The Course of Human Evolution Essay - 1675 Words

Human life histories are understood to consist of different levels of factors that contribute to the variation and evolution of human health, and this can be analyzed by categorizing the various lifetime events on a fast-slow continuum (Promislow Harvey, 1990 as cited in Kaplan, Lancaster, Robson, 2003). Mammals, for example, are located on the fast end of the continuum and are known to reproduce early, have a shorter period of pregnancy, grow into smaller body sizes, and produce a great amount of offspring that are vulnerable to death. On the other hand, species scattered on the other end of the continuum tend to have characteristic that are opposite to those of mammals (Kaplan et al., 2003). These changing momentums are generally†¦show more content†¦How has human health history progressed? In order to understand the momentum of human evolution, we have to look at that evolution from several different perspectives. Kaplan et al. (2003) proposed an â€Å"embodied capital theory† which suggests that there has been an integration of life history and investment in economics that forms the building blocks of somatic appearance. This theory purports to explain the development and maintenance of human health. The â€Å"embodied capital† refers to the physical organization of the human body and the functions of the various internal organs (Kaplan et al., 2003). This â€Å"capital† provides solutions to problems that may not have been addressed or completely understood. For example, the human brain is one type of embodied capital that supports the ability to learn new information even after adulthood has been reached, notwithstanding the fact that in adulthood the brain has reached its peak mass (Kaplan et al., 2003). Nonetheless, due to the tendency of devaluation in such embodied capital, there seems to be some costs and benefits throughout one’s lifetime. For example, there may be a reduction in the brain system and cognitive perception early in life that results in incompetence of human infants (Kaplan et al., 2003). On the other hand, in a circumstance where there is little information to absorb, the humanShow MoreRelatedThe Course Of Human Evolution1676 Words   |  7 PagesThe course of human evolution can be represented by subsequent development of: 1. Australopithecus as the common anthropoid ancestor of the distinct group of hominids 2. Pithecanthropus as the earliest members of Homo also called Homo Habilis or Homo Erectus 3. Palaeoanthropus or Homo Neanderthalensis as the closest predecessor of Homo Sapiens 4. Homo Sapiens as the species to which all modern human beings belong and is the only one from genus Homo that is not extinct. According to modern conceptsRead MoreDarwin s Theory Of Evolution1115 Words   |  5 Pagesbelieve is the forth coming of evolution or what they deem to be the reasoning behind its development. 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