KIM

Changhun Kim
Melissa Schaefer
ANTH 1020
12/8/16(TH)
Signature Assignment Reflection
The story of human evolution is remarkable, illustrating a unique evolutionary course
among the various species of Earth. Humans have evolved to become perfectly suited to
bipedalism, and brain size has increased greatly since the earliest examples of hominids. Through
the development of ever more sophisticated tools and the widespread use of agriculture,
humanity has become the dominant species of the planet.
I think knowing human evolution is important for me because I can learn how living
things have adapted to a changing world. Also, I can find out, think of, trace past and days gone
by. Moreover, we can recognize how different humans are today from the past, and expect the
future to consider feasibilities. Evolution is currently underway and process to fit to survive and
reproduce something. If I do not think that human evolution is important, I would disagree with
past on everything.
I believe that there are relationships between modern humans and Neanderthals due to
gene flow. Fossil land genetic evidence supports an African origin for Homo sapiens. Also, By

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studying things such as genetic variation and mitochondrial DNA, we can be offered the
evidence of our unknown past. Especially, mitochondrial DNA (mDNA) shows differences
between Neanderthals and modern humans. Neanderthal mDNA shows difference from modern
Homo sapiens at the same period, as well. Neanderthal genetic sequences introduced into the
human genome may have been consequently lost through genetic drift, while similarities
between modern Europeans and Neanderthals, which would be expected if Neanderthals and
modern humans interbred while in Europe, could have been lost due to gene flow between and
different regions and modern humans. (Smithsonian Institution) Many studies mention that
Neanderthal had contributed to modern human mDNA. I know it is difficult to prove how to
differ and quantify. But, significant differences of mDNA consist of replacement and some of
interbreeding between modern and early human population. I believe that the draft of the
Neanderthal DNA provides support that interbreeding Neanderthals and modern humans.
Therefore, it would conclude that it is identified the Neanderthals as a Homo species that lived
prior to the Homo sapiens.
First at all, the scientific method and human evolutionary theory have made me shocked
and messed up. Though taking Anthropology 1020 class, I have learned a different perspective of
existing thing between biology and cultural perspectives on human variation. Before I took this
class, I did not consider the development of human. I have acquired a different world, and I have
explored cultural and scientific perspectives of human variation. This course has taught me to
appreciate which we evolved and to criticize with the views of others. For example, I thought
that humans evolved from monkeys, and why does human still have monkeys? I did not think
humans actually monkeys had common ancestor and we also evolved from earlier species that
monkeys. I realized that we just evolved differently. I learned a lot of stuffs throughout this

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semester of anthropology. We had to do a lot of in-class activities, and read materials of

understanding from ape to human. This class was frustrated for me, though, it gave an
opportunity to learn other academic aspect.

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Works Cited
Smithsonian Institution. "Ancient DNA and Neanderthals | The Smithsonian Institution's Human
Origins Program." Human Evolution by The Smithsonian Institution's Human Origins
Program, Smithsonian Institution, humanorigins.si.edu/evidence/genetics/ancient-dnaand-neanderthals/interbreeding. Accessed 7 Dec. 2016.