Moscow University
Anthropology
Bulletin

Human evolution. History and theory

Kozlova M.S.

S.I. Vavilov Institute of the History of Science and Technology, RAS, Moscow

Kozlova M.S., e-mail: marianna@ihst.ru

Abstract

It is possible to distinguish three main approaches to the origin of man in the 19th century: origin of intellectual species (universal evolutionism), origin of species (anthropology, biological evolutionism), origin of social species and tool-makers (labour anthropogenesis theory). In the 20th century another point of view was formulated: human evolution problems in the context of evolutionary ecology (anthropoecology) or global ecology –man in the context of biosphere problem (biospherology, global evolutionism). At present palaeoanthropologists deal with the origin of human species. Evolutionary anthropology is based on fossil and recent facts and develops towards impartial and general anthropogenesis theory. It is general science in comparison with palaeoanthropology. Ch. Darwin’s book «The Descent of Man, and Selection in Relation to Sex» (1871) started the development of evolutionary anthropology as a science. E. Haeckel’s, Th. Huxley’s, K. Fogt’s studies were important too. From the middle of the 19th century natural selection is reputed as the cause of evolution and anthropogenesis. Because of new palaeoanthropological data, the «tree» model of hominid evolution (E. Haeckel’s tradition) was replaced by «bush» and «net» models. Some modern anthropologists who studied evolutionary locomotor anatomy, skull and brain evolution agreed to L.S. Berg’s nomogenetic theory. According to L.S. Berg’s opinion, the evolution is based on the regularity. However, L.S. Berg’s idea of evolutionary causes was groundless. Darwinism is based on the «triad»: «modification – heredity – natural selection», which is true until now. It is an acknowledged theory and useful methodology of evolutionary biology and evolutionary anthropology.

Keywords

adaptation, darwinism, evolutionary anthropology, human evolution, monophyly, natural selection, polyphyly

Цит.: Kozlova M.S. Human evolution. History and theory // Moscow University Anthropology Bulletin (Vestnik Moskovskogo Universiteta. Seria XXIII. Antropologia), 2009; 4/2009; с. 34-44

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