In a documented essay, you should address the following two questions: “What are the major events in the evolutionary history of our clade that are most important in making us ‘human’?”

Essay Prompt – Being and Becoming Human The question “What is a human?” has had many answers, and the answers have changed as our social, political, religious, and biological viewpoints have changed. At one extreme, it can be argued that any predominantly bipedal hominoid can be said to be a hominin and therefore human. At the other extreme, historical events would indicate that the term “human” has been applied to certain populations of Homo sapiens as opposed to other, supposedly inferior, groups of that species. Evolutionary theory would suggest that we were not always human, but rather became human in fits and spurts over an extended period of time. Because characteristics that we associate with being human have emerged over an extended period of time, the point at which we became that distinctive kind of ape called a human is a matter of some debate. Can we say that the australopithecines or early members of the genus Homo were human, or can we only apply that term to more modern members of the lineage such as Homo neanderthalensis and Homo sapiens? In a documented essay, you should address the following two questions: “What are the major events in the evolutionary history of our clade that are most important in making us ‘human’?” AND “At what point in time can we start referring to our lineage as human?” The events you include could be anatomical, biological, cultural, social, or even geological, and the point at which we became human will depend on which of these events you consider to be important in distinguishing us from other ape-like creatures. To successfully write this paper, please write a clear, workable thesis statement at the end of the introduction.