“Ten One-Billion Parts of Cosmic History” – The last Homo species did not survive the severe climate change (a feature of the weekend)


Our human experience at the pale blue dot “has lasted for less than 10 billion cosmic histories surrounded by vast inanimate space, yet we humans are congratulating ourselves,” says the author of Peter Brennan. The end of the world The current human rule has recently been dubbed the Anthropocene – a period that dates back to the 1950s atomic age, during which human activity has had an impact on the weather and the environment – “Before we can prove ourselves capable, With the next century escape. And, besides, most of our glorious creations – entire cities and manufactured landscapes – will be destroyed by destruction and disruption … Many of the artificial markers proposed to describe anthropocene will not escape the humiliation of deep deep time. “

Anthropocene – “Human arrogance?”

Br It’s Nan adds, “It’s human arrogance,” anthropocene, which doesn’t compare to the geographical age compared to the early Cretaceous era of the age, which lasts 600,000 times longer than a new age. , Or the reign of dinosaurs that lasted more than 225-million years. Anthropocene, concluding Brennan, is a phenomenon, not an age.

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Past extinction of Homo species

To understand the earliest human climate preferences and how they reacted to climate change – a preview of a new study in Braunen’s findings – “Past extinction of the Homo species associated with increased vulnerability to climate change”. The study showed that despite the use of fire and refined stone tools, the creation of complex social networks, and glued spear points, fitted clothing, and a good amount of cultural and excellent technological innovations. Genetic exchange with Homo sapiens, Homo species of the past will not be able to survive the extreme climate change, ”says Pascal Raia of the University de Napoli Federico II. “They worked hard; As the weather cooled they made the hottest places, but at the end of the day it wasn’t enough.

“We were amazed at the regularity of the effects of climate change,” says Raiya. “It’s a clear crystal for endangered species and only for them, that the climate conditions were very extreme before and only at that moment.”

Warning to humans today

Raiya notes that there is uncertainty in paleoclimatic reconstruction, the identity of fossils remains at the species level, and the aging of fossil sites. But, he says, the main insight is “true under all assumptions.” “Climate can be a kind of warning for human beings today, as we are facing unprecedented changes in the climate,” says Raya.

“It is worrying to find that our ancestors were no less influential in terms of mental power than other races on earth,” he said. “And we saw that while our own species were watching the branch, we were sitting on bringing about climate change. I personally take this as a roaring warning message. Climate change has made Homo vulnerable and ruthless in the past and is now coming back. “

Extensive fossil database

H. Habilis, h. Ergaster, h. Erectus, H. Heidelbergensis, h. Neanderthalnsis and H. To shed light on the past extinction of Homo species, including sapins, the researchers relied on a high-resolution past climate emulator, which provides temperature. Rainfall and other data over the last 5 million years. They also looked to an extensive fossil database of more than 2,750 archaeological records to sample the evolution of Homo species over time.

His studies provide strong evidence that the three Homo species. H. Erectus, H. Heidelbergenesis and H. Neanderthalnsis – Before extinction, lost a significant portion of their climatic uniqueness. They say the decline is accompanied by sharp, unfavorable changes in the global environment. In the case of Neanderthals, h. Things got worse by competing with the Sapiens.

“Crystal Clear” – The Impact of Climate Change

“We were amazed at the regularity of the effects of climate change,” says Raiya. “It’s a clear crystal for endangered species and only for them, that the climate conditions were very extreme before and only at that moment.”

Raiya notes that there is uncertainty in paleoclimatic reconstruction, the identity of fossils remains at the species level, and the aging of fossil sites. But, he says, the main insight is “true under all assumptions.” “Climate can be a kind of warning for human beings today, as we are facing unprecedented changes in the climate,” says Raya.

“It is worrying to find that our ancestors were no less influential in terms of mental power than other races on earth,” he said. “And we saw that while our own species were watching the branch, we were sitting on bringing about climate change. I personally take this as a roaring warning message. Homo was weak and ruthless in the past due to the weather reversal and is now coming back. “

Source: Pasquale Raiya et al. Past extinction of Homo species associated with increased vulnerability to climate change. An earth. Published: 15 October October, 2020. DOI: 10.1016 / j.oneear.2020.09.007

Daily Galaxy, Atlantic by Andy Johnson, Cell Press and Rai’s Lab

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