Ukuvela Kwemvelo Kwabantu Bokuqala
Ukuziphendukela kwemvelo kwabantu kwasekuqaleni kuyindaba ende yezinguquko zezinto eziphilayo nezamasiko ezabumba abantu banamuhla. Le nqubo ayizange yenzeke ngendlela eyodwa, eqondile kusukela "enkawini kuya kumuntu," kodwa yavela ochungechungeni lwamagatsha okuziphendukela kwemvelo, amanye awo aphela ngokuqothulwa kanti amanye ashiya imikhondo yezakhi zofuzo namasiko. Besebenzisa izinsalela, izinto zobuciko, kanye nocwaningo lwezakhi zofuzo, ososayensi bahlanganisa isithombe sendlela okhokho bethu abavumelana ngayo nendawo abakuyo, bathuthukisa izindlela ezintsha zokuphila, futhi ekugcineni baveza ama-Homo sapiens esiwaziyo namuhla.
Kuyini ukuziphendukela kwemvelo futhi abantu bavela kanjani?
Ukuziphendukela kwemvelo ukushintsha kwezici ezizuzwe njengefa kubantu kusukela esizukulwaneni kuya kwesinye. Lolu shintsho lwenzeka ngenxa yokuguquka kwezakhi zofuzo, ukukhethwa kwemvelo, ukuzulazula kwezakhi zofuzo, kanye nokufuduka. Ozalweni lwabantu, izici zemvelo—njengokushintsha kwesimo sezulu, ukutholakala kokudla, kanye nosongo lwezilwane ezidla ezinye—ziqhuba ukuzivumelanisa nezimo ezithile. Isibonelo, ikhono lokuhamba uqonde linikeza izinzuzo zokubona kabanzi emasimini avulekile, lilondoloza amandla lapho uhamba amabanga amade, futhi likhulula izandla zokuphatha ukudla noma ukusebenzisa amathuluzi.
Kubalulekile futhi ukuqonda ukuthi abantu banamuhla abazange "bavele" ezinkawu. Abantu nezinkawu babelana nokhokho ofanayo owaphila eminyakeni eyizigidi edlule. Kusukela ngaleso sikhathi, kwavela izindlela ezimbili zokuziphendukela kwemvelo: enye eholela ezinkawu zanamuhla, kanti enye eholela ezinhlotsheni ezahlukene ze-hominin (amaqembu ahlobene kakhulu nabantu kunezinye izinkawu ezinkulu), okuhlanganisa nabantu.
Ukuqala kohambo: ama-hominin okuqala
Kutholakale imikhondo yama-hominin okuqala e-Afrika, izwekazi elibhekwa njenge-"inzalo" yesintu. I-hominin yokuqala ekhethiwe yi-Sahelanthropus tchadensis, okucatshangwa ukuthi yaphila eminyakeni engaba yizigidi eziyisikhombisa edlule. Izinsalela zayo zisikisela ukuthi kungenzeka ukuhamba uqonde, yize ubufakazi balokhu busaphikiswana. Ukutholwa okulandelayo kwakuhlanganisa i-Orrorin tugenensis ne-Ardipithecus, ezibonisa ingxube yezimpawu: ngokwengxenye zifana nenkawu (isb., ukuzivumelanisa nokukhwela izintaba), kodwa futhi nezinkomba ze-bipedalism.
Lesi sigaba sibalulekile ngoba sibonisa ukuthi ukuvela komuntu kwenzeka kancane kancane. Ukuhamba uqonde akuzange kulandelwe ngokushesha ubuchopho obukhulu noma isiko eliyinkimbinkimbi. Kubonakala sengathi ama-hominin okuqala ayehlala ezindaweni ezahlukahlukene—emahlathini, ezihlahleni, ngisho nasezindaweni zase-savannah—ngakho-ke athuthukisa amasu okusinda aguquguqukayo.
I-Australopithecus: ama-biped azinzile ngokwengeziwe
Eminyakeni engaba yizigidi ezi-4 kuya kwezi-2 eyedlule, kwavela iqembu le-Australopithecus. Izinhlobo ezidumile njenge-Australopithecus afarensis (isb., i-fossil "Lucy") zibonisa i-bipedalism evelele kakhulu. Amathambo azo esinqeni nasemilenzeni ayehlelwe kahle ukusekela ukuhamba phansi, yize kungenzeka ukuthi ayesenamakhono okukhuphuka. Ubuchopho bazo babusancane uma buqhathaniswa nobabantu banamuhla, kodwa izinguquko ekumeni komzimba zabeka isisekelo sentuthuko yakamuva.
Ukudla nakho kwashintsha phakathi nalesi sikhathi. Ukuhlaziywa kwamazinyo kanye ne-isotope kubonisa ukudla okuhlukahlukene: izithelo, izilimo eziyizigaxa, okusanhlamvu, futhi mhlawumbe nenyama ethile. Ukushintsha kwesimo sezulu, okwenza ezinye izingxenye zase-Afrika zome kakhulu, kwaphoqa ama-hominin ukuthi asebenzise imithombo emisha yokudla. Ukuzivumelanisa nokudla okuqinile noma okune-fiber kungabonakala ngesimo semihlathi namazinyo.
Ukuvela kohlobo lwe-Homo: ubuchopho obukhulu namathuluzi amatshe
Eminyakeni engaba yizigidi ezingu-2,8–2,3 eyedlule, kwaqala ukuvela izinsalela zokuqala zohlobo lwe-Homo. Enye yezinto ezivame ukuxoxwa ngayo yi-Homo habilis (cishe eminyakeni eyizigidi ezingu-2,4–1,4 eyedlule). Lolu hlobo luhlotshaniswa nokusetshenziswa kwamathuluzi amatshe alula avela emasikweni ase-Oldowan: amatshe ashaywa ukuze kukhiqizwe imiphetho ebukhali engasetshenziswa ukusika inyama noma ukuphula amathambo.
Ushintsho olubalulekile kuhlobo lwe-Homo kwakuwukukhula kobukhulu bobuchopho uma kuqhathaniswa ne-Australopithecus. Ubuchopho obukhulu buvumela amakhono okuqonda ayinkimbinkimbi kakhulu, okuhlanganisa ukuhlela, ukubambisana komphakathi, kanye nokusungula amathuluzi. Kodwa-ke, lokhu kukhula kobukhulu bobuchopho nakho kwakudinga amandla engeziwe. Ochwepheshe abaningi bakholelwa ukuthi ukudla ukudla okunama-calorie amaningi, okuhlanganisa inyama kanye nomnkantsha, kudlale indima ekusekeleni ukukhula kobuchopho.
I-Homo erectus: i-nomad enkulu kanye nenkosi yomlilo
I-Homo erectus (cishe eminyakeni eyi-1,9 million kuya ku-110 eyedlule) yayingenye yezinhlobo zabantu basendulo abaphumelela kakhulu. Babenemizimba efana kakhulu neyabantu banamuhla, ikhono lokuhamba kahle amabanga amade, futhi mhlawumbe nekhono lokugijima. Ukusungulwa kwamathuluzi etshe nakho kwathuthuka: isiko lama-Acheulean elinezimbazo zalo zesandla ezilinganayo neziguquguqukayo.
Isici esibalulekile salesi sikhathi kwakuwukunwetshwa kwendawo. I-Homo erectus yayingenye yezinhlobo zokuqala ze-hominin ezashiya i-Afrika zasakazeka kulo lonke elase-Eurasia. Lokhu kufuduka kwabonisa izinga eliphezulu lokuzivumelanisa nezimo ezindaweni ezahlukene zokuhlala—kusukela emahlathini kuya ezindaweni ezipholile.
Ukwazi ukucisha umlilo kuvame ukuhlotshaniswa ne-Homo erectus noma ama-hominin akamuva. Umlilo unikeze izinzuzo eziningi: ukupheka ukudla ukuze kube lula ukugaya ukudla, ukufudumala, ukuxosha izilwane ezidla ezinye, kanye nokwenza umsebenzi wasebusuku. Ukupheka futhi kwandisa inani lamandla okudla, mhlawumbe kuqinisa ukuxhumana phakathi kwentuthuko yamasiko kanye noshintsho lwezinto eziphilayo.
Ukuhlukahluka kwabantu basendulo: AmaNeanderthal, amaDenisovans, nabanye
Ngemva kwe-Homo erectus, ukuziphendukela kwemvelo kwabantu kwanda kakhulu. EYurophu naseNtshonalanga Asia, ama-Homo neanderthalensis (ama-Neanderthal) avele eminyakeni engaba ngu-400 kuya ku-40 eyedlule. Ama-Neanderthal ayenemizimba eqinile efanele izimo ezibandayo, isiko elithuthukisiwe lamathuluzi (ama-Mousterian), kanye nobufakazi bokuziphatha okungokomfanekiso njengokungcwatshwa okuthile. Babengebona "abantu abangebona izinkawu," kodwa babeyizihlobo eziseduze zabantu banamuhla, nabantu abaguquguqukayo nabahlakaniphile kakhulu.
E-Asia, ukutholakala kwezakhi zofuzo kwembule ukuba khona kwamaDenisovans—iqembu labantu lasendulo elaziwa kakhulu ngezinsalela ezimbalwa zamathambo, kodwa okutholakale ukuthi imikhondo ye-DNA yabo itholakale kubantu abathile banamuhla, ikakhulukazi e-Asia nase-Oceania. Kukhona nezinhlobo ezihlukile njengeHomo floresiensis eFlores (e-Indonesia), eyayincane futhi yaphila kwaze kwaba cishe eminyakeni engu-50 eyedlule. Ukuba khona kwazo kubonisa ukuthi ukuziphendukela kwemvelo kwabantu akukhona nje ukuba “bakhulu” noma “bahlakaniphe kakhulu,” kodwa futhi mayelana nokuguquguquka okuhlukahlukene kwendawo.
I-Homo sapiens: abantu banamuhla kanye nokusabalala komhlaba wonke
Ama-Homo sapiens avele e-Afrika eminyakeni engaba ngu-300 eyedlule. Izici ezibalulekile zabantu banamuhla zifaka phakathi ugebhezi oluyindilinga, ubuso obuyisicaba, kanye nezakhiwo ezahlukahlukene zomzimba ezivumelaniswe nendawo yazo. Kodwa-ke, okuvelele kakhulu ubunzima bamasiko: ulimi oluthuthukile, izimpawu, ubuciko, ubuchwepheshe obuthuthukayo, kanye namanethiwekhi okuxhumana nabantu abanzi.
Eminyakeni engaba ngu-60–70 eyedlule (noma ngaphambili, ngokusho kobufakazi obuthile), abantu banamuhla baqala ukusabalala besuka e-Afrika futhi ekugcineni bahlanganisa ingxenye enkulu yezwekazi. Kule nqubo, basebenzisana namanye amaqembu afana namaNeanderthal namaDenisovans. Izifundo ze-DNA zikhombisile ukuthi abanye abantu banamuhla bazuze izakhi zofuzo ezincane kula maqembu. Lokhu kusikisela ukuthi ukuhlangana kwezinhlobo ezahlukene akupheli njalo ngengxabano; ngezinye izikhathi ukuhlangana kwezinhlobo kwenzeka, okushiya ifa lezakhi zofuzo eliqhubeka nanamuhla.
Ukuvela kwamasiko: isihluthulelo sempumelelo yomuntu
Ukuhluka komuntu akusikho kuphela ku-biology, kodwa futhi nasekuziphendukeleni kwamasiko. Ulwazi lungadluliselwa hhayi kuphela ngezakhi zofuzo, kodwa futhi nangokufunda, ulimi, kanye nesiko. Lapho abantu bethola amasu amasha okuzingela, izingubo, noma amasu okusinda, lolo lwazi lungasakazeka ngokushesha ngaphakathi kwamaqembu, ngisho naphakathi kwezizukulwane, ngaphandle kokulinda ushintsho lwezakhi zofuzo.
Ikhono lokubambisana ngezinga elikhulu nalo laliyinto ebalulekile ehlukanisayo. Abantu bakwazi ukwakha imiphakathi emikhulu, babelane izindima, futhi bamise imithetho yezenhlalo. Yile ndlela ezolimo, amadolobha, ngisho nempucuko eyathuthuka ngayo. Nakuba la makhono avela esikhathini eside ngemva kwempucuko yabantu yokuqala, izimpande zawo sezivele zibonakala ekuthuthukisweni kancane kancane kokuziphatha kwezenhlalo, ukusetshenziswa kwamathuluzi, kanye nokuxhumana.
I-Penutup
Ukuziphendukela kwemvelo kwabantu bokuqala kwakuwuhambo olude olugcwele izivivinyo zemvelo. “Amagatsha” amaningi abantu bokuqala avele, aqhubeka, abese efa, kanti elinye igatsha—ama-Homo sapiens—lasinda futhi lasakazeka emhlabeni wonke. Ngokusebenzisa izinsalela, amathuluzi amatshe, iminonjana yomlilo, kanye nokuhlaziywa kwe-DNA, siqonda ngokwengeziwe ukuthi imvelaphi yabantu akuyona indaba elula, kodwa kunalokho iwumfanekiso oyinkimbinkimbi woshintsho lwezinto eziphilayo kanye nokusungula amasiko. Ukuqonda ukuziphendukela kwemvelo kwabantu bokuqala akugcini nje ngokunikeza izimpendulo mayelana nokuthi sivelaphi, kodwa futhi kusisiza siqonde ukuthi ukuzivumelanisa nezimo, ukubambisana, kanye nolwazi kwakha kanjani uhambo lwezinhlobo zethu kuze kube namuhla.
