Homo Sapiens

The basic question that should be raised about any discussion with respect to the origin as well as the evolution of the human beings or “Homo sapiens” is about the diagnosis of this species that would be used. A theory that makes use of the classical concept of homo sapiens would be needed to span the entire Pleistocene history about the human genus. On the other hand, the more restricted utilization of the authors like that of Schwartz & Tattersall would be requiring a limited focus in the smaller portion of the Pleistocene fossils.
The homo sapiens usually share certain traits like that of the high neurocranium, small face under the influence of frontal bone, rounded or oval across the lateral profile, true chin, smaller discontinuous supraorbital tori, extended the post-natal growing period, life history, narrow trunk & pelvis, along with shorter pubic rami. The anatomical specification of the homo sapiens and & its lineage would, therefore, be possible from the specific features like retrocessive face, cranial globularity, mental osseum development, basicranial flexion, pelvic shape and dental microstructure. Along with these features, the distinctive morphologies consisting of the elements with respect to the anatomy of the inner ear have been increasingly well formed in the homo sapiens. With respect to cranial vault, the distinctive shape of the parietal region in the homo sapiens is also highly striking. It, therefore, makes a significant contribution towards globularity across both the occipital as well as lateral views. The basicranial flexion consists of a complex structure, however, the homo sapiens appear distinctive through various measurements in this aspect as well. The dental microstructure, particularly with the incoming of the synchrotron & micro-CT technology, has not only been demonstrating strengthened ontogeny of the homo sapiens, but also had been unveiling several differences between the homo sapiens in comparison to the other hominin creatures in terms of striking features like the enamel thickness as well as the overall enamel shape with the dentile junction.
The second important question that tends to concern the process of evolution of the homo sapiens is related to the fact whether it was a gradual or punctuational process. As per the hominin record of the middle Pleistocene in Africa, these are really rare and outdated. Therefore, it is not possible to determine whether the fossils like Omo Kibish or Herto represent the earliest forms of the traits that we are able to associate with the extant species. In Europe, recent redating about the fossils of Sima de Los Huesos to around 400 ka had suggested that several features of the Neanderthal, especially along the face, teeth, and jaw, were well developed at that time. The European record went on to indicate that a gradual, not entirely ordered, accretion with respect to the Neanderthal synapomorphies.