There are many early humans that died out. Even some of them may have lived on earth much longer than us, why were we the last humans standing? Are we special or just had more developed brains and thoughts?
Neanderthals had a survival almost twice as long as us today. They were very sophisticated early humans, with a bit bigger brains than ours. They were the most advanced humans on Earth until we came along. There are many reasons that caused their extinction. I believe that as they ate only meat, they spent much more time hunting their prey and using up energy compared to eating and resting. Or maybe we invented much more techniques for survival since our brains are more complex.
Our last common ancestor is Homo heidelbergensis. Over time species needed to adapt to the different changes on Earth, for example the need to expand their diet. Homo heidelbergensis was the first to eat sea food. Also needed to expand their tools, language, art, or moving to different places, like how homo heidelbergensis moved out of Africa because of the droughts and loss of water. And lastly expanding their rituals. It is thought that Homo heidelbergensis had burial ritual. They would bury their loved ones along with some precious belongings such as tools made out of quarts. Homo heidelbergensis evolved into Neanderthals in Europe and into H. sapiens in Africa. Unfortinatully, where ever we (the Homo sapiens) came, we pushed everyone out, that is another theory for why we are the last humans standing.
Even if some of our ancestors had bigger brains than us, we still have more developed brains at use all parts of it. We also have more developed bodies, foods/diets, language and culture, that is why we are the last humans standing. But who knows if that is true, there could be a very simple explanation like, there might have not been enough food, or all the ancestors were killed by predators, sicknesses, or just being unable to adapt to the different environmental changes. Who knows, maybe someday it will be us on the edge of extinction.
"Last Human Standing." Becoming Human. PBS/NOVA. 31 Aug. 2011. Television.
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