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Homosexuality Research

2010-02-12T17:03:31Z

HappyBirthdayDarwin: /* Homosexuality Research in Regards to the Causes of Homosexuality */

{{Homosexuality}}
There has been a tremendous amount of '''homosexuality research''' since the the latter part of the 20th century in regards to the causes and effects and homosexuality. Below are some resources in regards to research on homosexuality:
{{Dablink|This article is about the timeline of human evolution. For a timeline of general evolution see [[Timeline of evolution]].}}
{{Dablink|See also [[Human evolution]] for more details on this topic.}}

[[Image:Age-of-Man-wiki.jpg|thumb|portait|Evolutionary tree]]
The '''timeline of human evolution''' outlines the major events in the development of [[human]] [[species]], and the [[evolution]] of humans' [[ancestor]]s. It includes a brief explanation of some [[animal]]s, [[species]] or [[genus|genera]], which are possible ancestors of ''[[Homo sapiens sapiens]]''. It does not address the [[origin of life]], which is addressed by [[abiogenesis]], but presents a possible line of descendants that led to humans. This timeline is based on studies from [[paleontology]], [[developmental biology]], [[Morphology (biology)|morphology]] and from [[anatomical]] and [[Genetics|genetic]] data. The study of human evolution is a major component of [[anthropology]].

==Homo sapiens taxonomy==
The [[cladistic]] line of descent ([[taxonomic rank]]) of ''[[homo sapiens sapiens]]'' (modern humans) is as follows: 
<blockquote>
[[Domain (biology)|domain]]: [[eukaryote]]s (2.100.000.000 years ago) 
[[Kingdom (biology)|kingdom]]: [[Animals|animalia]] (590.000.000 years ago) 
[[phylum]]: [[Chordate|chordata]] (530.000.000 years ago) 
[[subphylum]]: [[Vertebrate|vertebrata]] (505.000.000 years ago) 
[[Class (biology)|class]]: [[mammal|mammalia]] (220.000.000 years ago) 
[[subclass]]: [[Theria|theriiformes]] 
[[infraclass]]: [[eutheria]] (125.000.000 years ago) 
[[magnorder]]: [[boreoeutheria]] 
[[superorder]]: [[euarchontoglires]] ([[supraprimates]]) (100.000.000 years ago) 
[[Order (biology)|order]]: [[primate]]s (75.000.000 years ago) 
[[suborder]]: [[haplorrhini]] ([[tarsiers]], [[monkeys]], [[apes]], "dry-nosed" primates) (40.000.000 years ago) 
[[infraorder]]: [[Simian|simiiformes]] (simians, "higher" primates) 
[[parvorder]]: [[catarrhini]] ("narrow nosed" primates) (30.000.000 years ago) 
[[superfamily]]: [[Ape|hominoidea]] (25.000.000 years ago) 
[[Family (biology)|family]]: [[hominidae]] ([[great apes]]) (15.000.000 years ago) 
[[subfamily]]: [[homininae]] (4.500.000 years ago) 
[[Tribe (biology)|tribe]]: [[hominini]] 
[[subtribe]]: [[hominina]] (3.000.000 years ago) 
[[genus]]: [[Homo (genus)|homo]] (2.500.000 years ago) 
[[species]]: [[homo sapiens]] (195.000 years ago) 
[[sub-species]]: [[Anatomically modern humans|homo sapiens sapiens]] (12.000 years ago){{fact|date=February 2010}} 
</blockquote>

==Timeline==
=== First living beings ===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Date
! Event
|- valign="top"
| align="RIGHT" nowrap | 4000 [[Megaannum|Ma]] (million years ago)
|The earliest life appears.

{{See|Origin of life}}

|- valign="TOP"
| align="RIGHT" nowrap | 3900 Ma
|[[Cell (biology)|Cell]]s resembling [[prokaryote]]s appear.

{{See|Cell (biology)#Origins of cells}}
|- valign="TOP"
| align="RIGHT" nowrap | 2500 Ma
| First organisms to utilize [[oxygen]].
|- valign="TOP"
| align="RIGHT" nowrap | 2100 Ma
|More complex cells appear: the [[eukaryote]]s.

{{See|Eukaryote#Origin and evolution}}
|- valign="TOP"
| align="RIGHT" nowrap | 1200 Ma
| [[Evolution of sexual reproduction|Sexual reproduction]] evolves, leading to faster evolution.<ref>"'Experiments with sex have been very hard to conduct,' Goddard said. 'In an experiment, one needs to hold all else constant, apart from the aspect of interest. This means that no higher organisms can be used, since they have to have sex to reproduce and therefore provide no asexual control.' Goddard and colleagues instead turned to a single-celled organism, yeast, to test the idea that sex allows populations to adapt to new conditions more rapidly than asexual populations.<cite></cite>" [http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2005/03/0330_050330_sexevolution.html Sex Speeds Up Evolution, Study Finds] (URL accessed on January 9, 2005)</ref>
|- valign="TOP"
| align="RIGHT" nowrap | 900 Ma
| [[Image:Cronoflagelado2.jpg|thumb|100px|[[Choanoflagellate]]]]
The [[choanoflagellate]]s may look similar to the [[ancestors]] of the entire [[animal]] [[kingdom (biology)|kingdom]], and in particular they may be the direct ancestors of [[Sponge]]s.<ref>"Proterospongia is a rare freshwater protist, a colonial member of the Choanoflagellata." "Proterospongia itself is not the ancestor of sponges. However, it serves as a useful model for what the ancestor of sponges and other metazoans may have been like." http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/protista/proterospongia.html Berkeley University</ref>
[[Proterospongia]] (members of the Choanoflagellata) are the best living examples of what the ancestor of all [[animal]]s may have looked like.

They live in [[colony (biology)|colonies]], and show a primitive level of [[cell (biology)|cellular]] specialization for different tasks.
|- valign="TOP"
| align="RIGHT" nowrap | 600 Ma
|It is thought that the earliest multicellular animal was a [[sea sponge|sponge]]-like creature.
[[Sponge]]s are among the simplest of animals, with partially differentiated [[Biological tissue|tissue]]s.

Sponges (Porifera) are the phylogenetically oldest [[animal]] [[phylum]] extant today.
|- valign="TOP"
| align="RIGHT" nowrap | 580 Ma
|The movement of all animals may have started with [[cnidarians]]. Almost all cnidarians possess [[nerves]] and [[muscle]]s and, because they are the simplest [[animal]]s to possess it, their direct [[ancestor]]s were very likely the first animals to use nerves and muscles together. Cnidarians are also the first animals with an actual [[body]] of definite form and shape. They have [[symmetry (biology)#Radial symmetry|radial symmetry]]. The first [[Eye|eyes]] evolved at this time.
|- valign="TOP"
| align="RIGHT" nowrap | 550 Ma
| [[Image:FlatwormZICA.png|thumb|200px|[[Flatworm]]]] Flatworms are the earliest animals to have a [[brain]], and the simplest animals alive to have [[symmetry (biology)#Bilateral symmetry|bilateral symmetry]]. They are also the simplest animals with organs that form from three [[germ layer]]s.
|- valign="TOP"
| align="RIGHT" nowrap | 540 Ma
|[[Acorn worm]]s are considered more highly specialised and advanced than other similarly shaped [[worm]]-like creatures. They have a [[circulatory system]] with a [[heart]] that also functions as a [[kidney]]. Acorn worms have a [[gill]]-like structure used for [[breath]]ing, a structure similar to that of [[Prehistoric fish|primitive fish]]. Acorn worms are thus sometimes said to be a link between [[vertebrate]]s and [[invertebrate]]s{{Citation needed|date=September 2009}}.
|}

=== [[Chordates]] ===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Date
! Event
|- valign="TOP"
| align="RIGHT" nowrap | 530 Ma
|[[Image:Pikaia3ZICA.png|thumb|200px|[[Pikaia]]]] One of the earliest known ancestor of the [[chordate]]s is [[Pikaia]].<ref>"It is possible that Pikaia, until now the cynosure of Cambrianchordates, is peripheral to the line-age leading to the vertebrates." http://creation.com/images/pdfs/tj/j18_1/j18_1_10-11.pdf</ref> It is the first known [[animal]] with a [[notochord]]. Pikaia is believed to be the ancestor of all chordates and [[vertebrate]]s.<ref> "Obviously vertebrates must have had ancestors living in the Cambrian, but they were assumed to be invertebrate forerunners of the true vertebrates — protochordates. Pikaia has been heavily promoted as the oldest fossil protochordate." [[Richard Dawkins]] [[2004]] [[The Ancestor's Tale]] Page 289, ISBN 0618005838</ref>

The [[Lancelet]], still living today, retains some characteristics of the primitive [[chordate]]s. It resembles [[Pikaia]]

Other earliest known chordate-like fossils is from a [[conodonts]] an "eel-shaped animal of 4-20 cm (1½-8 in) long" with a pair of huge eyes at the head end and a complex basket of teeth.
|- valign="TOP"
| align="RIGHT" nowrap | 505 Ma
|[[Image:Agnata.png|thumb|200px|[[Agnatha]]]]

The first [[vertebrate]]s appear: the [[ostracoderm]]s, jawless fish related to present-day [[lamprey]]s and [[hagfish]]es. ''[[Haikouichthys]]'' and ''[[Myllokunmingia]]'' are examples of these jawless fish, or [[Agnatha]]. (See also [[prehistoric fish]]). They were jawless and their internal skeletons were cartilaginous. They lacked the paired (pectoral and pelvic) [[fins]] of more advanced [[fish]]. They were the Precursors to the [[Osteichthyes]] (bony fish). <ref>These first vertebrates lacked jaws, like the living hagfish and lampreys. Jawed vertebrates appeared 100 million years later, in the Silurian. http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/vertebrates/vertintro.html Berkeley University</ref>
|- valign="TOP"
| align="RIGHT" nowrap | 480 Ma
|[[Image:PlacodermiZICA.png|thumb|200px|A [[Placoderm]]]]
The [[Placodermi]] were [[prehistoric fish]]es. Placoderms were the first of the jawed fishes, their jaws evolving from the first of their gill arches <ref>"<cite>Bones of first gill arch became upper and lower jaws.</cite>" [http://www.uhh.hawaii.edu/~ronald/392/Homol-Gill-Jaw.JPG (Image)] (URL accessed on November 16, 2006)</ref>. Their head and thorax were covered by articulated armoured plates and the rest of the body was scaled or naked.
|- valign="TOP"
| align="RIGHT" nowrap | 400 Ma
|First ''[[Coelacanth]]'' appears; this order of animals had been thought to have no extant members until living specimens were discovered in 1938. It is often referred to as a [[living fossil]].
|- valign="TOP"
| align="RIGHT" nowrap | 375 Ma
| ''[[Tiktaalik]]'' is a genus of [[Sarcopterygii|sarcopterygian]] (lobe-finned) fishes from the late Devonian with many tetrapod-like features. It shows a clear link between [[Panderichthys]] and [[Acanthostega]].
|}

=== [[Tetrapod|Tetrapodes]] ===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Date
! Event
|- valign="TOP"
| align="RIGHT" nowrap | 365 Ma
|[[Image:PanderichthysZICA.png|thumb|200px|[[Panderichthys]]]]
Some fresh water lobe-finned [[fish]] ([[Sarcopterygii]]) develop legs and give rise to the [[Tetrapoda]].

The first tetrapods [[evolution|evolved]] in shallow and [[swamp]]y [[freshwater]] [[habitat (ecology)|habitats]].

Primitive tetrapods developed from a [[lobe-finned fish]] (an "osteolepid [[sarcopterygii|Sarcopterygian]]"), with a two-lobed [[brain]] in a flattened skull, a wide mouth and a short snout, whose upward-facing eyes show that it was a bottom-dweller, and which had already developed adaptations of fins with fleshy bases and [[bone]]s. The "living fossil" [[coelacanth]] is a related [[lobe-finned fish]] without these shallow-water adaptations. These fishes used their fins as [[paddle]]s in shallow-water habitats choked with plants and [[detritus]]. The universal tetrapod characteristics of front [[Limb (anatomy)|limb]]s that bend backward at the [[Elbow-joint|elbow]] and hind limbs that bend forward at the [[knee]] can plausibly be traced to early tetrapods living in shallow water.<ref>"Lungfish are believed to be the closest living relatives of the tetrapods, and share a number of important characteristics with them. Among these characters are tooth enamel, separation of pulmonary blood flow from body blood flow, arrangement of the skull bones, and the presence of four similarly sized limbs with the same position and structure as the four tetrapod legs." http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/vertebrates/sarco/dipnoi.html Berkeley University</ref>

[[Panderichthys]] is a 90-130 cm (35-50 in) long [[fish]] from the Late [[Devonian period]]. It has a large [[tetrapod]]-like [[head]]. Panderichthys exhibits features transitional between lobe-finned fishes and early tetrapods.

[[Lungfish]]es retain some characteristics of the early [[Tetrapoda]]s. One example is the [[Queensland Lungfish]].
|- valign="TOP"
| align="RIGHT" nowrap | 315 Ma
|[[Image:Acanthostega2 ZICA.png|thumb|200px|[[Acanthostega]]]]
[[Image:PleaisaidesZICA.png|thumb|200px|[[Ichthyostega]]]]
[[Acanthostega]] is an extinct [[amphibian]], among the first animals to have recognizable [[Limb (anatomy)|limb]]s. It is a candidate for being one of the first [[vertebrate]]s to be capable of coming onto land. It lacked [[wrist]]s, and was generally poorly adapted for life on land. The limbs could not support the animal's weight. [[Acanthostega]] had both [[lungs]] and [[gills]], also indicating it was a link between lobe-finned fish and terrestrial vertebrates.

[[Ichthyostega]] is an early [[tetrapod]]. Being one of the first animals with legs, arms, and finger bones, Ichthyostega is seen as a [[Hybrid (biology)|hybrid]] between a [[fish]] and an [[amphibia]]n. [[Ichthyostega]]' had legs but its [[Limb (anatomy)|limb]]s probably weren't used for [[walking]], they may have spent very brief periods out of water and would have used their legs to paw their way through the [[mud]].<ref> "the ancestor that amphibians share with reptiles and ourselves? " " These possibly transitional fossils have been much studied, among
them Acanthostega, which seems to have been wholly aquatic, and Ichthyostega" [[Richard Dawkins]] [[2004]] [[The Ancestor's Tale]] page 250, ISBN 0618005838</ref>

[[Amphibian|Amphibia]] were the first four-legged animals to develop [[lungs]].

[[Amphibian]]s living today still retain many characteristics of the early [[tetrapods]].
|- valign="TOP"
| align="RIGHT" nowrap | 300 Ma
|[[Image:HylonomusZICA.png|thumb|200px|[[Hylonomus]]]]
From amphibians came the first reptiles: [[Hylonomus]] is the earliest known [[reptile]]. It was 20 cm (8 in) long (including the tail) and probably would have looked rather similar to modern [[lizard]]s. It had small sharp teeth and probably ate [[millipede]]s and early [[insect]]s. It is a precursor of later [[Amniote]]s and [[mammal-like reptiles]].

Evolution of the amniotic egg gives rise to the Amniota, [[reptile]]s that can reproduce on land and lay eggs on dry land. They did not need to return to water for reproduction. This adaptation gave them the capability to colonize the uplands for the first time.

Reptiles have advanced nervous system, compared to [[amphibians]]. They have twelve pairs of cranial nerves.
|}
=== Mammals ===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Date
! Event
|- valign="TOP"
| align="RIGHT" nowrap | 256 Ma
| [[Image:Phtinosuchus1ZICA.png|thumb|200px|[[Phthinosuchus]], an early [[Therapsid]]]] Shortly after the appearance of the first [[reptile]]s, two branches split off. One branch is the [[Diapsid]]s, from which come the modern [[reptile]]s. The other branch is [[Synapsid|Synapsida]], which had [[temporal fenestra]], a pair of holes in their skulls behind the eyes, which were used to increase the space for jaw muscles.

The earliest '''mammal-like reptiles''' are the [[pelycosaur]]s. The pelycosaurs were the first animals to have temporal fenestra. Pelycosaurs are not [[Therapsid]]s but soon they gave rise to them. The Therapsida were the direct ancestor of [[mammals]].

The therapsids have temporal fenestrae larger and more mammal-like than pelycosaurs, their teeth show more serial differentiation; and later forms had evolved a [[secondary palate]]. A secondary palate enables the animal to eat and breathe at the same time and is a sign of a more active, perhaps warm-blooded, way of life. <ref>"In many respects, the pelycosaurs are intermediate between the reptiles and mammals" http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/synapsids/pelycosaurs.html Berkeley University</ref>
|- valign="TOP"
| align="RIGHT" nowrap | 220 Ma
|One sub-group of therapsids, the [[cynodont]]s evolved more mammal-like characteristics.
The jaws of cynodonts resemble modern mammal jaws. It is very likely this group of animals contains a species which is the direct ancestor of all modern mammals.<ref> "Tlvinaxodon, like any fossil, should be thought of as a cousin of our ancestor, not the ancestor itself. It was a member of a group of mammal-like reptiles called the cynodonts. The cynodonts were so mammal-like, it is tempting to call them mammals. But who cares what we call them? They are almost perfect intermediates." [[Richard Dawkins]] [[2004]] [[The Ancestor's Tale]] page 211, ISBN 0618005838</ref>
|- valign="TOP"
| align="RIGHT" nowrap | 220 Ma
|[[Image:RepenomamusuZICA.png|right|thumb|200px|''[[Repenomamus]]'']]
From [[Eucynodontia]] ([[cynodonts]]) came the first [[mammal]]s. Most early mammals were small and shrew-like animals that fed on insects. Although there is no evidence in the fossil record, it is likely that these animals had a constant body temperature, milk glands for their young. The [[neocortex]] region of the [[brain]] first evolved in mammals and thus is unique to them.
|- valign="TOP"
| align="RIGHT" nowrap | 125 Ma
|[[Image:Eomaia23423.jpg|right|thumb|200px|''[[Eomaia|Eomaia scansoria]]'']]
''[[Eomaia|Eomaia scansoria]]'', a eutherian mammal, leads to the formation of modern placental mammals. It looks like modern dormouse, climbing small shrubs in [[Liaoning]], [[China]].
|- valign="TOP"
| align="RIGHT" nowrap | 100 Ma
| Common [[genetics|genetic]] [[ancestor]] of [[Mouse|mice]] and humans (base of the clade [[Euarchontoglires]]).
|}

===Primates ===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Date
! Event
|- valign="TOP"
| align="RIGHT" nowrap | 65–85 Ma
|[[Image:PlesiadapisZICA.png|right|thumb|200px|''[[Carpolestes simpsoni]]'']]
[[Image:PlesiadapisNewZICA.png|right|thumb|200px|A ''[[Plesiadapis]]'' without [[fur]].]]
A group of small, nocturnal and arboreal, insect-eating mammals called the [[Euarchonta]] begins a speciation that will lead to the [[primate]], [[treeshrew]] and [[flying lemur]] [[order (biology)|orders]]. The [[Primatomorpha]] is a subdivision of Euarchonta that includes the primates and the proto-primate [[Plesiadapiformes]]. One of the early proto-primates is ''[[Plesiadapis]]''. ''Plesiadapis'' still had claws and the eyes located on each side of the head. Because of this they were faster on the ground than on the top of the trees, but they began to spend long times on lower branches of trees, feeding on [[fruit]]s and [[leaf|leaves]]. The [[Plesiadapiformes]] very likely contain the species which is the ancestor of all primates.<ref> "Fossils that might help us reconstruct what Concestor 8 was like include the large group called plesiadapi-forms. They lived about the right time, and they have many of the qualities you would expect of the grand ancestor of all the primates" [[Richard Dawkins]] [[2004]] [[The Ancestor's Tale]] page 136, ISBN 0618005838</ref>

One of the last [[Plesiadapiformes]] is ''[[Carpolestes simpsoni]]''. It had grasping digits but no forward facing eyes.
|- valign="TOP"
| align="RIGHT" nowrap | 47 Ma
|''[[Darwinius masillae]]'', a [[transitional form]] between the [[prosimian]]s ([[lemur]]s and other primitive primates) and the [[simian]]s ([[monkey]]s, [[ape]]s). It looked much like a [[lemur]] but had [[opposable thumb]]s.
|- valign="TOP"
| align="RIGHT" nowrap | 40 Ma
|[[Primate]]s diverge into suborders [[Strepsirrhini]] (wet-nosed primates) and [[Haplorrhini]] (dry nosed primates). Strepsirrhini contains most of the [[prosimian]]s; modern examples include the [[lemur]]s and [[loris]]es. The haplorrhines include the three living groups the prosimian [[tarsier]]s, the simian [[monkey]]s, and [[ape]]s. One of the earliest haplorrhines is ''[[Teilhardina asiatica]]'', a mouse-sized, diurnal creature with small eyes. The Haplorrhini metabolism lost the ability to make its own [[Vitamin C]]. This means that it and all its descendants had to include fruit in its diet, where Vitamin C could be obtained externally.
|- valign="TOP"
| align="RIGHT" nowrap | 30 Ma
|[[Image:Aegyptopithecus ZICA.png|right|thumb|200px|''[[Aegyptopithecus]]'']]
[[Haplorrhini]] splits into infraorders [[New World monkey|Platyrrhini]] and [[Catarrhini]]. Platyrrhines, New World monkeys, have prehensile tails and males are color blind. They may have migrated to South America on a raft of vegetation across the Atlantic ocean (circa 4,500 km, 2,800 mi). Catarrhines mostly stayed in [[Africa]] as the two continents drifted apart. One ancestor of catarrhines might be ''[[Aegyptopithecus]]''.
|- valign="TOP"
| align="RIGHT" nowrap | 25 Ma
|[[Image:ProconsulZICA.png|right|thumb|200px|''[[Proconsul (genus)|Proconsul]]'']]
[[Catarrhini]] splits into 2 superfamilies, [[Old World monkey]]s (Cercopithecoidea) and [[ape]]s ([[Hominoidea]]). Our [[Trichromat|trichromatic]] color vision had its genetic origins in this period.

''[[Proconsul (primate)|Proconsul]]'' was an early [[genus]] of catarrhine primates. They had a mixture of [[Old World monkey]] and [[ape]] characteristics. ''Proconsul'''s [[monkey]]-like features include thin [[tooth]] enamel, a light build with a narrow chest and short forelimbs, and an arboreal quadrupedal lifestyle. Its ape-like features are its lack of a [[tail]], ape-like [[Elbow-joint|elbow]]s, and a slightly larger brain relative to body size.

''[[Proconsul africanus]]'' is a possible ancestor of both great and lesser apes, and humans.
|}

===[[Hominidae]]===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Date
! Event
|- valign="TOP"
| align="RIGHT" nowrap | 15 Ma
|[[Hominidae]] (great apes) speciate from the ancestors of the [[gibbon]] (lesser apes).
|- valign="TOP"
| align="RIGHT" nowrap | 13 Ma
|[[Homininae]] ancestors speciate from the ancestors of the [[orangutan]]<ref> Raauma, Ryan, Sternera, K., (2005) "Catarrhine primate divergence dates estimated from complete mitochondrial genomes", Journal of Human Evolution 48: 237-257 [http://www.nyu.edu/gsas/dept/anthro/programs/csho/Content/Facultycvandinfo/Disotell/RAUMM&DISS.pdf]
</ref>.

''[[Pierolapithecus|Pierolapithecus catalaunicus]]'' is believed to be a [[common ancestor]] of humans and the great apes or at least a species that brings us closer to a common ancestor than any previous [[fossil]] discovery.

''Pierolapithecus'' had special adaptations for tree climbing, just as humans and other great apes do: a wide, flat [[ribcage]], a stiff lower [[vertebral column|spine]], flexible wrists, and [[shoulder]] blades that lie along its back.
|- valign="TOP"
| align="RIGHT" nowrap | 10 Ma
|[[Hominini]] speciate from the ancestors of the [[gorilla]]s.
|- valign="TOP"
| align="RIGHT" nowrap | 7 Ma
|[[Image:SahelanthropustchadensisZICA.png|right|thumb|200px|''[[Sahelanthropus tchadensis]]'']]
[[Hominina]] speciate from the ancestors of the [[chimpanzee]]s. The [[latest common ancestor]] lived around the time of ''[[Sahelanthropus tchadensis]]'', ca. 7 Ma[http://www.talkorigins.org/faqs/homs/species.html#tchadensis]; S. tchadensis is sometimes claimed to be the last common ancestor of humans and chimpanzees, but this is disputed. The earliest known human ancestor post-dating the separation of the human and the chimpanzee lines is ''[[Orrorin tugenensis]]'' (Millennium Man, Kenya; ca. 6 Ma).
Both chimpanzees and humans have a [[larynx]] that repositions during the first two years of life to a spot between the [[pharynx]] and the lungs, indicating that the common ancestors have this feature, a precursor of speech.
|- valign="TOP"
| align="RIGHT" nowrap | 4.4 Ma
|[[Ardipithecus]] is a very early [[Hominini|hominin]] [[genus]] ([[subfamily]] [[Homininae]]). Two species are described in the literature: ''A. ramidus'', which lived about 4.4 million years ago<ref name=%26quot%3BNatGeo-News%26quot%3B%26gt%3B%7B%7Bcite web
| url = http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2001/07/0712_ethiopianbones.html
| title = Fossils From Ethiopia May Be Earliest Human Ancestor
| first = David | last = Perlman
| publisher = National Geographic News
| date = July 12, 2001 | accessdate = July 2009
| quote = Another co-author is Tim D. White, a paleoanthropologist at UC-Berkeley who in 1994 discovered a pre-human fossil, named Ardipithecus ramidus, that was then the oldest known, at 4.4 million years.
}}</ref> during the early [[Pliocene]], and ''A. kadabba'', dated to approximately 5.6 million years ago<ref name=%26quot%3BAndThePaleobiology%26quot%3B%26gt%3B%7B%7Bcite journal |last=White |first=Tim D. |authorlink= |coauthors=Asfaw, Berhane; Beyene, Yonas; Haile-Selassie, Yohannes; Lovejoy, C. Owen; Suwa, Gen; WoldeGabriel, Giday|year=2009 |month= |title=''Ardipithecus ramidus'' and the Paleobiology of Early Hominids. |journal=[[Science (journal)|Science]] |volume=326 |issue=5949 |pages=75–86 |doi=10.1126/science.1175802 |url= |quote=|pmid=}}</ref> (late [[Miocene]]). ''A. ramidus'' had a small brain, measuring between 300 and 350 cm3. This is about the same size as modern [[bonobo]] and female [[common chimpanzee]] brain, but much smaller than the brain of australopithecines like Lucy (~400 to 550 cm3) and slightly over a fifth the size of the modern ''Homo sapiens'' brain. Ardipithecus was aboreal, meaning it lived largely in the forest where it competed with other forest animals for food, including the contemporary ancestor for the chimpanzees. Ardipithecus was likely [[bipedal]] as evidenced by its bowl shaped pelvis and centered [[foramen magnum]], though its feet were still adapted for grasping rather than walking for long distances.

|- valign="TOP"
| align="RIGHT" nowrap | 3.6 Ma
| [[File:Australopithecus_afarensis.JPG|right|thumb|200px|''[[Australopithecus afarensis]]'']] Some ''[[Australopithecus afarensis]]'' left human-like footprints on volcanic ash in Laetoli, Kenya (Northern Tanzania) which provides strong evidence of full-time bipedalism. Australopithecus afarensis lived between 3.9 and 2.9 million years ago. It is thought that A. afarensis was ancestral to both the genus [[Australopithecus]] and the [[Homo (genus)|genus Homo]]. Compared to the modern and extinct great [[ape]]s, A. afarensis has reduced canines and molars, although they are still relatively larger than in modern humans. A. afarensis also has a relatively small brain size (~380-430cm³) and a prognathic (i.e. projecting anteriorly) face. Australopithecines have been found in Savannah environments and likely increased its diet to include meat from scavenging opportunities. An analysis of [[Australopithecus africanus]] lower [[Vertebrae|vertebrae]] suggests that females had changes to support bipedalism even while pregnant.
|- valign="TOP"
| align="RIGHT" nowrap | 3.5 Ma
| [[Kenyanthropus platyops]], a possible ancestor of ''Homo'', emerges from the ''Australopithecus'' genus.
|- valign="TOP"
| align="RIGHT" nowrap | 3 Ma
| The bipedal [[Australopithecus|australopithecines]] (a genus of the ''[[Hominina]]'' subtribe) evolve in the savannas of [[Africa]] being hunted by ''[[Dinofelis]]''. Loss of [[body hair]] takes place in the period 3-2 Ma, in parallel with the development of full [[bipedalism]].
|}

===[[Homo (genus)|Homo]]===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Date
! Event
|- valign="TOP"
| align="RIGHT" nowrap | 2.5 Ma
|[[Image:Homo_habilis.JPG|right|thumb|200px|''[[Homo habilis]]'']]
Appearance of ''[[Homo (genus)|Homo]]''.
''[[Homo habilis]]'' is thought to be the ancestor of the lankier and more sophisticated ''[[Homo ergaster]]''. Lived side by side with ''[[Homo erectus]]'' until at least 1.44 Ma, making it highly unlikely that ''[[Homo erectus]]'' directly evolved out of ''[[Homo habilis]]''. First [[stone tool]]s, beginning of the [[Lower Paleolithic]].
{{See|Homo rudolfensis}}
|- valign="TOP"
| align="RIGHT" nowrap | 1.8 Ma
|[[Image:Homo erectus.JPG|thumb|200px|A reconstruction of ''[[Homo erectus]]''. ]]
''[[Homo erectus]]'' evolves in [[Africa]].
''Homo erectus'' would bear a striking resemblance to modern humans, but had a brain about 74 percent of the size of modern man. Its forehead is less sloping and the teeth are smaller. Other hominid designations such as [[Homo georgicus]], [[Homo ergaster]], [[Peking Man|Homo pekinensis]], [[Homo heidelbergensis]] are often put under the umbrella species name of Homo erectus<ref>NOVA: Becoming Human Part 2 http://video.pbs.org/video/1319997127/</ref>. Starting with Homo georgicus found in what is now the Republic of Georgia dated at 1.8 Ma, the pelvis and backbone grew more human-like and gave georgicus the ability [[early human migrations|cover very long distances]] in order to follow herds of other animals. This is the oldest fossil of a hominid found (so far) outside of Africa. [[Control of fire by early humans]] is achieved 1.5 Ma by Homo ergaster. Homo ergaster reaches a height of around 1.9 metres (6.2 ft). Evolution of [[dark skin]], which is linked to the loss of body hair in human ancestors, is complete by 1.2 Ma. Homo pekinensis first appears in Asia around 700 Ka but according to the "[[Recent_African_origin_of_modern_humans|recently out of africa]]" theory could not be a human ancestor, but rather, is just a cousin offshoot species from Homo ergaster. Homo heidelbergensis was a very large hominid that had [[Boxgrove Quarry|a more advanced complement of cutting tools]] and may have hunted big game such as horses.
|- valign="TOP"
| align="RIGHT" nowrap | 516 [[Annum#Multiples of an "annum"|ka]]
| ''[[Homo antecessor]]'' is the common genetic ancestor of humans and Neanderthal.<ref>Green, R. E., Krause, J, Ptak, S. E., Briggs, A. W., Ronan, M. T., Simons, J. F., et al. (2006) Analysis of one million base pairs of Neanderthal DNA. Nature, 16, 330–336. http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v444/n7117/abs/nature05336.html</ref> At present estimate, humans have approximately 20,000–25,000 [[gene]]s and share 99% of their [[DNA]] with the now [[extinct]] [[Neanderthal]] <ref>"<cite>Rubin also said analysis so far suggests human and Neanderthal DNA are some 99.5 percent to nearly 99.9 percent identical.</cite>" [http://www.cnn.com/2006/TECH/science/11/15/neanderthal.ap/index.html Neanderthal bone gives DNA clues] (URL accessed on November 16, 2006)</ref> and 95-99% of their [[DNA]] with their closest [[living]] evolutionary relative, the [[chimpanzee]]s<ref>"<cite>The conclusion is the old saw that we share 98.5% of our DNA sequence with chimpanzee is probably in error. For this sample, a better estimate would be that 95% of the base pairs are exactly shared between chimpanzee and human DNA.</cite>" {{cite journal|doi=10.1073/pnas.172510699|title=Divergence between samples of chimpanzee and human DNA sequences is 5%, counting indels|author=Britten, R.J. |journal = PNAS |year=2002|volume=99|pages=13633|pmid=12368483}}</ref><ref>"<cite>...of the three billion letters that make up the human genome, only 15 million--less than 1 percent--have changed in the six million years or so since the human and chimp lineages diverged.</cite>" {{cite|title=What makes us human?|author=Pollard, K.S.|journal = Scientific American|year=2009|volume=300-5|pages=44–49.}}</ref>. The human variant of the [[FOXP2]] gene (linked to the control of speech) has been found to be identical in Neanderthal<ref name=%26quot%3Bpmid17949978%26quot%3B%26gt%3B%7B%7Bcite journal | author = Krause J, Lalueza-Fox C, Orlando L, Enard W, Green RE, Burbano HA, Hublin JJ, Hänni C, Fortea J, de la Rasilla M, Bertranpetit J, Rosas A, [[Svante Pääbo|Pääbo S]] | title = The derived FOXP2 variant of modern humans was shared with Neandertals | journal = Curr. Biol. | volume = 17 | issue = 21 | pages = 1908–12 | year = 2007 | month = November | pmid = 17949978 | doi = 10.1016/j.cub.2007.10.008 | url = | laysummary = http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/19/science/19speech-web.html?ref=world | laysource = [[New York Times]] | laydate= 2007-10-19 }}</ref>. It can therefore be deduced that Homo antecessor would also have had the human FOXP2 gene.
|- valign="TOP"
| align="RIGHT" nowrap | 355 ka
|
Three 1.5 m (5 ft) tall ''[[Homo heidelbergensis]]'' [[Petrosomatoglyph#Footprints_in_Italy|left footprints in powdery volcanic ash solidified in Italy]]. ''Homo heidelbergensis'' is the common ancestor of both ''[[Neanderthal|Homo neanderthalensis]]'' and ''[[Homo sapiens]]''. It is morphologically very similar to ''[[Homo erectus]]'' but ''Homo heidelbergensis'' had a larger brain-case, about 93% the size of that of ''Homo sapiens''. The species was tall, 1.8 m (6 ft) on average, and more muscular than modern humans. Beginning of the [[Middle Paleolithic]].
|- valign="TOP"
| align="RIGHT" nowrap | 195 ka
|[[Image:Human.svg|thumb|200px|''Homo sapiens sapiens'' ([[Pioneer plaque]])]]
[[Omo remains|Omo1]], [[Omo remains|Omo2]] (Ethiopia, Omo river) are the earliest fossil evidence for [[archaic Homo sapiens|archaic ''Homo sapiens'']], evolved from ''[[Homo heidelbergensis]]''.
|- valign="TOP"
| align="RIGHT" nowrap | 160 ka
| ''Homo sapiens'' (''[[Homo sapiens idaltu]]'') in Ethiopia, Awash River, Herto village, practice mortuary rituals and butcher hippos.
|- valign="TOP"
| align="RIGHT" nowrap | 150 ka
| [[Mitochondrial Eve]] is a woman that lived in [[East Africa]]. She is the statistically expected most recent female ancestor common to all [[mitochondrial]] lineages in humans alive today. Note that there is no evidence of any characteristic or genetic drift that significantly differentiated her from the contemporary social group she lived with at the time. Her ancestors were homo sapiens and her mother had the same mtDNA.
|- valign="TOP"
| align="RIGHT" nowrap | 70 ka
| Appearance of mitochondrial haplogroup [[Haplogroup L2 (mtDNA)|L2]]. [[Behavioral modernity]].
|- valign="TOP"
| align="RIGHT" nowrap | 60 ka
| [[Y-chromosomal Adam]] lives in Africa. He is the [[most recent common ancestor]] from whom all male human Y chromosomes are descended. Appearance of mitochondrial haplogroups [[Haplogroup M (mtDNA)|M]] and [[Haplogroup N (mtDNA)|N]], which participate in the [[Recent African Origin|migration out of Africa]].
|- valign="TOP"
| align="RIGHT" nowrap | 50 ka
| [[Early human migration|Migration]] to [[Paleolithic South Asia|South Asia]]. [[Haplogroup CT (Y-DNA)|M168]] mutation (carried by all non-African males). Beginning of the [[Upper Paleolithic]]. mt-haplogroups [[Haplogroup U (mtDNA)|U]], [[Haplogroup K (mtDNA)|K]].
|- valign="TOP"
| align="RIGHT" nowrap | 40 ka
| Migration to [[Prehistory of Australia|Australia]] and [[Paleolithic Europe|Europe]] ([[Cro-Magnon]]).
|- valign="TOP"
| align="RIGHT" nowrap | 25 ka
| [[Neanderthal extinction hypotheses|Neanderthals die out]]. Y-Haplogroup [[Haplogroup R2 (Y-DNA)|R2]]; mt-haplogroups [[Haplogroup J (mtDNA)|J]], [[Haplogroup X (mtDNA)|X]].
|- valign="TOP"
| align="RIGHT" nowrap | [[10th millennium BC|12 ka]]
| Beginning of the [[Mesolithic]] / [[Holocene]]. Y-Haplogroup [[Haplogroup R1a (Y-DNA)|R1a]]; mt-haplogroups [[Haplogroup V (mtDNA)|V]], [[Haplogroup T (mtDNA)|T]]. Evolution of [[light skin]] in Europeans ([[SLC24A5]]). ''[[Homo floresiensis]]'' dies out, leaving ''Homo sapiens'' as the only living species of the genus ''[[Homo (genus)|Homo]]''.
|}

==See also==
*[[Graphical timeline of our universe]]
*[[History of Earth]]
*[[Natural history]]
*[[History of the world]]
*[[Predictions for human evolution]]
*[[Evolutionary history of life]]
*[[Human evolution]]
*[[Human taxonomy]]
*[[Homo (genus)]]
*[[Most recent common ancestor]]
*[[List of human evolution fossils]]
*[[Prehistoric amphibian]]
*[[Prehistoric fish]]
*[[Prehistoric reptile]]
* ''[[The Ancestor's Tale]]'' by [[Richard Dawkins]] with a timeline comprising 40 rendezvous points
*[[Timeline of evolution]] - an explanation of the evolution of a wide variety of animals living today
*[[Y-DNA haplogroups by ethnic groups]]

==References==
{{Reflist|2}}

==External links==
*[http://www.palaeos.com Palaeos]
*[http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu berkeley Evolution]
* [http://tolweb.org/Life_on_Earth/1 Tree of Life Web Project] - explore complete phylogenetic tree interactively
*[http://sci.waikato.ac.nz/evolution/AnimalEvolution.shtml History of Animal Evolution]

{{Human Evolution}}

{{evolution}}



{{DEFAULTSORT:Timeline Of Human Evolution}}
[[Category:Biology timelines|Evolution, human]]
[[Category:Evolution]]
[[Category:Human evolution]]

[[ca:Línia temporal de l'evolució humana]]
[[fr:Origine évolutive de l'Homme]]
[[pt:Linha do tempo da evolução humana]]
[[ta:படிவளர்ச்சி காலக்கோடு]]
[[zh:人類演化歷程]]

==Homosexuality Research in Regards to the Effects of Homosexuality on an Individual==
Below are some resources in regards to the effects of homosexuality on an individual (although certainly effects on individuals have effects on a large society as well):

*[[Homosexuality and Health|Homosexuality and Physical Health]]
*[[Homosexuality and Mental Health]]

==Homosexuality Research In Regards to the Effects on a Society==
Below are some resources in respect to the effects of homosexuality on a society:

*[[Homosexual Couples and Domestic Violence]]
*[[Homosexuality and Murders]]
*[[Teenager Homosexuality]]
*[[Homosexuality#Homosexuality_and_Promiscuity|Homosexuality and Promiscuity]]
*[[Homosexuality in the Media]]

==Homosexuality Statistics==

*[[Homosexuality Statistics]]
==See Also==
*[[Homosexuality]]

[[Category:Homosexuality]]
[[Category:Psychology]]
[[Category:Sociology]]
[[Category:Diseases]]

Tea Party Movement

2010-02-12T16:59:42Z

HappyBirthdayDarwin: /* Beginnings */

[[Image:Tea-Party-Express-2-Million-Attend.jpg‎|thumb|right|375px|9/12 Tea Party March on Washington.]]
The '''TEA Party Movement''' (TEA an acronym for Taxed Enough Already) is an ongoing, nationwide effort by [[grassroots]] protesters, a collection of individuals and self-organizing groups, all united in accomplishing a single goal: returning fiscal responsibility and limited government to the [[United States]] through the exercise of political [[activist|activism]].<ref>[http://blog.heritage.org/2009/04/15/morning-bell-the-tea-party-movement/ Morning Bell: The Tea Party Movement], heritage.org, April 15th, 2009.</ref> The main focus of the TEA Party Movement is a rebuke of outrageous mandates, overreaching and out of control spending by an out of touch federal government. <ref>[http://www.glennbeck.com/content/articles/article/198/24073/ What the Tea Parties Are About], April 16, 2009.</ref>

[[Dick Armey]] of [[FreedomWorks]] is a prime mover.

All of the rallies are in protest of the [[generational theft]] of public tax monies, the tremendous extensions of United States Federal debt and authority, the apparent restructuring of the Federal government with the intent to contravene the system of checks and balances for which the Constitution provides, and the attempt, which some movement leaders say has been in progress for several decades, to sacrifice [[liberty]] for permanent dependency.<ref>[http://www.americansolutions.com/directupload/pdf/TeaPartyOnePagers.pdf American Solutions for Winning the Future (PDF)], American Solutions, April 15, 2009.</ref><ref>Bret Baier. [http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,509445,00.html Taxpayers Strike Back With 'Tea Parties'], ''[[Fox News]]'', March 16, 2009.</ref><ref name="Tea Party Guide">[http://taxdayteaparty.com/guide/ Tax Day Tea Party Resources ], April 15, 2009.</ref>

The Tea Party Movement held its first scheduled nationwide protest on April 15, 2009, a day that became known as the [[Tax Day Tea Party]].<ref name="WSJ">[http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123975867505519363.html Tax Day Becomes Protest Day], ''[[Wall Street Journal]]'', April 15, 2009.</ref> In the spirit of the founding fathers [[Boston Tea Party]], the rallies have used themes from the [[American Revolution]] and also adopted the "American Tea Party Anthem," a song first performed during a March 21, 2009 Orlando, Florida Tea Party that drew over 4,000 people.<ref>Michelle Malkin. [http://michellemalkin.com/2009/02/21/tea-party-usa-the-movement-grows/ Tea Party U.S.A.: The movement grows], February 21, 2009.</ref><ref>[http://newsblaze.com/story/20090323074552zzzz.nb/topstory.html "Tea Party" Song Becomes YouTube Hit]. ''Newsblaze'', March 23, 2009.</ref><ref>Andrea Shea King. [http://bighollywood.breitbart.com/asking/2009/04/14/american-tea-party-anthem-singer-lloyd-marcus-this-whole-thing-is-rush-limbaughs-fault/ American Tea Party Anthem Singer Lloyd Marcus: "This whole thing is Rush Limbaugh’s fault."], ''Big Hollywood'', April 14, 2009.</ref>

{{Dablink|This article is about the timeline of human evolution. For a timeline of general evolution see [[Timeline of evolution]].}}
{{Dablink|See also [[Human evolution]] for more details on this topic.}}

[[Image:Age-of-Man-wiki.jpg|thumb|portait|Evolutionary tree]]
The '''timeline of human evolution''' outlines the major events in the development of [[human]] [[species]], and the [[evolution]] of humans' [[ancestor]]s. It includes a brief explanation of some [[animal]]s, [[species]] or [[genus|genera]], which are possible ancestors of ''[[Homo sapiens sapiens]]''. It does not address the [[origin of life]], which is addressed by [[abiogenesis]], but presents a possible line of descendants that led to humans. This timeline is based on studies from [[paleontology]], [[developmental biology]], [[Morphology (biology)|morphology]] and from [[anatomical]] and [[Genetics|genetic]] data. The study of human evolution is a major component of [[anthropology]].

==Homo sapiens taxonomy==
The [[cladistic]] line of descent ([[taxonomic rank]]) of ''[[homo sapiens sapiens]]'' (modern humans) is as follows: 
<blockquote>
[[Domain (biology)|domain]]: [[eukaryote]]s (2.100.000.000 years ago) 
[[Kingdom (biology)|kingdom]]: [[Animals|animalia]] (590.000.000 years ago) 
[[phylum]]: [[Chordate|chordata]] (530.000.000 years ago) 
[[subphylum]]: [[Vertebrate|vertebrata]] (505.000.000 years ago) 
[[Class (biology)|class]]: [[mammal|mammalia]] (220.000.000 years ago) 
[[subclass]]: [[Theria|theriiformes]] 
[[infraclass]]: [[eutheria]] (125.000.000 years ago) 
[[magnorder]]: [[boreoeutheria]] 
[[superorder]]: [[euarchontoglires]] ([[supraprimates]]) (100.000.000 years ago) 
[[Order (biology)|order]]: [[primate]]s (75.000.000 years ago) 
[[suborder]]: [[haplorrhini]] ([[tarsiers]], [[monkeys]], [[apes]], "dry-nosed" primates) (40.000.000 years ago) 
[[infraorder]]: [[Simian|simiiformes]] (simians, "higher" primates) 
[[parvorder]]: [[catarrhini]] ("narrow nosed" primates) (30.000.000 years ago) 
[[superfamily]]: [[Ape|hominoidea]] (25.000.000 years ago) 
[[Family (biology)|family]]: [[hominidae]] ([[great apes]]) (15.000.000 years ago) 
[[subfamily]]: [[homininae]] (4.500.000 years ago) 
[[Tribe (biology)|tribe]]: [[hominini]] 
[[subtribe]]: [[hominina]] (3.000.000 years ago) 
[[genus]]: [[Homo (genus)|homo]] (2.500.000 years ago) 
[[species]]: [[homo sapiens]] (195.000 years ago) 
[[sub-species]]: [[Anatomically modern humans|homo sapiens sapiens]] (12.000 years ago){{fact|date=February 2010}} 
</blockquote>

==Timeline==
=== First living beings ===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Date
! Event
|- valign="top"
| align="RIGHT" nowrap | 4000 [[Megaannum|Ma]] (million years ago)
|The earliest life appears.

{{See|Origin of life}}

|- valign="TOP"
| align="RIGHT" nowrap | 3900 Ma
|[[Cell (biology)|Cell]]s resembling [[prokaryote]]s appear.

{{See|Cell (biology)#Origins of cells}}
|- valign="TOP"
| align="RIGHT" nowrap | 2500 Ma
| First organisms to utilize [[oxygen]].
|- valign="TOP"
| align="RIGHT" nowrap | 2100 Ma
|More complex cells appear: the [[eukaryote]]s.

{{See|Eukaryote#Origin and evolution}}
|- valign="TOP"
| align="RIGHT" nowrap | 1200 Ma
| [[Evolution of sexual reproduction|Sexual reproduction]] evolves, leading to faster evolution.<ref>"'Experiments with sex have been very hard to conduct,' Goddard said. 'In an experiment, one needs to hold all else constant, apart from the aspect of interest. This means that no higher organisms can be used, since they have to have sex to reproduce and therefore provide no asexual control.' Goddard and colleagues instead turned to a single-celled organism, yeast, to test the idea that sex allows populations to adapt to new conditions more rapidly than asexual populations.<cite></cite>" [http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2005/03/0330_050330_sexevolution.html Sex Speeds Up Evolution, Study Finds] (URL accessed on January 9, 2005)</ref>
|- valign="TOP"
| align="RIGHT" nowrap | 900 Ma
| [[Image:Cronoflagelado2.jpg|thumb|100px|[[Choanoflagellate]]]]
The [[choanoflagellate]]s may look similar to the [[ancestors]] of the entire [[animal]] [[kingdom (biology)|kingdom]], and in particular they may be the direct ancestors of [[Sponge]]s.<ref>"Proterospongia is a rare freshwater protist, a colonial member of the Choanoflagellata." "Proterospongia itself is not the ancestor of sponges. However, it serves as a useful model for what the ancestor of sponges and other metazoans may have been like." http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/protista/proterospongia.html Berkeley University</ref>
[[Proterospongia]] (members of the Choanoflagellata) are the best living examples of what the ancestor of all [[animal]]s may have looked like.

They live in [[colony (biology)|colonies]], and show a primitive level of [[cell (biology)|cellular]] specialization for different tasks.
|- valign="TOP"
| align="RIGHT" nowrap | 600 Ma
|It is thought that the earliest multicellular animal was a [[sea sponge|sponge]]-like creature.
[[Sponge]]s are among the simplest of animals, with partially differentiated [[Biological tissue|tissue]]s.

Sponges (Porifera) are the phylogenetically oldest [[animal]] [[phylum]] extant today.
|- valign="TOP"
| align="RIGHT" nowrap | 580 Ma
|The movement of all animals may have started with [[cnidarians]]. Almost all cnidarians possess [[nerves]] and [[muscle]]s and, because they are the simplest [[animal]]s to possess it, their direct [[ancestor]]s were very likely the first animals to use nerves and muscles together. Cnidarians are also the first animals with an actual [[body]] of definite form and shape. They have [[symmetry (biology)#Radial symmetry|radial symmetry]]. The first [[Eye|eyes]] evolved at this time.
|- valign="TOP"
| align="RIGHT" nowrap | 550 Ma
| [[Image:FlatwormZICA.png|thumb|200px|[[Flatworm]]]] Flatworms are the earliest animals to have a [[brain]], and the simplest animals alive to have [[symmetry (biology)#Bilateral symmetry|bilateral symmetry]]. They are also the simplest animals with organs that form from three [[germ layer]]s.
|- valign="TOP"
| align="RIGHT" nowrap | 540 Ma
|[[Acorn worm]]s are considered more highly specialised and advanced than other similarly shaped [[worm]]-like creatures. They have a [[circulatory system]] with a [[heart]] that also functions as a [[kidney]]. Acorn worms have a [[gill]]-like structure used for [[breath]]ing, a structure similar to that of [[Prehistoric fish|primitive fish]]. Acorn worms are thus sometimes said to be a link between [[vertebrate]]s and [[invertebrate]]s{{Citation needed|date=September 2009}}.
|}

=== [[Chordates]] ===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Date
! Event
|- valign="TOP"
| align="RIGHT" nowrap | 530 Ma
|[[Image:Pikaia3ZICA.png|thumb|200px|[[Pikaia]]]] One of the earliest known ancestor of the [[chordate]]s is [[Pikaia]].<ref>"It is possible that Pikaia, until now the cynosure of Cambrianchordates, is peripheral to the line-age leading to the vertebrates." http://creation.com/images/pdfs/tj/j18_1/j18_1_10-11.pdf</ref> It is the first known [[animal]] with a [[notochord]]. Pikaia is believed to be the ancestor of all chordates and [[vertebrate]]s.<ref> "Obviously vertebrates must have had ancestors living in the Cambrian, but they were assumed to be invertebrate forerunners of the true vertebrates — protochordates. Pikaia has been heavily promoted as the oldest fossil protochordate." [[Richard Dawkins]] [[2004]] [[The Ancestor's Tale]] Page 289, ISBN 0618005838</ref>

The [[Lancelet]], still living today, retains some characteristics of the primitive [[chordate]]s. It resembles [[Pikaia]]

Other earliest known chordate-like fossils is from a [[conodonts]] an "eel-shaped animal of 4-20 cm (1½-8 in) long" with a pair of huge eyes at the head end and a complex basket of teeth.
|- valign="TOP"
| align="RIGHT" nowrap | 505 Ma
|[[Image:Agnata.png|thumb|200px|[[Agnatha]]]]

The first [[vertebrate]]s appear: the [[ostracoderm]]s, jawless fish related to present-day [[lamprey]]s and [[hagfish]]es. ''[[Haikouichthys]]'' and ''[[Myllokunmingia]]'' are examples of these jawless fish, or [[Agnatha]]. (See also [[prehistoric fish]]). They were jawless and their internal skeletons were cartilaginous. They lacked the paired (pectoral and pelvic) [[fins]] of more advanced [[fish]]. They were the Precursors to the [[Osteichthyes]] (bony fish). <ref>These first vertebrates lacked jaws, like the living hagfish and lampreys. Jawed vertebrates appeared 100 million years later, in the Silurian. http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/vertebrates/vertintro.html Berkeley University</ref>
|- valign="TOP"
| align="RIGHT" nowrap | 480 Ma
|[[Image:PlacodermiZICA.png|thumb|200px|A [[Placoderm]]]]
The [[Placodermi]] were [[prehistoric fish]]es. Placoderms were the first of the jawed fishes, their jaws evolving from the first of their gill arches <ref>"<cite>Bones of first gill arch became upper and lower jaws.</cite>" [http://www.uhh.hawaii.edu/~ronald/392/Homol-Gill-Jaw.JPG (Image)] (URL accessed on November 16, 2006)</ref>. Their head and thorax were covered by articulated armoured plates and the rest of the body was scaled or naked.
|- valign="TOP"
| align="RIGHT" nowrap | 400 Ma
|First ''[[Coelacanth]]'' appears; this order of animals had been thought to have no extant members until living specimens were discovered in 1938. It is often referred to as a [[living fossil]].
|- valign="TOP"
| align="RIGHT" nowrap | 375 Ma
| ''[[Tiktaalik]]'' is a genus of [[Sarcopterygii|sarcopterygian]] (lobe-finned) fishes from the late Devonian with many tetrapod-like features. It shows a clear link between [[Panderichthys]] and [[Acanthostega]].
|}

=== [[Tetrapod|Tetrapodes]] ===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Date
! Event
|- valign="TOP"
| align="RIGHT" nowrap | 365 Ma
|[[Image:PanderichthysZICA.png|thumb|200px|[[Panderichthys]]]]
Some fresh water lobe-finned [[fish]] ([[Sarcopterygii]]) develop legs and give rise to the [[Tetrapoda]].

The first tetrapods [[evolution|evolved]] in shallow and [[swamp]]y [[freshwater]] [[habitat (ecology)|habitats]].

Primitive tetrapods developed from a [[lobe-finned fish]] (an "osteolepid [[sarcopterygii|Sarcopterygian]]"), with a two-lobed [[brain]] in a flattened skull, a wide mouth and a short snout, whose upward-facing eyes show that it was a bottom-dweller, and which had already developed adaptations of fins with fleshy bases and [[bone]]s. The "living fossil" [[coelacanth]] is a related [[lobe-finned fish]] without these shallow-water adaptations. These fishes used their fins as [[paddle]]s in shallow-water habitats choked with plants and [[detritus]]. The universal tetrapod characteristics of front [[Limb (anatomy)|limb]]s that bend backward at the [[Elbow-joint|elbow]] and hind limbs that bend forward at the [[knee]] can plausibly be traced to early tetrapods living in shallow water.<ref>"Lungfish are believed to be the closest living relatives of the tetrapods, and share a number of important characteristics with them. Among these characters are tooth enamel, separation of pulmonary blood flow from body blood flow, arrangement of the skull bones, and the presence of four similarly sized limbs with the same position and structure as the four tetrapod legs." http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/vertebrates/sarco/dipnoi.html Berkeley University</ref>

[[Panderichthys]] is a 90-130 cm (35-50 in) long [[fish]] from the Late [[Devonian period]]. It has a large [[tetrapod]]-like [[head]]. Panderichthys exhibits features transitional between lobe-finned fishes and early tetrapods.

[[Lungfish]]es retain some characteristics of the early [[Tetrapoda]]s. One example is the [[Queensland Lungfish]].
|- valign="TOP"
| align="RIGHT" nowrap | 315 Ma
|[[Image:Acanthostega2 ZICA.png|thumb|200px|[[Acanthostega]]]]
[[Image:PleaisaidesZICA.png|thumb|200px|[[Ichthyostega]]]]
[[Acanthostega]] is an extinct [[amphibian]], among the first animals to have recognizable [[Limb (anatomy)|limb]]s. It is a candidate for being one of the first [[vertebrate]]s to be capable of coming onto land. It lacked [[wrist]]s, and was generally poorly adapted for life on land. The limbs could not support the animal's weight. [[Acanthostega]] had both [[lungs]] and [[gills]], also indicating it was a link between lobe-finned fish and terrestrial vertebrates.

[[Ichthyostega]] is an early [[tetrapod]]. Being one of the first animals with legs, arms, and finger bones, Ichthyostega is seen as a [[Hybrid (biology)|hybrid]] between a [[fish]] and an [[amphibia]]n. [[Ichthyostega]]' had legs but its [[Limb (anatomy)|limb]]s probably weren't used for [[walking]], they may have spent very brief periods out of water and would have used their legs to paw their way through the [[mud]].<ref> "the ancestor that amphibians share with reptiles and ourselves? " " These possibly transitional fossils have been much studied, among
them Acanthostega, which seems to have been wholly aquatic, and Ichthyostega" [[Richard Dawkins]] [[2004]] [[The Ancestor's Tale]] page 250, ISBN 0618005838</ref>

[[Amphibian|Amphibia]] were the first four-legged animals to develop [[lungs]].

[[Amphibian]]s living today still retain many characteristics of the early [[tetrapods]].
|- valign="TOP"
| align="RIGHT" nowrap | 300 Ma
|[[Image:HylonomusZICA.png|thumb|200px|[[Hylonomus]]]]
From amphibians came the first reptiles: [[Hylonomus]] is the earliest known [[reptile]]. It was 20 cm (8 in) long (including the tail) and probably would have looked rather similar to modern [[lizard]]s. It had small sharp teeth and probably ate [[millipede]]s and early [[insect]]s. It is a precursor of later [[Amniote]]s and [[mammal-like reptiles]].

Evolution of the amniotic egg gives rise to the Amniota, [[reptile]]s that can reproduce on land and lay eggs on dry land. They did not need to return to water for reproduction. This adaptation gave them the capability to colonize the uplands for the first time.

Reptiles have advanced nervous system, compared to [[amphibians]]. They have twelve pairs of cranial nerves.
|}
=== Mammals ===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Date
! Event
|- valign="TOP"
| align="RIGHT" nowrap | 256 Ma
| [[Image:Phtinosuchus1ZICA.png|thumb|200px|[[Phthinosuchus]], an early [[Therapsid]]]] Shortly after the appearance of the first [[reptile]]s, two branches split off. One branch is the [[Diapsid]]s, from which come the modern [[reptile]]s. The other branch is [[Synapsid|Synapsida]], which had [[temporal fenestra]], a pair of holes in their skulls behind the eyes, which were used to increase the space for jaw muscles.

The earliest '''mammal-like reptiles''' are the [[pelycosaur]]s. The pelycosaurs were the first animals to have temporal fenestra. Pelycosaurs are not [[Therapsid]]s but soon they gave rise to them. The Therapsida were the direct ancestor of [[mammals]].

The therapsids have temporal fenestrae larger and more mammal-like than pelycosaurs, their teeth show more serial differentiation; and later forms had evolved a [[secondary palate]]. A secondary palate enables the animal to eat and breathe at the same time and is a sign of a more active, perhaps warm-blooded, way of life. <ref>"In many respects, the pelycosaurs are intermediate between the reptiles and mammals" http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/synapsids/pelycosaurs.html Berkeley University</ref>
|- valign="TOP"
| align="RIGHT" nowrap | 220 Ma
|One sub-group of therapsids, the [[cynodont]]s evolved more mammal-like characteristics.
The jaws of cynodonts resemble modern mammal jaws. It is very likely this group of animals contains a species which is the direct ancestor of all modern mammals.<ref> "Tlvinaxodon, like any fossil, should be thought of as a cousin of our ancestor, not the ancestor itself. It was a member of a group of mammal-like reptiles called the cynodonts. The cynodonts were so mammal-like, it is tempting to call them mammals. But who cares what we call them? They are almost perfect intermediates." [[Richard Dawkins]] [[2004]] [[The Ancestor's Tale]] page 211, ISBN 0618005838</ref>
|- valign="TOP"
| align="RIGHT" nowrap | 220 Ma
|[[Image:RepenomamusuZICA.png|right|thumb|200px|''[[Repenomamus]]'']]
From [[Eucynodontia]] ([[cynodonts]]) came the first [[mammal]]s. Most early mammals were small and shrew-like animals that fed on insects. Although there is no evidence in the fossil record, it is likely that these animals had a constant body temperature, milk glands for their young. The [[neocortex]] region of the [[brain]] first evolved in mammals and thus is unique to them.
|- valign="TOP"
| align="RIGHT" nowrap | 125 Ma
|[[Image:Eomaia23423.jpg|right|thumb|200px|''[[Eomaia|Eomaia scansoria]]'']]
''[[Eomaia|Eomaia scansoria]]'', a eutherian mammal, leads to the formation of modern placental mammals. It looks like modern dormouse, climbing small shrubs in [[Liaoning]], [[China]].
|- valign="TOP"
| align="RIGHT" nowrap | 100 Ma
| Common [[genetics|genetic]] [[ancestor]] of [[Mouse|mice]] and humans (base of the clade [[Euarchontoglires]]).
|}

===Primates ===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Date
! Event
|- valign="TOP"
| align="RIGHT" nowrap | 65–85 Ma
|[[Image:PlesiadapisZICA.png|right|thumb|200px|''[[Carpolestes simpsoni]]'']]
[[Image:PlesiadapisNewZICA.png|right|thumb|200px|A ''[[Plesiadapis]]'' without [[fur]].]]
A group of small, nocturnal and arboreal, insect-eating mammals called the [[Euarchonta]] begins a speciation that will lead to the [[primate]], [[treeshrew]] and [[flying lemur]] [[order (biology)|orders]]. The [[Primatomorpha]] is a subdivision of Euarchonta that includes the primates and the proto-primate [[Plesiadapiformes]]. One of the early proto-primates is ''[[Plesiadapis]]''. ''Plesiadapis'' still had claws and the eyes located on each side of the head. Because of this they were faster on the ground than on the top of the trees, but they began to spend long times on lower branches of trees, feeding on [[fruit]]s and [[leaf|leaves]]. The [[Plesiadapiformes]] very likely contain the species which is the ancestor of all primates.<ref> "Fossils that might help us reconstruct what Concestor 8 was like include the large group called plesiadapi-forms. They lived about the right time, and they have many of the qualities you would expect of the grand ancestor of all the primates" [[Richard Dawkins]] [[2004]] [[The Ancestor's Tale]] page 136, ISBN 0618005838</ref>

One of the last [[Plesiadapiformes]] is ''[[Carpolestes simpsoni]]''. It had grasping digits but no forward facing eyes.
|- valign="TOP"
| align="RIGHT" nowrap | 47 Ma
|''[[Darwinius masillae]]'', a [[transitional form]] between the [[prosimian]]s ([[lemur]]s and other primitive primates) and the [[simian]]s ([[monkey]]s, [[ape]]s). It looked much like a [[lemur]] but had [[opposable thumb]]s.
|- valign="TOP"
| align="RIGHT" nowrap | 40 Ma
|[[Primate]]s diverge into suborders [[Strepsirrhini]] (wet-nosed primates) and [[Haplorrhini]] (dry nosed primates). Strepsirrhini contains most of the [[prosimian]]s; modern examples include the [[lemur]]s and [[loris]]es. The haplorrhines include the three living groups the prosimian [[tarsier]]s, the simian [[monkey]]s, and [[ape]]s. One of the earliest haplorrhines is ''[[Teilhardina asiatica]]'', a mouse-sized, diurnal creature with small eyes. The Haplorrhini metabolism lost the ability to make its own [[Vitamin C]]. This means that it and all its descendants had to include fruit in its diet, where Vitamin C could be obtained externally.
|- valign="TOP"
| align="RIGHT" nowrap | 30 Ma
|[[Image:Aegyptopithecus ZICA.png|right|thumb|200px|''[[Aegyptopithecus]]'']]
[[Haplorrhini]] splits into infraorders [[New World monkey|Platyrrhini]] and [[Catarrhini]]. Platyrrhines, New World monkeys, have prehensile tails and males are color blind. They may have migrated to South America on a raft of vegetation across the Atlantic ocean (circa 4,500 km, 2,800 mi). Catarrhines mostly stayed in [[Africa]] as the two continents drifted apart. One ancestor of catarrhines might be ''[[Aegyptopithecus]]''.
|- valign="TOP"
| align="RIGHT" nowrap | 25 Ma
|[[Image:ProconsulZICA.png|right|thumb|200px|''[[Proconsul (genus)|Proconsul]]'']]
[[Catarrhini]] splits into 2 superfamilies, [[Old World monkey]]s (Cercopithecoidea) and [[ape]]s ([[Hominoidea]]). Our [[Trichromat|trichromatic]] color vision had its genetic origins in this period.

''[[Proconsul (primate)|Proconsul]]'' was an early [[genus]] of catarrhine primates. They had a mixture of [[Old World monkey]] and [[ape]] characteristics. ''Proconsul'''s [[monkey]]-like features include thin [[tooth]] enamel, a light build with a narrow chest and short forelimbs, and an arboreal quadrupedal lifestyle. Its ape-like features are its lack of a [[tail]], ape-like [[Elbow-joint|elbow]]s, and a slightly larger brain relative to body size.

''[[Proconsul africanus]]'' is a possible ancestor of both great and lesser apes, and humans.
|}

===[[Hominidae]]===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Date
! Event
|- valign="TOP"
| align="RIGHT" nowrap | 15 Ma
|[[Hominidae]] (great apes) speciate from the ancestors of the [[gibbon]] (lesser apes).
|- valign="TOP"
| align="RIGHT" nowrap | 13 Ma
|[[Homininae]] ancestors speciate from the ancestors of the [[orangutan]]<ref> Raauma, Ryan, Sternera, K., (2005) "Catarrhine primate divergence dates estimated from complete mitochondrial genomes", Journal of Human Evolution 48: 237-257 [http://www.nyu.edu/gsas/dept/anthro/programs/csho/Content/Facultycvandinfo/Disotell/RAUMM&DISS.pdf]
</ref>.

''[[Pierolapithecus|Pierolapithecus catalaunicus]]'' is believed to be a [[common ancestor]] of humans and the great apes or at least a species that brings us closer to a common ancestor than any previous [[fossil]] discovery.

''Pierolapithecus'' had special adaptations for tree climbing, just as humans and other great apes do: a wide, flat [[ribcage]], a stiff lower [[vertebral column|spine]], flexible wrists, and [[shoulder]] blades that lie along its back.
|- valign="TOP"
| align="RIGHT" nowrap | 10 Ma
|[[Hominini]] speciate from the ancestors of the [[gorilla]]s.
|- valign="TOP"
| align="RIGHT" nowrap | 7 Ma
|[[Image:SahelanthropustchadensisZICA.png|right|thumb|200px|''[[Sahelanthropus tchadensis]]'']]
[[Hominina]] speciate from the ancestors of the [[chimpanzee]]s. The [[latest common ancestor]] lived around the time of ''[[Sahelanthropus tchadensis]]'', ca. 7 Ma[http://www.talkorigins.org/faqs/homs/species.html#tchadensis]; S. tchadensis is sometimes claimed to be the last common ancestor of humans and chimpanzees, but this is disputed. The earliest known human ancestor post-dating the separation of the human and the chimpanzee lines is ''[[Orrorin tugenensis]]'' (Millennium Man, Kenya; ca. 6 Ma).
Both chimpanzees and humans have a [[larynx]] that repositions during the first two years of life to a spot between the [[pharynx]] and the lungs, indicating that the common ancestors have this feature, a precursor of speech.
|- valign="TOP"
| align="RIGHT" nowrap | 4.4 Ma
|[[Ardipithecus]] is a very early [[Hominini|hominin]] [[genus]] ([[subfamily]] [[Homininae]]). Two species are described in the literature: ''A. ramidus'', which lived about 4.4 million years ago<ref name=%26quot%3BNatGeo-News%26quot%3B%26gt%3B%7B%7Bcite web
| url = http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2001/07/0712_ethiopianbones.html
| title = Fossils From Ethiopia May Be Earliest Human Ancestor
| first = David | last = Perlman
| publisher = National Geographic News
| date = July 12, 2001 | accessdate = July 2009
| quote = Another co-author is Tim D. White, a paleoanthropologist at UC-Berkeley who in 1994 discovered a pre-human fossil, named Ardipithecus ramidus, that was then the oldest known, at 4.4 million years.
}}</ref> during the early [[Pliocene]], and ''A. kadabba'', dated to approximately 5.6 million years ago<ref name=%26quot%3BAndThePaleobiology%26quot%3B%26gt%3B%7B%7Bcite journal |last=White |first=Tim D. |authorlink= |coauthors=Asfaw, Berhane; Beyene, Yonas; Haile-Selassie, Yohannes; Lovejoy, C. Owen; Suwa, Gen; WoldeGabriel, Giday|year=2009 |month= |title=''Ardipithecus ramidus'' and the Paleobiology of Early Hominids. |journal=[[Science (journal)|Science]] |volume=326 |issue=5949 |pages=75–86 |doi=10.1126/science.1175802 |url= |quote=|pmid=}}</ref> (late [[Miocene]]). ''A. ramidus'' had a small brain, measuring between 300 and 350 cm3. This is about the same size as modern [[bonobo]] and female [[common chimpanzee]] brain, but much smaller than the brain of australopithecines like Lucy (~400 to 550 cm3) and slightly over a fifth the size of the modern ''Homo sapiens'' brain. Ardipithecus was aboreal, meaning it lived largely in the forest where it competed with other forest animals for food, including the contemporary ancestor for the chimpanzees. Ardipithecus was likely [[bipedal]] as evidenced by its bowl shaped pelvis and centered [[foramen magnum]], though its feet were still adapted for grasping rather than walking for long distances.

|- valign="TOP"
| align="RIGHT" nowrap | 3.6 Ma
| [[File:Australopithecus_afarensis.JPG|right|thumb|200px|''[[Australopithecus afarensis]]'']] Some ''[[Australopithecus afarensis]]'' left human-like footprints on volcanic ash in Laetoli, Kenya (Northern Tanzania) which provides strong evidence of full-time bipedalism. Australopithecus afarensis lived between 3.9 and 2.9 million years ago. It is thought that A. afarensis was ancestral to both the genus [[Australopithecus]] and the [[Homo (genus)|genus Homo]]. Compared to the modern and extinct great [[ape]]s, A. afarensis has reduced canines and molars, although they are still relatively larger than in modern humans. A. afarensis also has a relatively small brain size (~380-430cm³) and a prognathic (i.e. projecting anteriorly) face. Australopithecines have been found in Savannah environments and likely increased its diet to include meat from scavenging opportunities. An analysis of [[Australopithecus africanus]] lower [[Vertebrae|vertebrae]] suggests that females had changes to support bipedalism even while pregnant.
|- valign="TOP"
| align="RIGHT" nowrap | 3.5 Ma
| [[Kenyanthropus platyops]], a possible ancestor of ''Homo'', emerges from the ''Australopithecus'' genus.
|- valign="TOP"
| align="RIGHT" nowrap | 3 Ma
| The bipedal [[Australopithecus|australopithecines]] (a genus of the ''[[Hominina]]'' subtribe) evolve in the savannas of [[Africa]] being hunted by ''[[Dinofelis]]''. Loss of [[body hair]] takes place in the period 3-2 Ma, in parallel with the development of full [[bipedalism]].
|}

===[[Homo (genus)|Homo]]===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Date
! Event
|- valign="TOP"
| align="RIGHT" nowrap | 2.5 Ma
|[[Image:Homo_habilis.JPG|right|thumb|200px|''[[Homo habilis]]'']]
Appearance of ''[[Homo (genus)|Homo]]''.
''[[Homo habilis]]'' is thought to be the ancestor of the lankier and more sophisticated ''[[Homo ergaster]]''. Lived side by side with ''[[Homo erectus]]'' until at least 1.44 Ma, making it highly unlikely that ''[[Homo erectus]]'' directly evolved out of ''[[Homo habilis]]''. First [[stone tool]]s, beginning of the [[Lower Paleolithic]].
{{See|Homo rudolfensis}}
|- valign="TOP"
| align="RIGHT" nowrap | 1.8 Ma
|[[Image:Homo erectus.JPG|thumb|200px|A reconstruction of ''[[Homo erectus]]''. ]]
''[[Homo erectus]]'' evolves in [[Africa]].
''Homo erectus'' would bear a striking resemblance to modern humans, but had a brain about 74 percent of the size of modern man. Its forehead is less sloping and the teeth are smaller. Other hominid designations such as [[Homo georgicus]], [[Homo ergaster]], [[Peking Man|Homo pekinensis]], [[Homo heidelbergensis]] are often put under the umbrella species name of Homo erectus<ref>NOVA: Becoming Human Part 2 http://video.pbs.org/video/1319997127/</ref>. Starting with Homo georgicus found in what is now the Republic of Georgia dated at 1.8 Ma, the pelvis and backbone grew more human-like and gave georgicus the ability [[early human migrations|cover very long distances]] in order to follow herds of other animals. This is the oldest fossil of a hominid found (so far) outside of Africa. [[Control of fire by early humans]] is achieved 1.5 Ma by Homo ergaster. Homo ergaster reaches a height of around 1.9 metres (6.2 ft). Evolution of [[dark skin]], which is linked to the loss of body hair in human ancestors, is complete by 1.2 Ma. Homo pekinensis first appears in Asia around 700 Ka but according to the "[[Recent_African_origin_of_modern_humans|recently out of africa]]" theory could not be a human ancestor, but rather, is just a cousin offshoot species from Homo ergaster. Homo heidelbergensis was a very large hominid that had [[Boxgrove Quarry|a more advanced complement of cutting tools]] and may have hunted big game such as horses.
|- valign="TOP"
| align="RIGHT" nowrap | 516 [[Annum#Multiples of an "annum"|ka]]
| ''[[Homo antecessor]]'' is the common genetic ancestor of humans and Neanderthal.<ref>Green, R. E., Krause, J, Ptak, S. E., Briggs, A. W., Ronan, M. T., Simons, J. F., et al. (2006) Analysis of one million base pairs of Neanderthal DNA. Nature, 16, 330–336. http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v444/n7117/abs/nature05336.html</ref> At present estimate, humans have approximately 20,000–25,000 [[gene]]s and share 99% of their [[DNA]] with the now [[extinct]] [[Neanderthal]] <ref>"<cite>Rubin also said analysis so far suggests human and Neanderthal DNA are some 99.5 percent to nearly 99.9 percent identical.</cite>" [http://www.cnn.com/2006/TECH/science/11/15/neanderthal.ap/index.html Neanderthal bone gives DNA clues] (URL accessed on November 16, 2006)</ref> and 95-99% of their [[DNA]] with their closest [[living]] evolutionary relative, the [[chimpanzee]]s<ref>"<cite>The conclusion is the old saw that we share 98.5% of our DNA sequence with chimpanzee is probably in error. For this sample, a better estimate would be that 95% of the base pairs are exactly shared between chimpanzee and human DNA.</cite>" {{cite journal|doi=10.1073/pnas.172510699|title=Divergence between samples of chimpanzee and human DNA sequences is 5%, counting indels|author=Britten, R.J. |journal = PNAS |year=2002|volume=99|pages=13633|pmid=12368483}}</ref><ref>"<cite>...of the three billion letters that make up the human genome, only 15 million--less than 1 percent--have changed in the six million years or so since the human and chimp lineages diverged.</cite>" {{cite|title=What makes us human?|author=Pollard, K.S.|journal = Scientific American|year=2009|volume=300-5|pages=44–49.}}</ref>. The human variant of the [[FOXP2]] gene (linked to the control of speech) has been found to be identical in Neanderthal<ref name=%26quot%3Bpmid17949978%26quot%3B%26gt%3B%7B%7Bcite journal | author = Krause J, Lalueza-Fox C, Orlando L, Enard W, Green RE, Burbano HA, Hublin JJ, Hänni C, Fortea J, de la Rasilla M, Bertranpetit J, Rosas A, [[Svante Pääbo|Pääbo S]] | title = The derived FOXP2 variant of modern humans was shared with Neandertals | journal = Curr. Biol. | volume = 17 | issue = 21 | pages = 1908–12 | year = 2007 | month = November | pmid = 17949978 | doi = 10.1016/j.cub.2007.10.008 | url = | laysummary = http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/19/science/19speech-web.html?ref=world | laysource = [[New York Times]] | laydate= 2007-10-19 }}</ref>. It can therefore be deduced that Homo antecessor would also have had the human FOXP2 gene.
|- valign="TOP"
| align="RIGHT" nowrap | 355 ka
|
Three 1.5 m (5 ft) tall ''[[Homo heidelbergensis]]'' [[Petrosomatoglyph#Footprints_in_Italy|left footprints in powdery volcanic ash solidified in Italy]]. ''Homo heidelbergensis'' is the common ancestor of both ''[[Neanderthal|Homo neanderthalensis]]'' and ''[[Homo sapiens]]''. It is morphologically very similar to ''[[Homo erectus]]'' but ''Homo heidelbergensis'' had a larger brain-case, about 93% the size of that of ''Homo sapiens''. The species was tall, 1.8 m (6 ft) on average, and more muscular than modern humans. Beginning of the [[Middle Paleolithic]].
|- valign="TOP"
| align="RIGHT" nowrap | 195 ka
|[[Image:Human.svg|thumb|200px|''Homo sapiens sapiens'' ([[Pioneer plaque]])]]
[[Omo remains|Omo1]], [[Omo remains|Omo2]] (Ethiopia, Omo river) are the earliest fossil evidence for [[archaic Homo sapiens|archaic ''Homo sapiens'']], evolved from ''[[Homo heidelbergensis]]''.
|- valign="TOP"
| align="RIGHT" nowrap | 160 ka
| ''Homo sapiens'' (''[[Homo sapiens idaltu]]'') in Ethiopia, Awash River, Herto village, practice mortuary rituals and butcher hippos.
|- valign="TOP"
| align="RIGHT" nowrap | 150 ka
| [[Mitochondrial Eve]] is a woman that lived in [[East Africa]]. She is the statistically expected most recent female ancestor common to all [[mitochondrial]] lineages in humans alive today. Note that there is no evidence of any characteristic or genetic drift that significantly differentiated her from the contemporary social group she lived with at the time. Her ancestors were homo sapiens and her mother had the same mtDNA.
|- valign="TOP"
| align="RIGHT" nowrap | 70 ka
| Appearance of mitochondrial haplogroup [[Haplogroup L2 (mtDNA)|L2]]. [[Behavioral modernity]].
|- valign="TOP"
| align="RIGHT" nowrap | 60 ka
| [[Y-chromosomal Adam]] lives in Africa. He is the [[most recent common ancestor]] from whom all male human Y chromosomes are descended. Appearance of mitochondrial haplogroups [[Haplogroup M (mtDNA)|M]] and [[Haplogroup N (mtDNA)|N]], which participate in the [[Recent African Origin|migration out of Africa]].
|- valign="TOP"
| align="RIGHT" nowrap | 50 ka
| [[Early human migration|Migration]] to [[Paleolithic South Asia|South Asia]]. [[Haplogroup CT (Y-DNA)|M168]] mutation (carried by all non-African males). Beginning of the [[Upper Paleolithic]]. mt-haplogroups [[Haplogroup U (mtDNA)|U]], [[Haplogroup K (mtDNA)|K]].
|- valign="TOP"
| align="RIGHT" nowrap | 40 ka
| Migration to [[Prehistory of Australia|Australia]] and [[Paleolithic Europe|Europe]] ([[Cro-Magnon]]).
|- valign="TOP"
| align="RIGHT" nowrap | 25 ka
| [[Neanderthal extinction hypotheses|Neanderthals die out]]. Y-Haplogroup [[Haplogroup R2 (Y-DNA)|R2]]; mt-haplogroups [[Haplogroup J (mtDNA)|J]], [[Haplogroup X (mtDNA)|X]].
|- valign="TOP"
| align="RIGHT" nowrap | [[10th millennium BC|12 ka]]
| Beginning of the [[Mesolithic]] / [[Holocene]]. Y-Haplogroup [[Haplogroup R1a (Y-DNA)|R1a]]; mt-haplogroups [[Haplogroup V (mtDNA)|V]], [[Haplogroup T (mtDNA)|T]]. Evolution of [[light skin]] in Europeans ([[SLC24A5]]). ''[[Homo floresiensis]]'' dies out, leaving ''Homo sapiens'' as the only living species of the genus ''[[Homo (genus)|Homo]]''.
|}

==See also==
*[[Graphical timeline of our universe]]
*[[History of Earth]]
*[[Natural history]]
*[[History of the world]]
*[[Predictions for human evolution]]
*[[Evolutionary history of life]]
*[[Human evolution]]
*[[Human taxonomy]]
*[[Homo (genus)]]
*[[Most recent common ancestor]]
*[[List of human evolution fossils]]
*[[Prehistoric amphibian]]
*[[Prehistoric fish]]
*[[Prehistoric reptile]]
* ''[[The Ancestor's Tale]]'' by [[Richard Dawkins]] with a timeline comprising 40 rendezvous points
*[[Timeline of evolution]] - an explanation of the evolution of a wide variety of animals living today
*[[Y-DNA haplogroups by ethnic groups]]

==References==
{{Reflist|2}}

==External links==
*[http://www.palaeos.com Palaeos]
*[http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu berkeley Evolution]
* [http://tolweb.org/Life_on_Earth/1 Tree of Life Web Project] - explore complete phylogenetic tree interactively
*[http://sci.waikato.ac.nz/evolution/AnimalEvolution.shtml History of Animal Evolution]

{{Human Evolution}}

{{evolution}}



{{DEFAULTSORT:Timeline Of Human Evolution}}
[[Category:Biology timelines|Evolution, human]]
[[Category:Evolution]]
[[Category:Human evolution]]

[[ca:Línia temporal de l'evolució humana]]
[[fr:Origine évolutive de l'Homme]]
[[pt:Linha do tempo da evolução humana]]
[[ta:படிவளர்ச்சி காலக்கோடு]]
[[zh:人類演化歷程]]

== Schedule ==
[[Image:Headnew.jpg|right|380px|right|Tax Day Tea Party poster]]
=== Tax Day ===
: ''Main Article: [[Tax Day Tea Party]]''

Success from the Chicago Tea Parties on February 27, as part of a concerted nationwide effort, led to the Tax Day Tea Party rallies held on April 15, 2009. Following the Chicago Tea Party protests, a group called ''Americans for Prosperity'' of [[North Carolina]] began implementing plans for a "Tax Day" Tea Party rally in Raleigh on the tax filing deadline.<ref>[http://www.raleigh3.com/default.asp?sdetail=1849&sc=2724 Raleigh Holds 'Tea Party' To Protest Government], ''Raleigh Telegram'', March 25, 2009.</ref> Leading up to the Tax Day Tea Parties, the events were organized and promoted by volunteers, activists, and [[Political action committee]]s across the [[United States]].<ref>http://www.freedomworks.org/press-releases/freedomworks-co-sponsoring-taxpayer-tea-parties-ac</ref> By taking advantage of online viral [[marketing]] to get the word out,<ref name="investorsnews">[http://www.investors.com/NewsAndAnalysis/Article.aspx?id=470054&Ntt=tea+party 'Tea Party' Protests In 35 Cities], March 2, 2009.</ref> the speed and scope with which the Tax Day Tea Party protests were organized can be attributed to the use of [[Twitter]] [[TCOT Report|#TCOT feeds]],<ref>[http://tcotreport.com/ TCOT Report], ''[[The TCOT Report]]''.</ref> on [[blog|blogs]],<ref>Marc Ambinder. [http://politics.theatlantic.com/2009/02/tea_parties_pajamas_and_mediaevent_symbiotics.php Tea Parties, Pajamas, and Media/Event Symbiotics], ''The Atlantic'', February 25, 2009.</ref> and the social networking [[Web site]] [[Facebook]].<ref name="facebook">[http://michellemalkin.com/2009/03/04/going-galt-and-the-next-tea-party-wave/ “Going Galt” and the next Tea Party wave], [[Michelle Malkin]], March 4, 2009.</ref>

==== Commemorations ====
President Obama is seen to have responded to the tea parties with requested budget cuts of $100 million on April 20, 2009.<ref name="rushlimbaugh">[[Rush Limbaugh]]. [http://www.rushlimbaugh.com/home/daily/site_042109/content/01125107.guest.html Obama Responded to Tea Parties with $100 Million in "Budget Cuts"], RushLimbaugh.com, April 21, 2009.</ref> Rush Limbaugh contended, "I'm sure they've got internal polling data that shows these tea parties are successful and these tea parties are a problem. So they're responding to the tea parties here. That's all this is." According to a Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey on April 20, 2009, the poll found that fifty-one percent (51%) of Americans had a favorable view of the tea parties held nationwide, including 32% who said their view of the events were "Very favorable." Thirty-three percent (33%) held an unfavorable opinion of the tea parties. Fifteen percent (15%) were not sure.<ref name="rasmussenreports">[http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/general_politics2/51_view_tea_parties_favorably_political_class_strongly_disagrees 51% View Tea Parties Favorably, Political Class Strongly Disagrees], ''Rasmussen Reports'', April 20, 2009.</ref>

=== Independence Day ===
: ''Main Article: [[Independence Day Tea Party]]''

The same organizations decided to repeat their performance on [[Independence Day]] (July 4, 2009). Even more people attended; the largest such rally was held on the grounds of the Southfork Ranch (scene of the [[television]] series ''Dallas '), in [[Plano]], [[Texas]], which drew 37,000 attendees. The themes that organizers and participants sounded at these events were much the same as were those at the Tax Day events: advocacy of limited government, decrying of high levels of taxation, and refusal to countenance plans for [[socialism]] and especially socialized [[medicine]].

=== Labor Day ===
Several organizations also organized Tea Parties on [[Labor Day]], once again sounding the same limited-government, low-tax, and anti-socialistic themes. Those organizations that did not plan such events often referred people to those that did.

=== September 12 March on Washington ===
: ''Main Article: [[September 12 March on Washington]]''

[[File:Gadsden_snake.jpg|250px|right]]The largest TEA Party event thus far has been the September 12 March on [[Washington, DC]]. This was an event organized initially by the FreedomWorks Foundation, but nearly all Tea Party organizations decided to participate in this event, primarily by chartering buses and registering people for transportation to Washington. FreedomWorks estimates that 600,000 to 800,000 persons attended, and they base that estimate on the number of persons who responded when their Master of Ceremonies asked all attendees within earshot to send the text message "Freedom" to a designated five-digit telephone number. However, the [[London]] ''Daily Mail'' estimates attendance at as many as a million persons, on the basis of eyewitness accounts and aerial-photographic evidence.<ref name=dailymail>Gardner D, "[http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1213056/Up-million-march-US-Capitol-protest-Obamas-spending-tea-party-demonstration.html A million march to US Capitol to protest against 'Obama the socialist']," ''The London Daily Mail'', September 14, 2009. Accessed September 16, 2009.</ref> Estimates of total attendance are difficult to obtain, primarily because the size of the crowd far exceeded the estimates by the event planners, with the result that many attendees were never able to get within earshot of the stage or even the sound system, and the temporary sanitary facilities were hopelessly jammed, with fifty persons standing in line to use each portable "necessary."

=== Operation: Can You Hear us Now? ===
TEA party demonstrations have targeted local and national media outs across the country to oppose massive government spending. In a press release, the movement was led by FaxDC in about 100 cities across the U.S. on September 17th. <ref>[http://www.lookingattheleft.com/2009/10/tea-party-movement-denounces-media-corrupton/ Tea Party Movement Denounces Media Corruption], Lookingattheleft.com, October 19, 2009.</ref> [[Rush Limbaugh]] has previously spoke for the need for such media targeted TEA protests.

* NBC studios in Burbank
* CNN in Atlanta and
* Affiliate stations of NBC, ABC and CBS
* The New York Times
* Los Angeles Times
* Other prominent newspapers.
[[File:Canyouhearusnow.jpg|350px]]

===TEA Party Movie===
''TEA PARTY: The Documentary Film'' was released Thanksgiving Day 2009, is a documentary of five grassroots activists. The story line ''"from home town rally goers and rally organizers to national activists taking part in the 912 Taxpayer March on Washington."'' The theme is about principles, a call for a return to constitutionally limited government, personal responsibility, and fiscal restraint at the Federal level. [http://www.teapartymovie.com/ TEA Party the Movie]

===Pink Slips Campaign===
Organized in part by Joseph Farah from [[WorldNetDaily]], they had a goal of sending each and every member of Congress more than 5,000,000 pink slips.
 
Each pink slip reads '''YOU ARE BEING PUT ON NOTICE''' and

*government health care
*cap and trade
*"hate crimes"
*any more spending

''"If you vote for any of these, your real pink slip will be issued in the next election"''

As of November 2009, 8 million pink slips have been sent to Congress at a cost of $29 each <ref>[http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=117136 True grass-roots effort? The 'pink slips' campaign, WND.com, November 25, 2009]</ref>

== Themes ==
The Tea Party Movement began with a protest against two aspects of current public policy:

# Excessive taxation
# Special privilege

Rick Santelli specifically cited the mortgage bailout policies of early 2009 as a prize example of the government doing special favors for certain classes of voters, in return for their continued support, and also of the "moral hazard" in which such policies inevitably place anyone who "buys on time," i.e., buys any sort of asset, from a home appliance to a parcel of [[real estate]], using borrowed money.

As the movement has progressed, it has begun to sound broader themes, which one may best summarize as:

# Self-responsibility
# Self-autonomy
# Limited government
# A requirement that government live within its own means, just as individuals must live within theirs
# Capitalism
# Freedom of all varieties of production and trade
# Respect for the [[United States Constitution]]

== Characteristics ==
=== Autonomy of local organizers ===
Most organization of Tea Parties and similar events is local. Typical of the movement is the Morristown Tea Party Organization ([[Morristown]], [[New Jersey]]), which has a five-member board of trustees and about fifty dedicated volunteers who handle operations, communication, and logistics without assistance or direction from any regional or other organization. State-wide co-ordinating bodies do exist (for example, New Jersey Tea Parties United), but local organizations are responsible for most of their activities, fund-raising, and legal functioning. In this regard, the Tea Party Movement is similar to the Independent Baptist Fellowship of North America, which never seeks to dictate to individual churches how they must conduct their affairs.

=== Individual comportment and deportment ===
Event participants, and especially event planners, are urged to comport themselves in a manner respectful of the rights and feelings of others. Organizational leaders consciously endeavor to distinguish their movement from many [[liberal]] protest movements, which often characterize themselves by rude behavior, [[vandalism]], and even physical assaults against their opponents. Any person who persistently suggests that Tea Party Movement participants engage in activities remotely similar to this may usually consider themselves excluded, and in some cases organizers have summoned law-enforcement authorities to deal with provocative behavior by attendees at planning and other meetings.

=== Symbols ===
[[File:Gadsden_flag.png|200px|right]]By far the most prominent symbol at Tea Parties today is the [[Rattlesnake (American symbol)|Gadsden Rattlesnake Flag]].<ref>''Heraldric'': Or a rattlesnake sable and or coiled as to strike, facing sinister, on a bed of grass vert; motto "Don't Tread On Me"</ref> The ''[[American historical flags|Come And Take It]]'' Flag has also appeared, most notably at the September 12 March on Washington. Tea Party participants have almost always used home-made and home-decorated signs and other artifacts, in sharp contrast to the uniform, professionally printed signs carried at [[liberal]] demonstrations.

Most of the signs bear lampoons of the most highly publicized Obama Administration policies, from "Czars" to socialized medicine; moreover, Barack Obama is not the only target of criticism, the [[MSM]] has also been challenged in some rallies, both for their failings in covering the Tea Party Movement and also for what most participants regard as a collective decision by Mainstream Media organs to function as ''de facto'' government and/or [[Democratic Party]] as organs rather than the objective and disinterested commentators that they pretend to be.

Some of the signs that have been seen and photographed at these events have provoked cries of outrage from Tea Party Movement opponents, alleging bad taste, e.g. a picture of Barack Obama with the square mustache affected by [[Adolf Hitler]] and bearing the caption "I've Changed," and a sign bearing the message "Bury ObamaCare with [[Edward M. Kennedy|Kennedy]]." After the liberal Mainstream Media quickly blamed conservatives and even [[Rush Limbaugh]], some research was done to find the true source of the Hitler poster. It was later uncovered that the provocative Hitler signs were from a group of far-left [[Lyndon LaRouche]] supporters, as they were infiltrating the Tea Party rallies as a means to spread their extreme visions.<ref>Seton Motley. [http://newsbusters.org/blogs/seton-motley/2009/08/12/nbc-cnn-msnbc-all-assign-communist-larouches-obama-hitler-poster-conse NBC, CNN and MSNBC All Assign Communist LaRouche's Obama-Hitler Poster to Conservatives, Limbaugh], ''NewsBusters'', August 12, 2009.</ref>

== News coverage ==
[[File:MSMbyTEA.jpg|thumb|150px|right|Attitude of Tea Party Movement participants toward four MSM outlets]]

By far the most industrious news organ that has covered the Tea Party Movement has been [[Fox News Channel]], and especially its commentators Neil Cavuto and [[Glenn Beck]].

Coverage by the [[Mainstream Media]] of the Tea Party events has been lacking, both in quantity and in quality. The three traditional broadcast networks ([[ABC]], [[CBS]], [[NBC]]) have attempted to discredit these events as corporate-sponsored or sponsored by the [[Republican Party]] and other conservative or reactionary groups, and have generally censored the movement by refusing to cover major events.<ref name=baker>Baker B, "[http://newsbusters.org/blogs/brent-baker/2009/04/16/abc-cbs-nbc-try-discredit-tea-party-protests ABC, CBS and NBC Try to Discredit 'Tea Party' Protests]," ''NewsBusters'', 16 April 2009. Accessed September 16, 2009. Baker does a side-by-side comparison of coverage of the Tax Day Tea Parties and of several pro-immigration rallies held on 1 May 2006.</ref> Furthermore, several news anchors working for [[CNN]] and [[MSNBC]] coined the phrase "tea-baggers," a crude term used to slur [[conservatives]], which has an off-color connotation attempting to mock Tea Party Movement leaders and participants.<ref>Michael Patrick Leahy. [http://www.tcotreport.com/obamaslur.html In Pep Talk to Democrats Yesterday, Obama Used Crude Term to Slur Conservatives], ''[[The TCOT Report]]'', November 8, 2009.</ref>

Tea Party organizers are not controlled or funded by the Republican Party or any established interest group.

===Polls===
In latge 2009 the NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll showed 41% of Americans have a positive view of the tea party movement, and 24% had a negative view . By contrast, only 35% of Americans have a positive view of the Democrats and only 28% have a positive view of the Republican Party.<ref> see [http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2009/12/16/wsjnbc-news-poll-tea-party-tops-democrats-and-republicans/ "WSJ/NBC News Poll: Tea Party Tops Democrats and Republicans," ''Wall Street Journal'' Dec. 16, 2009]</ref>

{{Conservatism}}

== References ==
{{reflist|2}}

==See Also==
* [[Tax Day Tea Party]]
* [[Independence Day Tea Party]]
* [[9/12 March on Washington D.C.]]
* [[Boston Tea Party]]

[[Category:Taxation]]
[[Category:Obama Presidency]]
[[Category:Tax Revolts]]

Rapture

2010-02-12T16:57:27Z

HappyBirthdayDarwin: /* References */

'''Rapture''' is a noun meaning ''"A state of being carried away by overwhelming emotion"''.

Most modern Christian ministries imply "rapture" means "harpazo" which specifically points to "caught up" in 1 Thessalonians 4:17.
:''Then we which are alive and remain shall be '''caught up''' together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.''
The word '''rapture''' is not found in the Bible, but rather taken from the New Greek word "harpazo" (pronounced har-pad'-zo). "Harpazo" is found 13 times in the New Testament including Revelation 12:5 which addresses Jesus' ascent described in the Book of Acts. "Harpazo" means "to seize (in various applications): - catch (away, up), pluck, pull, take (by force)." according to Strong's Greek Dictionary.

'''The Rapture''' (from the Greek word έκσταση, ekstasi) is a hypothetical event to take place in the [[Last Days]] according to a mid-19th century preacher John Nelson Darby. John Nelson Darby interpreted 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 in the New Testament of the Bible as which present future believers in Jesus Christ will be suddenly taken away prior to the events of the war of Armageddon and the ushering in of the Millennial Kingdom.

:''But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.''
:''For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.''
:''For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.''
:''For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:''
:''Then we which are alive and remain shall be '''caught up''' together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.''
:''Wherefore comfort one another with these words.'' (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18)

Evangelical commentators '''suggest''' that the following events need to occur prior to the Rapture taking place:
* Lawless conditions in the world, as in the days of Noah (Matthew 24:36-41)
* The rise of a powerful government in Europe with its origins in the Roman Empire (Daniel 9, Revelation 13)
* The rise of powerful countries to the north, south, and east of Israel (Daniel 11)
* Israel living in peace with its neighbors (Ezekiel 38)
* A peace treaty between Israel and the Arabs for seven years (Daniel 9)
* The commencement of the rebuilding of the Jewish temple on it's original site in Jerusalem.

The website 'Rapture Ready'<ref>[http://www.raptureready.com/rap2.html Rapture Ready]</ref> maintains an index of how close we are claimed to be to the Rapture.

There is some debate in such circles over whether the Rapture will occur before, during or after the reign of the [[Antichrist]], but the original reference by St [[Paul]] that "we which are alive [and] remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air" at I Thessalonians 4:17 clearly dates it to the time of the [[Second Coming]], and does not suggest in any way that it will result in Christians being spared in advance the horrors of the [[Last Times]], as is sometimes proposed. Matthew 24:29-35 seems to favor the post-tribulation position, however:

{{Bible quote|Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer [is] nigh: So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, [even] at the doors. Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled. Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.|book=Matthew|chap=24|verses=29-35|version=KJV}}

* [[Premillennial Dispensationalism]]<ref>[http://www.nyu.edu/fas/projects/vcb/ChristianMedia/prophecy_premdisp.html]</ref>
* [[Postmillennial Dispensationalism]]
* [[Midmillennial Dispensationalism]]

==References==
{{Dablink|This article is about the timeline of human evolution. For a timeline of general evolution see [[Timeline of evolution]].}}
{{Dablink|See also [[Human evolution]] for more details on this topic.}}

[[Image:Age-of-Man-wiki.jpg|thumb|portait|Evolutionary tree]]
The '''timeline of human evolution''' outlines the major events in the development of [[human]] [[species]], and the [[evolution]] of humans' [[ancestor]]s. It includes a brief explanation of some [[animal]]s, [[species]] or [[genus|genera]], which are possible ancestors of ''[[Homo sapiens sapiens]]''. It does not address the [[origin of life]], which is addressed by [[abiogenesis]], but presents a possible line of descendants that led to humans. This timeline is based on studies from [[paleontology]], [[developmental biology]], [[Morphology (biology)|morphology]] and from [[anatomical]] and [[Genetics|genetic]] data. The study of human evolution is a major component of [[anthropology]].

==Homo sapiens taxonomy==
The [[cladistic]] line of descent ([[taxonomic rank]]) of ''[[homo sapiens sapiens]]'' (modern humans) is as follows: 
<blockquote>
[[Domain (biology)|domain]]: [[eukaryote]]s (2.100.000.000 years ago) 
[[Kingdom (biology)|kingdom]]: [[Animals|animalia]] (590.000.000 years ago) 
[[phylum]]: [[Chordate|chordata]] (530.000.000 years ago) 
[[subphylum]]: [[Vertebrate|vertebrata]] (505.000.000 years ago) 
[[Class (biology)|class]]: [[mammal|mammalia]] (220.000.000 years ago) 
[[subclass]]: [[Theria|theriiformes]] 
[[infraclass]]: [[eutheria]] (125.000.000 years ago) 
[[magnorder]]: [[boreoeutheria]] 
[[superorder]]: [[euarchontoglires]] ([[supraprimates]]) (100.000.000 years ago) 
[[Order (biology)|order]]: [[primate]]s (75.000.000 years ago) 
[[suborder]]: [[haplorrhini]] ([[tarsiers]], [[monkeys]], [[apes]], "dry-nosed" primates) (40.000.000 years ago) 
[[infraorder]]: [[Simian|simiiformes]] (simians, "higher" primates) 
[[parvorder]]: [[catarrhini]] ("narrow nosed" primates) (30.000.000 years ago) 
[[superfamily]]: [[Ape|hominoidea]] (25.000.000 years ago) 
[[Family (biology)|family]]: [[hominidae]] ([[great apes]]) (15.000.000 years ago) 
[[subfamily]]: [[homininae]] (4.500.000 years ago) 
[[Tribe (biology)|tribe]]: [[hominini]] 
[[subtribe]]: [[hominina]] (3.000.000 years ago) 
[[genus]]: [[Homo (genus)|homo]] (2.500.000 years ago) 
[[species]]: [[homo sapiens]] (195.000 years ago) 
[[sub-species]]: [[Anatomically modern humans|homo sapiens sapiens]] (12.000 years ago){{fact|date=February 2010}} 
</blockquote>

==Timeline==
=== First living beings ===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Date
! Event
|- valign="top"
| align="RIGHT" nowrap | 4000 [[Megaannum|Ma]] (million years ago)
|The earliest life appears.

{{See|Origin of life}}

|- valign="TOP"
| align="RIGHT" nowrap | 3900 Ma
|[[Cell (biology)|Cell]]s resembling [[prokaryote]]s appear.

{{See|Cell (biology)#Origins of cells}}
|- valign="TOP"
| align="RIGHT" nowrap | 2500 Ma
| First organisms to utilize [[oxygen]].
|- valign="TOP"
| align="RIGHT" nowrap | 2100 Ma
|More complex cells appear: the [[eukaryote]]s.

{{See|Eukaryote#Origin and evolution}}
|- valign="TOP"
| align="RIGHT" nowrap | 1200 Ma
| [[Evolution of sexual reproduction|Sexual reproduction]] evolves, leading to faster evolution.<ref>"'Experiments with sex have been very hard to conduct,' Goddard said. 'In an experiment, one needs to hold all else constant, apart from the aspect of interest. This means that no higher organisms can be used, since they have to have sex to reproduce and therefore provide no asexual control.' Goddard and colleagues instead turned to a single-celled organism, yeast, to test the idea that sex allows populations to adapt to new conditions more rapidly than asexual populations.<cite></cite>" [http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2005/03/0330_050330_sexevolution.html Sex Speeds Up Evolution, Study Finds] (URL accessed on January 9, 2005)</ref>
|- valign="TOP"
| align="RIGHT" nowrap | 900 Ma
| [[Image:Cronoflagelado2.jpg|thumb|100px|[[Choanoflagellate]]]]
The [[choanoflagellate]]s may look similar to the [[ancestors]] of the entire [[animal]] [[kingdom (biology)|kingdom]], and in particular they may be the direct ancestors of [[Sponge]]s.<ref>"Proterospongia is a rare freshwater protist, a colonial member of the Choanoflagellata." "Proterospongia itself is not the ancestor of sponges. However, it serves as a useful model for what the ancestor of sponges and other metazoans may have been like." http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/protista/proterospongia.html Berkeley University</ref>
[[Proterospongia]] (members of the Choanoflagellata) are the best living examples of what the ancestor of all [[animal]]s may have looked like.

They live in [[colony (biology)|colonies]], and show a primitive level of [[cell (biology)|cellular]] specialization for different tasks.
|- valign="TOP"
| align="RIGHT" nowrap | 600 Ma
|It is thought that the earliest multicellular animal was a [[sea sponge|sponge]]-like creature.
[[Sponge]]s are among the simplest of animals, with partially differentiated [[Biological tissue|tissue]]s.

Sponges (Porifera) are the phylogenetically oldest [[animal]] [[phylum]] extant today.
|- valign="TOP"
| align="RIGHT" nowrap | 580 Ma
|The movement of all animals may have started with [[cnidarians]]. Almost all cnidarians possess [[nerves]] and [[muscle]]s and, because they are the simplest [[animal]]s to possess it, their direct [[ancestor]]s were very likely the first animals to use nerves and muscles together. Cnidarians are also the first animals with an actual [[body]] of definite form and shape. They have [[symmetry (biology)#Radial symmetry|radial symmetry]]. The first [[Eye|eyes]] evolved at this time.
|- valign="TOP"
| align="RIGHT" nowrap | 550 Ma
| [[Image:FlatwormZICA.png|thumb|200px|[[Flatworm]]]] Flatworms are the earliest animals to have a [[brain]], and the simplest animals alive to have [[symmetry (biology)#Bilateral symmetry|bilateral symmetry]]. They are also the simplest animals with organs that form from three [[germ layer]]s.
|- valign="TOP"
| align="RIGHT" nowrap | 540 Ma
|[[Acorn worm]]s are considered more highly specialised and advanced than other similarly shaped [[worm]]-like creatures. They have a [[circulatory system]] with a [[heart]] that also functions as a [[kidney]]. Acorn worms have a [[gill]]-like structure used for [[breath]]ing, a structure similar to that of [[Prehistoric fish|primitive fish]]. Acorn worms are thus sometimes said to be a link between [[vertebrate]]s and [[invertebrate]]s{{Citation needed|date=September 2009}}.
|}

=== [[Chordates]] ===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Date
! Event
|- valign="TOP"
| align="RIGHT" nowrap | 530 Ma
|[[Image:Pikaia3ZICA.png|thumb|200px|[[Pikaia]]]] One of the earliest known ancestor of the [[chordate]]s is [[Pikaia]].<ref>"It is possible that Pikaia, until now the cynosure of Cambrianchordates, is peripheral to the line-age leading to the vertebrates." http://creation.com/images/pdfs/tj/j18_1/j18_1_10-11.pdf</ref> It is the first known [[animal]] with a [[notochord]]. Pikaia is believed to be the ancestor of all chordates and [[vertebrate]]s.<ref> "Obviously vertebrates must have had ancestors living in the Cambrian, but they were assumed to be invertebrate forerunners of the true vertebrates — protochordates. Pikaia has been heavily promoted as the oldest fossil protochordate." [[Richard Dawkins]] [[2004]] [[The Ancestor's Tale]] Page 289, ISBN 0618005838</ref>

The [[Lancelet]], still living today, retains some characteristics of the primitive [[chordate]]s. It resembles [[Pikaia]]

Other earliest known chordate-like fossils is from a [[conodonts]] an "eel-shaped animal of 4-20 cm (1½-8 in) long" with a pair of huge eyes at the head end and a complex basket of teeth.
|- valign="TOP"
| align="RIGHT" nowrap | 505 Ma
|[[Image:Agnata.png|thumb|200px|[[Agnatha]]]]

The first [[vertebrate]]s appear: the [[ostracoderm]]s, jawless fish related to present-day [[lamprey]]s and [[hagfish]]es. ''[[Haikouichthys]]'' and ''[[Myllokunmingia]]'' are examples of these jawless fish, or [[Agnatha]]. (See also [[prehistoric fish]]). They were jawless and their internal skeletons were cartilaginous. They lacked the paired (pectoral and pelvic) [[fins]] of more advanced [[fish]]. They were the Precursors to the [[Osteichthyes]] (bony fish). <ref>These first vertebrates lacked jaws, like the living hagfish and lampreys. Jawed vertebrates appeared 100 million years later, in the Silurian. http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/vertebrates/vertintro.html Berkeley University</ref>
|- valign="TOP"
| align="RIGHT" nowrap | 480 Ma
|[[Image:PlacodermiZICA.png|thumb|200px|A [[Placoderm]]]]
The [[Placodermi]] were [[prehistoric fish]]es. Placoderms were the first of the jawed fishes, their jaws evolving from the first of their gill arches <ref>"<cite>Bones of first gill arch became upper and lower jaws.</cite>" [http://www.uhh.hawaii.edu/~ronald/392/Homol-Gill-Jaw.JPG (Image)] (URL accessed on November 16, 2006)</ref>. Their head and thorax were covered by articulated armoured plates and the rest of the body was scaled or naked.
|- valign="TOP"
| align="RIGHT" nowrap | 400 Ma
|First ''[[Coelacanth]]'' appears; this order of animals had been thought to have no extant members until living specimens were discovered in 1938. It is often referred to as a [[living fossil]].
|- valign="TOP"
| align="RIGHT" nowrap | 375 Ma
| ''[[Tiktaalik]]'' is a genus of [[Sarcopterygii|sarcopterygian]] (lobe-finned) fishes from the late Devonian with many tetrapod-like features. It shows a clear link between [[Panderichthys]] and [[Acanthostega]].
|}

=== [[Tetrapod|Tetrapodes]] ===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Date
! Event
|- valign="TOP"
| align="RIGHT" nowrap | 365 Ma
|[[Image:PanderichthysZICA.png|thumb|200px|[[Panderichthys]]]]
Some fresh water lobe-finned [[fish]] ([[Sarcopterygii]]) develop legs and give rise to the [[Tetrapoda]].

The first tetrapods [[evolution|evolved]] in shallow and [[swamp]]y [[freshwater]] [[habitat (ecology)|habitats]].

Primitive tetrapods developed from a [[lobe-finned fish]] (an "osteolepid [[sarcopterygii|Sarcopterygian]]"), with a two-lobed [[brain]] in a flattened skull, a wide mouth and a short snout, whose upward-facing eyes show that it was a bottom-dweller, and which had already developed adaptations of fins with fleshy bases and [[bone]]s. The "living fossil" [[coelacanth]] is a related [[lobe-finned fish]] without these shallow-water adaptations. These fishes used their fins as [[paddle]]s in shallow-water habitats choked with plants and [[detritus]]. The universal tetrapod characteristics of front [[Limb (anatomy)|limb]]s that bend backward at the [[Elbow-joint|elbow]] and hind limbs that bend forward at the [[knee]] can plausibly be traced to early tetrapods living in shallow water.<ref>"Lungfish are believed to be the closest living relatives of the tetrapods, and share a number of important characteristics with them. Among these characters are tooth enamel, separation of pulmonary blood flow from body blood flow, arrangement of the skull bones, and the presence of four similarly sized limbs with the same position and structure as the four tetrapod legs." http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/vertebrates/sarco/dipnoi.html Berkeley University</ref>

[[Panderichthys]] is a 90-130 cm (35-50 in) long [[fish]] from the Late [[Devonian period]]. It has a large [[tetrapod]]-like [[head]]. Panderichthys exhibits features transitional between lobe-finned fishes and early tetrapods.

[[Lungfish]]es retain some characteristics of the early [[Tetrapoda]]s. One example is the [[Queensland Lungfish]].
|- valign="TOP"
| align="RIGHT" nowrap | 315 Ma
|[[Image:Acanthostega2 ZICA.png|thumb|200px|[[Acanthostega]]]]
[[Image:PleaisaidesZICA.png|thumb|200px|[[Ichthyostega]]]]
[[Acanthostega]] is an extinct [[amphibian]], among the first animals to have recognizable [[Limb (anatomy)|limb]]s. It is a candidate for being one of the first [[vertebrate]]s to be capable of coming onto land. It lacked [[wrist]]s, and was generally poorly adapted for life on land. The limbs could not support the animal's weight. [[Acanthostega]] had both [[lungs]] and [[gills]], also indicating it was a link between lobe-finned fish and terrestrial vertebrates.

[[Ichthyostega]] is an early [[tetrapod]]. Being one of the first animals with legs, arms, and finger bones, Ichthyostega is seen as a [[Hybrid (biology)|hybrid]] between a [[fish]] and an [[amphibia]]n. [[Ichthyostega]]' had legs but its [[Limb (anatomy)|limb]]s probably weren't used for [[walking]], they may have spent very brief periods out of water and would have used their legs to paw their way through the [[mud]].<ref> "the ancestor that amphibians share with reptiles and ourselves? " " These possibly transitional fossils have been much studied, among
them Acanthostega, which seems to have been wholly aquatic, and Ichthyostega" [[Richard Dawkins]] [[2004]] [[The Ancestor's Tale]] page 250, ISBN 0618005838</ref>

[[Amphibian|Amphibia]] were the first four-legged animals to develop [[lungs]].

[[Amphibian]]s living today still retain many characteristics of the early [[tetrapods]].
|- valign="TOP"
| align="RIGHT" nowrap | 300 Ma
|[[Image:HylonomusZICA.png|thumb|200px|[[Hylonomus]]]]
From amphibians came the first reptiles: [[Hylonomus]] is the earliest known [[reptile]]. It was 20 cm (8 in) long (including the tail) and probably would have looked rather similar to modern [[lizard]]s. It had small sharp teeth and probably ate [[millipede]]s and early [[insect]]s. It is a precursor of later [[Amniote]]s and [[mammal-like reptiles]].

Evolution of the amniotic egg gives rise to the Amniota, [[reptile]]s that can reproduce on land and lay eggs on dry land. They did not need to return to water for reproduction. This adaptation gave them the capability to colonize the uplands for the first time.

Reptiles have advanced nervous system, compared to [[amphibians]]. They have twelve pairs of cranial nerves.
|}
=== Mammals ===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Date
! Event
|- valign="TOP"
| align="RIGHT" nowrap | 256 Ma
| [[Image:Phtinosuchus1ZICA.png|thumb|200px|[[Phthinosuchus]], an early [[Therapsid]]]] Shortly after the appearance of the first [[reptile]]s, two branches split off. One branch is the [[Diapsid]]s, from which come the modern [[reptile]]s. The other branch is [[Synapsid|Synapsida]], which had [[temporal fenestra]], a pair of holes in their skulls behind the eyes, which were used to increase the space for jaw muscles.

The earliest '''mammal-like reptiles''' are the [[pelycosaur]]s. The pelycosaurs were the first animals to have temporal fenestra. Pelycosaurs are not [[Therapsid]]s but soon they gave rise to them. The Therapsida were the direct ancestor of [[mammals]].

The therapsids have temporal fenestrae larger and more mammal-like than pelycosaurs, their teeth show more serial differentiation; and later forms had evolved a [[secondary palate]]. A secondary palate enables the animal to eat and breathe at the same time and is a sign of a more active, perhaps warm-blooded, way of life. <ref>"In many respects, the pelycosaurs are intermediate between the reptiles and mammals" http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/synapsids/pelycosaurs.html Berkeley University</ref>
|- valign="TOP"
| align="RIGHT" nowrap | 220 Ma
|One sub-group of therapsids, the [[cynodont]]s evolved more mammal-like characteristics.
The jaws of cynodonts resemble modern mammal jaws. It is very likely this group of animals contains a species which is the direct ancestor of all modern mammals.<ref> "Tlvinaxodon, like any fossil, should be thought of as a cousin of our ancestor, not the ancestor itself. It was a member of a group of mammal-like reptiles called the cynodonts. The cynodonts were so mammal-like, it is tempting to call them mammals. But who cares what we call them? They are almost perfect intermediates." [[Richard Dawkins]] [[2004]] [[The Ancestor's Tale]] page 211, ISBN 0618005838</ref>
|- valign="TOP"
| align="RIGHT" nowrap | 220 Ma
|[[Image:RepenomamusuZICA.png|right|thumb|200px|''[[Repenomamus]]'']]
From [[Eucynodontia]] ([[cynodonts]]) came the first [[mammal]]s. Most early mammals were small and shrew-like animals that fed on insects. Although there is no evidence in the fossil record, it is likely that these animals had a constant body temperature, milk glands for their young. The [[neocortex]] region of the [[brain]] first evolved in mammals and thus is unique to them.
|- valign="TOP"
| align="RIGHT" nowrap | 125 Ma
|[[Image:Eomaia23423.jpg|right|thumb|200px|''[[Eomaia|Eomaia scansoria]]'']]
''[[Eomaia|Eomaia scansoria]]'', a eutherian mammal, leads to the formation of modern placental mammals. It looks like modern dormouse, climbing small shrubs in [[Liaoning]], [[China]].
|- valign="TOP"
| align="RIGHT" nowrap | 100 Ma
| Common [[genetics|genetic]] [[ancestor]] of [[Mouse|mice]] and humans (base of the clade [[Euarchontoglires]]).
|}

===Primates ===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Date
! Event
|- valign="TOP"
| align="RIGHT" nowrap | 65–85 Ma
|[[Image:PlesiadapisZICA.png|right|thumb|200px|''[[Carpolestes simpsoni]]'']]
[[Image:PlesiadapisNewZICA.png|right|thumb|200px|A ''[[Plesiadapis]]'' without [[fur]].]]
A group of small, nocturnal and arboreal, insect-eating mammals called the [[Euarchonta]] begins a speciation that will lead to the [[primate]], [[treeshrew]] and [[flying lemur]] [[order (biology)|orders]]. The [[Primatomorpha]] is a subdivision of Euarchonta that includes the primates and the proto-primate [[Plesiadapiformes]]. One of the early proto-primates is ''[[Plesiadapis]]''. ''Plesiadapis'' still had claws and the eyes located on each side of the head. Because of this they were faster on the ground than on the top of the trees, but they began to spend long times on lower branches of trees, feeding on [[fruit]]s and [[leaf|leaves]]. The [[Plesiadapiformes]] very likely contain the species which is the ancestor of all primates.<ref> "Fossils that might help us reconstruct what Concestor 8 was like include the large group called plesiadapi-forms. They lived about the right time, and they have many of the qualities you would expect of the grand ancestor of all the primates" [[Richard Dawkins]] [[2004]] [[The Ancestor's Tale]] page 136, ISBN 0618005838</ref>

One of the last [[Plesiadapiformes]] is ''[[Carpolestes simpsoni]]''. It had grasping digits but no forward facing eyes.
|- valign="TOP"
| align="RIGHT" nowrap | 47 Ma
|''[[Darwinius masillae]]'', a [[transitional form]] between the [[prosimian]]s ([[lemur]]s and other primitive primates) and the [[simian]]s ([[monkey]]s, [[ape]]s). It looked much like a [[lemur]] but had [[opposable thumb]]s.
|- valign="TOP"
| align="RIGHT" nowrap | 40 Ma
|[[Primate]]s diverge into suborders [[Strepsirrhini]] (wet-nosed primates) and [[Haplorrhini]] (dry nosed primates). Strepsirrhini contains most of the [[prosimian]]s; modern examples include the [[lemur]]s and [[loris]]es. The haplorrhines include the three living groups the prosimian [[tarsier]]s, the simian [[monkey]]s, and [[ape]]s. One of the earliest haplorrhines is ''[[Teilhardina asiatica]]'', a mouse-sized, diurnal creature with small eyes. The Haplorrhini metabolism lost the ability to make its own [[Vitamin C]]. This means that it and all its descendants had to include fruit in its diet, where Vitamin C could be obtained externally.
|- valign="TOP"
| align="RIGHT" nowrap | 30 Ma
|[[Image:Aegyptopithecus ZICA.png|right|thumb|200px|''[[Aegyptopithecus]]'']]
[[Haplorrhini]] splits into infraorders [[New World monkey|Platyrrhini]] and [[Catarrhini]]. Platyrrhines, New World monkeys, have prehensile tails and males are color blind. They may have migrated to South America on a raft of vegetation across the Atlantic ocean (circa 4,500 km, 2,800 mi). Catarrhines mostly stayed in [[Africa]] as the two continents drifted apart. One ancestor of catarrhines might be ''[[Aegyptopithecus]]''.
|- valign="TOP"
| align="RIGHT" nowrap | 25 Ma
|[[Image:ProconsulZICA.png|right|thumb|200px|''[[Proconsul (genus)|Proconsul]]'']]
[[Catarrhini]] splits into 2 superfamilies, [[Old World monkey]]s (Cercopithecoidea) and [[ape]]s ([[Hominoidea]]). Our [[Trichromat|trichromatic]] color vision had its genetic origins in this period.

''[[Proconsul (primate)|Proconsul]]'' was an early [[genus]] of catarrhine primates. They had a mixture of [[Old World monkey]] and [[ape]] characteristics. ''Proconsul'''s [[monkey]]-like features include thin [[tooth]] enamel, a light build with a narrow chest and short forelimbs, and an arboreal quadrupedal lifestyle. Its ape-like features are its lack of a [[tail]], ape-like [[Elbow-joint|elbow]]s, and a slightly larger brain relative to body size.

''[[Proconsul africanus]]'' is a possible ancestor of both great and lesser apes, and humans.
|}

===[[Hominidae]]===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Date
! Event
|- valign="TOP"
| align="RIGHT" nowrap | 15 Ma
|[[Hominidae]] (great apes) speciate from the ancestors of the [[gibbon]] (lesser apes).
|- valign="TOP"
| align="RIGHT" nowrap | 13 Ma
|[[Homininae]] ancestors speciate from the ancestors of the [[orangutan]]<ref> Raauma, Ryan, Sternera, K., (2005) "Catarrhine primate divergence dates estimated from complete mitochondrial genomes", Journal of Human Evolution 48: 237-257 [http://www.nyu.edu/gsas/dept/anthro/programs/csho/Content/Facultycvandinfo/Disotell/RAUMM&DISS.pdf]
</ref>.

''[[Pierolapithecus|Pierolapithecus catalaunicus]]'' is believed to be a [[common ancestor]] of humans and the great apes or at least a species that brings us closer to a common ancestor than any previous [[fossil]] discovery.

''Pierolapithecus'' had special adaptations for tree climbing, just as humans and other great apes do: a wide, flat [[ribcage]], a stiff lower [[vertebral column|spine]], flexible wrists, and [[shoulder]] blades that lie along its back.
|- valign="TOP"
| align="RIGHT" nowrap | 10 Ma
|[[Hominini]] speciate from the ancestors of the [[gorilla]]s.
|- valign="TOP"
| align="RIGHT" nowrap | 7 Ma
|[[Image:SahelanthropustchadensisZICA.png|right|thumb|200px|''[[Sahelanthropus tchadensis]]'']]
[[Hominina]] speciate from the ancestors of the [[chimpanzee]]s. The [[latest common ancestor]] lived around the time of ''[[Sahelanthropus tchadensis]]'', ca. 7 Ma[http://www.talkorigins.org/faqs/homs/species.html#tchadensis]; S. tchadensis is sometimes claimed to be the last common ancestor of humans and chimpanzees, but this is disputed. The earliest known human ancestor post-dating the separation of the human and the chimpanzee lines is ''[[Orrorin tugenensis]]'' (Millennium Man, Kenya; ca. 6 Ma).
Both chimpanzees and humans have a [[larynx]] that repositions during the first two years of life to a spot between the [[pharynx]] and the lungs, indicating that the common ancestors have this feature, a precursor of speech.
|- valign="TOP"
| align="RIGHT" nowrap | 4.4 Ma
|[[Ardipithecus]] is a very early [[Hominini|hominin]] [[genus]] ([[subfamily]] [[Homininae]]). Two species are described in the literature: ''A. ramidus'', which lived about 4.4 million years ago<ref name=%26quot%3BNatGeo-News%26quot%3B%26gt%3B%7B%7Bcite web
| url = http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2001/07/0712_ethiopianbones.html
| title = Fossils From Ethiopia May Be Earliest Human Ancestor
| first = David | last = Perlman
| publisher = National Geographic News
| date = July 12, 2001 | accessdate = July 2009
| quote = Another co-author is Tim D. White, a paleoanthropologist at UC-Berkeley who in 1994 discovered a pre-human fossil, named Ardipithecus ramidus, that was then the oldest known, at 4.4 million years.
}}</ref> during the early [[Pliocene]], and ''A. kadabba'', dated to approximately 5.6 million years ago<ref name=%26quot%3BAndThePaleobiology%26quot%3B%26gt%3B%7B%7Bcite journal |last=White |first=Tim D. |authorlink= |coauthors=Asfaw, Berhane; Beyene, Yonas; Haile-Selassie, Yohannes; Lovejoy, C. Owen; Suwa, Gen; WoldeGabriel, Giday|year=2009 |month= |title=''Ardipithecus ramidus'' and the Paleobiology of Early Hominids. |journal=[[Science (journal)|Science]] |volume=326 |issue=5949 |pages=75–86 |doi=10.1126/science.1175802 |url= |quote=|pmid=}}</ref> (late [[Miocene]]). ''A. ramidus'' had a small brain, measuring between 300 and 350 cm3. This is about the same size as modern [[bonobo]] and female [[common chimpanzee]] brain, but much smaller than the brain of australopithecines like Lucy (~400 to 550 cm3) and slightly over a fifth the size of the modern ''Homo sapiens'' brain. Ardipithecus was aboreal, meaning it lived largely in the forest where it competed with other forest animals for food, including the contemporary ancestor for the chimpanzees. Ardipithecus was likely [[bipedal]] as evidenced by its bowl shaped pelvis and centered [[foramen magnum]], though its feet were still adapted for grasping rather than walking for long distances.

|- valign="TOP"
| align="RIGHT" nowrap | 3.6 Ma
| [[File:Australopithecus_afarensis.JPG|right|thumb|200px|''[[Australopithecus afarensis]]'']] Some ''[[Australopithecus afarensis]]'' left human-like footprints on volcanic ash in Laetoli, Kenya (Northern Tanzania) which provides strong evidence of full-time bipedalism. Australopithecus afarensis lived between 3.9 and 2.9 million years ago. It is thought that A. afarensis was ancestral to both the genus [[Australopithecus]] and the [[Homo (genus)|genus Homo]]. Compared to the modern and extinct great [[ape]]s, A. afarensis has reduced canines and molars, although they are still relatively larger than in modern humans. A. afarensis also has a relatively small brain size (~380-430cm³) and a prognathic (i.e. projecting anteriorly) face. Australopithecines have been found in Savannah environments and likely increased its diet to include meat from scavenging opportunities. An analysis of [[Australopithecus africanus]] lower [[Vertebrae|vertebrae]] suggests that females had changes to support bipedalism even while pregnant.
|- valign="TOP"
| align="RIGHT" nowrap | 3.5 Ma
| [[Kenyanthropus platyops]], a possible ancestor of ''Homo'', emerges from the ''Australopithecus'' genus.
|- valign="TOP"
| align="RIGHT" nowrap | 3 Ma
| The bipedal [[Australopithecus|australopithecines]] (a genus of the ''[[Hominina]]'' subtribe) evolve in the savannas of [[Africa]] being hunted by ''[[Dinofelis]]''. Loss of [[body hair]] takes place in the period 3-2 Ma, in parallel with the development of full [[bipedalism]].
|}

===[[Homo (genus)|Homo]]===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Date
! Event
|- valign="TOP"
| align="RIGHT" nowrap | 2.5 Ma
|[[Image:Homo_habilis.JPG|right|thumb|200px|''[[Homo habilis]]'']]
Appearance of ''[[Homo (genus)|Homo]]''.
''[[Homo habilis]]'' is thought to be the ancestor of the lankier and more sophisticated ''[[Homo ergaster]]''. Lived side by side with ''[[Homo erectus]]'' until at least 1.44 Ma, making it highly unlikely that ''[[Homo erectus]]'' directly evolved out of ''[[Homo habilis]]''. First [[stone tool]]s, beginning of the [[Lower Paleolithic]].
{{See|Homo rudolfensis}}
|- valign="TOP"
| align="RIGHT" nowrap | 1.8 Ma
|[[Image:Homo erectus.JPG|thumb|200px|A reconstruction of ''[[Homo erectus]]''. ]]
''[[Homo erectus]]'' evolves in [[Africa]].
''Homo erectus'' would bear a striking resemblance to modern humans, but had a brain about 74 percent of the size of modern man. Its forehead is less sloping and the teeth are smaller. Other hominid designations such as [[Homo georgicus]], [[Homo ergaster]], [[Peking Man|Homo pekinensis]], [[Homo heidelbergensis]] are often put under the umbrella species name of Homo erectus<ref>NOVA: Becoming Human Part 2 http://video.pbs.org/video/1319997127/</ref>. Starting with Homo georgicus found in what is now the Republic of Georgia dated at 1.8 Ma, the pelvis and backbone grew more human-like and gave georgicus the ability [[early human migrations|cover very long distances]] in order to follow herds of other animals. This is the oldest fossil of a hominid found (so far) outside of Africa. [[Control of fire by early humans]] is achieved 1.5 Ma by Homo ergaster. Homo ergaster reaches a height of around 1.9 metres (6.2 ft). Evolution of [[dark skin]], which is linked to the loss of body hair in human ancestors, is complete by 1.2 Ma. Homo pekinensis first appears in Asia around 700 Ka but according to the "[[Recent_African_origin_of_modern_humans|recently out of africa]]" theory could not be a human ancestor, but rather, is just a cousin offshoot species from Homo ergaster. Homo heidelbergensis was a very large hominid that had [[Boxgrove Quarry|a more advanced complement of cutting tools]] and may have hunted big game such as horses.
|- valign="TOP"
| align="RIGHT" nowrap | 516 [[Annum#Multiples of an "annum"|ka]]
| ''[[Homo antecessor]]'' is the common genetic ancestor of humans and Neanderthal.<ref>Green, R. E., Krause, J, Ptak, S. E., Briggs, A. W., Ronan, M. T., Simons, J. F., et al. (2006) Analysis of one million base pairs of Neanderthal DNA. Nature, 16, 330–336. http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v444/n7117/abs/nature05336.html</ref> At present estimate, humans have approximately 20,000–25,000 [[gene]]s and share 99% of their [[DNA]] with the now [[extinct]] [[Neanderthal]] <ref>"<cite>Rubin also said analysis so far suggests human and Neanderthal DNA are some 99.5 percent to nearly 99.9 percent identical.</cite>" [http://www.cnn.com/2006/TECH/science/11/15/neanderthal.ap/index.html Neanderthal bone gives DNA clues] (URL accessed on November 16, 2006)</ref> and 95-99% of their [[DNA]] with their closest [[living]] evolutionary relative, the [[chimpanzee]]s<ref>"<cite>The conclusion is the old saw that we share 98.5% of our DNA sequence with chimpanzee is probably in error. For this sample, a better estimate would be that 95% of the base pairs are exactly shared between chimpanzee and human DNA.</cite>" {{cite journal|doi=10.1073/pnas.172510699|title=Divergence between samples of chimpanzee and human DNA sequences is 5%, counting indels|author=Britten, R.J. |journal = PNAS |year=2002|volume=99|pages=13633|pmid=12368483}}</ref><ref>"<cite>...of the three billion letters that make up the human genome, only 15 million--less than 1 percent--have changed in the six million years or so since the human and chimp lineages diverged.</cite>" {{cite|title=What makes us human?|author=Pollard, K.S.|journal = Scientific American|year=2009|volume=300-5|pages=44–49.}}</ref>. The human variant of the [[FOXP2]] gene (linked to the control of speech) has been found to be identical in Neanderthal<ref name=%26quot%3Bpmid17949978%26quot%3B%26gt%3B%7B%7Bcite journal | author = Krause J, Lalueza-Fox C, Orlando L, Enard W, Green RE, Burbano HA, Hublin JJ, Hänni C, Fortea J, de la Rasilla M, Bertranpetit J, Rosas A, [[Svante Pääbo|Pääbo S]] | title = The derived FOXP2 variant of modern humans was shared with Neandertals | journal = Curr. Biol. | volume = 17 | issue = 21 | pages = 1908–12 | year = 2007 | month = November | pmid = 17949978 | doi = 10.1016/j.cub.2007.10.008 | url = | laysummary = http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/19/science/19speech-web.html?ref=world | laysource = [[New York Times]] | laydate= 2007-10-19 }}</ref>. It can therefore be deduced that Homo antecessor would also have had the human FOXP2 gene.
|- valign="TOP"
| align="RIGHT" nowrap | 355 ka
|
Three 1.5 m (5 ft) tall ''[[Homo heidelbergensis]]'' [[Petrosomatoglyph#Footprints_in_Italy|left footprints in powdery volcanic ash solidified in Italy]]. ''Homo heidelbergensis'' is the common ancestor of both ''[[Neanderthal|Homo neanderthalensis]]'' and ''[[Homo sapiens]]''. It is morphologically very similar to ''[[Homo erectus]]'' but ''Homo heidelbergensis'' had a larger brain-case, about 93% the size of that of ''Homo sapiens''. The species was tall, 1.8 m (6 ft) on average, and more muscular than modern humans. Beginning of the [[Middle Paleolithic]].
|- valign="TOP"
| align="RIGHT" nowrap | 195 ka
|[[Image:Human.svg|thumb|200px|''Homo sapiens sapiens'' ([[Pioneer plaque]])]]
[[Omo remains|Omo1]], [[Omo remains|Omo2]] (Ethiopia, Omo river) are the earliest fossil evidence for [[archaic Homo sapiens|archaic ''Homo sapiens'']], evolved from ''[[Homo heidelbergensis]]''.
|- valign="TOP"
| align="RIGHT" nowrap | 160 ka
| ''Homo sapiens'' (''[[Homo sapiens idaltu]]'') in Ethiopia, Awash River, Herto village, practice mortuary rituals and butcher hippos.
|- valign="TOP"
| align="RIGHT" nowrap | 150 ka
| [[Mitochondrial Eve]] is a woman that lived in [[East Africa]]. She is the statistically expected most recent female ancestor common to all [[mitochondrial]] lineages in humans alive today. Note that there is no evidence of any characteristic or genetic drift that significantly differentiated her from the contemporary social group she lived with at the time. Her ancestors were homo sapiens and her mother had the same mtDNA.
|- valign="TOP"
| align="RIGHT" nowrap | 70 ka
| Appearance of mitochondrial haplogroup [[Haplogroup L2 (mtDNA)|L2]]. [[Behavioral modernity]].
|- valign="TOP"
| align="RIGHT" nowrap | 60 ka
| [[Y-chromosomal Adam]] lives in Africa. He is the [[most recent common ancestor]] from whom all male human Y chromosomes are descended. Appearance of mitochondrial haplogroups [[Haplogroup M (mtDNA)|M]] and [[Haplogroup N (mtDNA)|N]], which participate in the [[Recent African Origin|migration out of Africa]].
|- valign="TOP"
| align="RIGHT" nowrap | 50 ka
| [[Early human migration|Migration]] to [[Paleolithic South Asia|South Asia]]. [[Haplogroup CT (Y-DNA)|M168]] mutation (carried by all non-African males). Beginning of the [[Upper Paleolithic]]. mt-haplogroups [[Haplogroup U (mtDNA)|U]], [[Haplogroup K (mtDNA)|K]].
|- valign="TOP"
| align="RIGHT" nowrap | 40 ka
| Migration to [[Prehistory of Australia|Australia]] and [[Paleolithic Europe|Europe]] ([[Cro-Magnon]]).
|- valign="TOP"
| align="RIGHT" nowrap | 25 ka
| [[Neanderthal extinction hypotheses|Neanderthals die out]]. Y-Haplogroup [[Haplogroup R2 (Y-DNA)|R2]]; mt-haplogroups [[Haplogroup J (mtDNA)|J]], [[Haplogroup X (mtDNA)|X]].
|- valign="TOP"
| align="RIGHT" nowrap | [[10th millennium BC|12 ka]]
| Beginning of the [[Mesolithic]] / [[Holocene]]. Y-Haplogroup [[Haplogroup R1a (Y-DNA)|R1a]]; mt-haplogroups [[Haplogroup V (mtDNA)|V]], [[Haplogroup T (mtDNA)|T]]. Evolution of [[light skin]] in Europeans ([[SLC24A5]]). ''[[Homo floresiensis]]'' dies out, leaving ''Homo sapiens'' as the only living species of the genus ''[[Homo (genus)|Homo]]''.
|}

==See also==
*[[Graphical timeline of our universe]]
*[[History of Earth]]
*[[Natural history]]
*[[History of the world]]
*[[Predictions for human evolution]]
*[[Evolutionary history of life]]
*[[Human evolution]]
*[[Human taxonomy]]
*[[Homo (genus)]]
*[[Most recent common ancestor]]
*[[List of human evolution fossils]]
*[[Prehistoric amphibian]]
*[[Prehistoric fish]]
*[[Prehistoric reptile]]
* ''[[The Ancestor's Tale]]'' by [[Richard Dawkins]] with a timeline comprising 40 rendezvous points
*[[Timeline of evolution]] - an explanation of the evolution of a wide variety of animals living today
*[[Y-DNA haplogroups by ethnic groups]]

==References==
{{Reflist|2}}

==External links==
*[http://www.palaeos.com Palaeos]
*[http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu berkeley Evolution]
* [http://tolweb.org/Life_on_Earth/1 Tree of Life Web Project] - explore complete phylogenetic tree interactively
*[http://sci.waikato.ac.nz/evolution/AnimalEvolution.shtml History of Animal Evolution]

{{Human Evolution}}

{{evolution}}



{{DEFAULTSORT:Timeline Of Human Evolution}}
[[Category:Biology timelines|Evolution, human]]
[[Category:Evolution]]
[[Category:Human evolution]]

[[ca:Línia temporal de l'evolució humana]]
[[fr:Origine évolutive de l'Homme]]
[[pt:Linha do tempo da evolução humana]]
[[ta:படிவளர்ச்சி காலக்கோடு]]
[[zh:人類演化歷程]]

==Sources==
* Armstrong, K., ''The Battle for God'' (Harper Perennial, 2000)
* Cruden, A., ''Complete Concordance to the Old and New Testaments'' (Lutterworth, 1930)
* ''The Holy Bible'' (King James Version)
* ''The New English Bible'' (Oxford & Cambridge University Presses, 1970)
* ''The New Jerusalem Bible'' (Darton, Longman & Todd, 1990)
* Peake, A.S., ''Commentary on the Bible'' (Nelson, 1962)
* Young, R., ''Analytical Concordance to the Holy Bible'' (Lutterworth, 1939)

[[Category:Christian Theology]]