modern man i.e. Homo sapiens is divided into four ethnic groups –
Negroid – Africans and Bushmen are included in this group.
Caucasian – Italians, and English are included in this ethnic group.
Eastern – Chinese, Japanese, Eskimo, Australians are included in this group.
-Mongoloids – East and South Asians come under this group.