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The evolution of the human species began in East Africa approximately 4.2 million years ago with Australopithecus anamensis. This process, known as hominization, spanned millennia and led to the emergence of Homo sapiens, Modern Man. During this journey, there were advancements in toolmaking, firebending, and skill acquisition. Homo habilis began creating simple stone tools, evolving into hand axes under Homo erectus. Homo sapiens sapiens refined tool-making, using materials such as ivory, bone, and wood to create advanced tools. These tools played crucial roles in hunting, treating fur, and making clothing, as well as being useful for fishing and hunting large game.

Homo erectus, by observing fire in nature, learned to produce it, either by rubbing wood or hitting stones. This represented a mastery of nature, allowing early communities to keep warm, develop language, cook food, and more. These physical and linguistic changes facilitated cooperation and planning in groups. This period, which goes from the first hominids to the discovery of writing, is called Prehistory, a time documented by material remains, such as tools, bones and artifacts, due to the lack of written documents.

Early humans depended on nature to survive, hunting, fishing and gathering food such as roots, seeds, fruits and eggs. This characterized a collecting lifestyle. When resources were scarce in an area, communities moved in search of food, practicing nomadism. This period, in which chipped stone tools were manufactured and gathering and nomadism prevailed, is called the Paleolithic by archaeologists.

In the Paleolithic, our ancestors practiced magical rituals to influence natural events such as death and storms, due to their dependence on natural conditions to survive. They valued the afterlife and performed funerary rituals, burying the dead in caves or graves in the fetal position, surrounded by stones and accompanied by personal objects, weapons and food. Paleolithic art, represented by paintings of wounded animals in caves, had a magical meaning to facilitate hunting. In addition, exaggerated female figurines called Venus highlighted the importance of motherhood and fertility.

Paleolithic art can be divided into two distinct types: Rock Art, which was performed on the surface of rocks, in outdoor locations or on the walls and ceilings of caves. It usually depicted hunting scenes, animals, and occasionally human hands and figures. Some of the main centers of rock art are in the Franco-Cantabrian region, such as Lascaux and Altamira, in addition to the Spanish Levante and the Côa Valley, in Portugal. On the other hand, Mobile Art included small sculptures, such as the famous female figures Venus, as well as objects of adornment, such as bracelets, rings, and bas-reliefs made in stone, bone or ivory, which were easily transportable.

Between 10,000 and 8,000 BC, climate changes led to the growth of grassy plants, such as wheat and barley, near rivers. Humans realized that they could grow these plants and started to practice agriculture. At the same time, they built fences for animals and began to domesticate dogs, sheep and goats. This led to a productive lifestyle, producing food and other goods.
The practice of agriculture made people settle in fertile areas, leading to sedentarization. These landmark changes in human life are known as the Neolithic Revolution and began in the Fertile Crescent regions. This period in Prehistory is called the Neolithic, characterized by agriculture, animal domestication, sedentarization and the use of more advanced polished stone tools.

The transition to agriculture and pastoralism in the Neolithic period resulted in the development of new tools and techniques, such as polished stone tools and milling and weaving techniques. This led to a significant change in lifestyles, with communities moving from nomadic in the Paleolithic to sedentary in the Neolithic. Sedentarization has led to the construction of villages close to vital resources such as water and fertile land. Today, some societies still depend on hunting, fishing and gathering natural foods.

Neolithic farmers worshiped nature, fearing natural events like droughts and storms that threatened their crops and livestock. They worshiped the sun, wind, earth, water and moon in hopes of protecting their resources and ensuring bountiful harvests. The emphasis was on the fertility of the land, symbolized by exaggerated female figurines, associated with agrarian cults and community survival.

During the Neolithic, ancient communities adopted religious practices, including star worship and funerary rites. They built megalithic monuments, such as dolmens (stone tombs covered by earth, called mounds), menhirs (isolated vertical stones, which had associations with fertility, nature worship and stars such as the Sun and the Moon) and cromlechs (stone circles). , which had religious and ceremonial purposes. These monuments appeared in Europe around 7000 BC.

Some specific characteristics of some species of hominins: Australopithecus (it lived in Africa, the first primate similar to Man and moved mainly on two legs (bipedal), although sometimes it used its hands); Homo habilis (he moved only on his feet and was the first to make instruments: carved pebbles, made of stone, carved on only one side); Homo ergaster/erectus (arrived in Asia and Europe, manufactured more perfected instruments: bifaces (allowed to hunt, prepare game pieces, defend against enemies, etc…), first to produce fire and developed an articulated language); Homo sapiens (manufactured better instruments in stone, bone, horn and ivory: spearhead, bows, arrows, harpoons, hooks, needles and blades and first to bury the dead) and Homo sapiens sapiens (first to develop artistic manifestations and arrived at America and Oceania).

Homo floresiensis, popularly known as "the Hobbit", is one of the most intriguing discoveries in the study of human evolution. This species was identified in 2003 on the island of Flores, Indonesia, and surprised the scientific community due to its diminutive size and unique characteristics, challenging traditional conceptions of human evolution.
Standing only about 1 meter tall and with a remarkably small skull, Homo floresiensis lived until about 50,000 years ago, coexisting with modern humans. Its discovery has sparked debate about human origins and evolution, raising questions about the possibility that small groups of hominids survived longer than previously thought.
Homo floresiensis is believed to have been an isolated species, probably adapted to the specific environment of Flores, where geographic isolation would have led to the development of its distinctive physical characteristics, such as a small brain, which was similar in size to that of Australopithecus, a more ancient ancestor.
Homo floresiensis challenges conventional narratives of human evolution, suggesting that the story of our development may be more complex than previously thought.

Recent research has challenged traditional ideas about Neanderthals, suggesting that these ancient relatives of Homo sapiens were, in fact, as intelligent as we are. Once seen as primitive and less developed, Neanderthals are now recognized for their ability to create complex tools, understand fire, and even develop rudimentary forms of art.
Studies of fossils and tools have revealed that Neanderthals were not only sophisticated hunters, but also capable of planning, strategic use of natural resources, and the creation of advanced tools. Most striking, however, has been the discovery of traces of cave paintings and personal adornments, evidence that they had a sense of aesthetics and perhaps even an early form of spirituality.
In addition, recent analysis of ancient DNA has revealed that Neanderthals shared genes related to language, suggesting that their communication may have been as complex as that of Homo sapiens. In an era where myths about the inferiority of Neanderthals still persist, these discoveries challenge those notions and call for a complete reassessment of the role these hominids played in human evolution.

Recent genetic research confirms that modern humans, Homo sapiens, originated in southern Africa, challenging previous theories that suggested a wider and more diverse dispersion. The study, led by international scientists, analyzed DNA from contemporary African populations and ancient human remains, such as fossils found in African caves.
The results indicate that around 200,000 years ago, our closest ancestors began to differentiate themselves from other human species, such as Neanderthals and Denisovans. The research traced the migration of early human populations out of Africa, highlighting how these groups spread across the world, creating the diverse ethnicities we know today.
This genetic study not only confirms the idea of ​​an “African origin” for Homo sapiens, but also reinforces the importance of southern Africa as the cradle of humanity. The fact that modern DNA carries traces of this ancestry, especially among groups with African roots, helps fill gaps in our understanding of our evolution.
The research is a milestone in paleoanthropology, offering more clues about the origin and migration of humans through time, as well as reinforcing the genetic connection between all human populations on the planet.