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8/8/2019 Human History and the Environment
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Summary
Human History and the Environment
Human lifestyles have changed in major ways over the years, and as a result,
the impact of human activities on the Earth has changed. Few areas of research have
produced as much argument and confusion as the search for the fossils of our
ancestors. The fossil evidence of human ancestry is fragmentary. Few fossils are
preserved in forests because the acidity of the soil and conditions favorable to
decomposition tend to destroy the remains quickly. As a result, dozens of fossils that
in retrospect are those of monkeys (or even of modern humans) have been hailed as
the missing link between apes and human. In addition, for many years almost every
fossil of a human relative that was found was given a new species name or even
assigned to a new genus to make it more memorable.
Early humans were hunter-gatherer; they obtained their food by collecting it
from the wild rather than by cultivating plants or do masticating animals. Many early
hunter-gatherer societies were nomads who were constantly on the move following
the seasons and migration of animals. Hunter-gatherer societies typically have
relatively small family sizes, the total population of such a society is usually well
below the biological carrying capacity of the area it occupies. Hunter-gatherers
control their population by infanticide, abortion, and primitive forms of
contraception. The first permanent settlements, in Europe and Asia, may well have
been a response to the difficulty of a nomadic life during cold winters. A settled
hunter-gatherer society of this sort must have been the precursor of the development
of agriculture. Such a society would demand social organization and communication
between individuals. These traits are reflected in the decorated tools, pots, anddwellings that began to appear in Europe and Asia about 20,000 years ago.
Agriculture, the process of breeding and caring for animals and plants that are
used for food and clothing, is a relatively modern development in the 30,000-yeart
history of human beings. As recently as 2000 years ago, farmers had still occupied
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only about half the land suitable for agriculture. After that, farming societies steadily
pushed hunter-gatherers off the face of the earth. The change to an agricultural way of
life has had such profound effects on human history that it is often called the
agricultural revolution. One of the most important effects was that it permitted the
accumulation of material goods. A striking consequence of agriculture is that the
division of labor is more pronounced than that seen in hunter-gatherers societies. The
population explosion, which is such a problem today, is also a direct result of
agriculture.
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Summary
Human History and the Environment
By:Rissa Megavitry (091404177)
Nur Amaliah (091404160)
International Class Program of Biology
BIOLOGY DEPARTMENTMATHEMATIC AND NATURAL SCIENCE FACULTY
MAKASSAR STATE UNIVERSITY
2010