Cro-Magnon man
Earliest evidence of existence modern type homosapiens are 30–40 thousand years old. Scientists first “met” this ancestor of ours in 1868, when workers accidentally discovered in the Cro-Magnon cave (France) the remains of a prehistoric man who, as research has shown, lived 28 thousand years ago. Since then, the name Cro-Magnons has been assigned to people of this type. Today, traces of Cro-Magnon man have been found on all continents - Africa, Europe, Asia, Australia, North and South America. In terms of the structure of the skull and the rest of the skeleton, this “final” intelligent person was practically no different from you and me, except that he had a slightly more massive physique, but this reservation applies only to the first, most ancient representatives of the modern human type. The growth and body structure of the Cro-Magnons were completely consistent with the growth and body structure of modern people. The skull and teeth also have all the signs of a modern type, the brow ridges are usually weakly expressed or practically absent, the average brain volume is 1350 cm3.
Numerous finds of late Paleolithic human skeletons allow us to gain insight into the state of health of our ancestors. Their average age was 30 years, in exceptional cases they lived up to 50 years or more. However, the average age remained at this level until the Middle Ages, so we can safely say that the health of Late Paleolithic hunters was quite satisfactory given the living conditions of that time. Pathological changes in bones are much less common than traumatic defects. Judging by the finds, in most cases they had very healthy teeth. Dental caries was practically non-existent.
Hunting was the main occupation of the Cro-Magnons. Their lives were subject to annual cycles migration of herds of large ungulates, which were the main object of hunting. Long cold winter ice age These people spent time in permanent camps, where fairly durable and warm huts were equipped. In the summer, the tribe wandered after the herds of animals, making short stops and living in light tents made of poles and skins. Such “classic” sites are widely known in Europe primitive man, like Cro-Magnon and Combe Capelles in France, Oberkassel in Germany, Przedmosti and Dolní Vestonice in the Czech Republic.
The main difference between the Cro-Magnon man and all the anthropoid creatures that preceded him is the immeasurably more advanced and varied inventory accompanying the finds of the remains of Cro-Magnon man. The main weapon of Stone Age man was a spear with a stone or bone tip. In the art of making these tools, the Cro-Magnons achieved real virtuosity. You can often find bone tips with a groove for the outflow of blood, harpoons with spikes directed backwards (“herringbone”). Paleolithic hunters already knew a variety of systems of traps and snares. In the coastal settlements of the Cro-Magnons, nets and nets were discovered, woven from vines and used for fishing, as well as various types of fishing rods. The first stone arrowheads and bows, heavy bone clubs, and bone knives, often decorated with ornamental carvings, date back to the same period. High degree Leather dressing has also reached perfection. Even some ethnographic groups modern people, for example the Eskimos or some peoples of Siberia, recognized masters of leather processing, have a less rich set of tools than Cro-Magnon hunters.
Cro-Magnons made necklaces from shells, fangs of predatory animals, feathers, flowers and bones, carved figurines of animals and people from bone or made from baked clay. But the most amazing thing was the art of Cro-Magnon rock painting. It reached such heights that the scientists of the 19th century, who discovered the rock paintings of the era Upper Paleolithic, for a long time refused to believe that they were made by “primitive savages.” And in this extraordinary, unheard-of flowering of art lies, probably, the mystery of the origin of modern man. Contrary to popular misconceptions not long ago, it was not work that “made the monkey a man” - Louis Leakey’s “skillful man” chiseled his stones for hundreds of thousands of years, but never became a man. And certainly not a sport - Australopithecus ran for millions of years long distances and threw stones, but just as he was a monkey, he remained a monkey. And it’s not the volume of the skull that matters here - the Neanderthal had a head like a beer kettle, but where is he now, this Neanderthal?
Only culture, which mysteriously awakened the stupid troglodyte, allowed him to shortest time to lose animal traits and become human in the true sense of the word. The influence of culture on human biological development was extremely strong from the very beginning, but in the last phases of evolution it acquired downright decisive importance!
The spiritual life of Paleolithic humanity, Paleolithic art and attempts at reconstruction social relations Thousands of articles and hundreds of books are devoted to that time. However, the mystery of the origin human culture I have not received any satisfactory explanation until now. It can be assumed with a high degree of confidence that it will never be resolved. And, probably, those religious philosophers are right who claim that history is a dialogue between man and God, and when this dialogue stops, it will also stop. human history. How else can you conduct a dialogue with God if not in the language of culture?
The burials of Cro-Magnons discovered by archaeologists prove that they developed system cult and religious ideas. Burials with features of a complex funeral ritual are known from Late Paleolithic deposits. In most burials, the graves are covered with shoulder blades, jaws and other large bones of mammoths. Providing the dead with a “last refuge” is typical not only for primitive people, but also for historical time (Roman sarcophagi, etc.), and even for our days. The existence of some complex rituals among the Cro-Magnons is also evidenced by the finds of bowls made from human skulls. But the main evidence that it was during these times that man’s dialogue with God began is the cave paintings - amazing and amazing rock paintings made with charcoal and mineral pigments. It is curious that most of these paintings are located in secluded, poorly lit and inconvenient places, which suggests that they were clearly not intended for wide viewing, but served as a place for some kind of ritual actions or ceremonies in which a small circle of people took part. Another thing is interesting: as researchers have established, painting in such places is often multi-layered, that is, primitive hunters, having got here, added their drawings to those made by their predecessors. That is, people of different tribes living in different times, the meaning of these drawings and the sacred meaning of the place where they were were clear. This allows us to speak about the existence of a unified system of religious ideas, at least among significant groups of Cro-Magnon tribes. And although it is clear that the main element of this cult was probably the worship of certain hunting deities, the picture of the world of Cro-Magnon man is still far from complete clarity. And this is not the only secret of the Cro-Magnons.
Cro-Magnons are considered to be the ancestors of modern humans who lived on our planet in the late (or upper) Paleolithic era (40-12 thousand years ago). The name of this species comes from the Cro-Magnon cave, located in the southwestern part of France. It was there in 1868 that archaeologist Louis Larte, during excavations, came across the remains of ancient people, who in their own way differed from the previously discovered Neanderthal skeletons and resembled Homo sapiens ( Homo sapiens). The find, which was about 30 thousand years old, immediately attracted the attention of scientists who studied the history of that period, because nothing was known about the way of life of the Cro-Magnons at that time. In subsequent years, their remains, along with tools, were discovered in other territories (Mladeč and Dolni Vestonice in the Czech Republic, Pavyland in England, Peshtera ku Oase in Romania, Murzak Koba in Crimea, Sungir in Russia, Mezhirech in Ukraine, Fish Hook, Cape Flats in Africa, etc.).
Origin and migration
Origin of the Cro-Magnons today not fully studied. Previously, historians and anthropologists adhered to the Marxist theory of the emergence of this type of ancient man. According to her, the Cro-Magnon man is a direct descendant of the Neanderthal man. Many modern researchers question this theory. They are inclined to believe that Neanderthals and Cro-Magnons descended from a common ancestor, after which each of them began to develop separately.
Modern scientists have failed to achieve consensus about what part of the planet the first ancestors of modern humans appeared in and when exactly this happened. The most common version says that Cro-Magnons formed in separate species about 200 thousand years ago, and this happened in eastern Africa. After 70 thousand years, they began migrating to the Middle East in search of new lands to live. From here, one part of the Cro-Magnons settled on the coast of the Indian Ocean, while the other moved north and reached the lands of Asia Minor and the Northern Black Sea region. Homo sapiens appeared in Europe approximately 40-45 thousand years ago.
Appearance
What did the Cro-Magnons look like? Ancient man, fossil man, differed from modern individuals in body structure and brain size. In contrast, representatives of Homo sapiens resembled today's people, but were larger. Archaeological finds have revealed that the male Cro-Magnons who inhabited ancient Europe, reached 180 cm in height (women were shorter), had wide faces and deep-set eyes. reasonable was 1400-1900 cubic centimeters, which corresponds to this indicator in modern people. The lifestyle of the Cro-Magnons, who had to survive in the harsh conditions of ancient times, contributed to the formation of well-developed muscle mass.
Life
They lived in communities whose number reached 100 people. Their main activities were hunting and gathering plant foods. They were the first to make tools from bones and antlers. Along with this, their use of stone tools remained widespread. Lighter and more improved products allowed them to get more food, sew clothes, and invent devices aimed at making their existence easier. Scientists are convinced that the ancient people of this era had well-developed speech.
Housing
The Cro-Magnons still continued to settle in caves, but new types of housing had already begun to appear. They learned to build reliable tents from animal skins, wood and bones. Such houses could be moved, thanks to which the Cro-Magnon lifestyle ceased to be sedentary. Wandering from place to place in order to develop new lands, they carried their housing and household with them. The Cro-Magnons were the first prehistoric people to domesticate a dog and use it as a companion.
The ancestors of mankind had a widespread cult of hunting. This is evidenced by numerous finds of animal figurines pierced by arrows, found during excavations of their settlements. The walls were decorated with images of animals and hunting scenes.
Foraging for food
Hunting became firmly established in the life of the Cro-Magnon man. The realities of the Stone Age were such that in order to feed themselves, it was necessary to kill. The ancient inhabitants of our planet hunted well organized groups 10-20 people each. The objects of their persecution were large animals (mammoths, wolves, woolly rhinoceroses, bears, red deer, bison). By destroying the beast, they provided their communities with plenty of skin and meat. The Cro-Magnons' main weapons for killing animals were spear throwers and bows. In addition to hunting, they were engaged in catching birds and fish (for the first activity they used snares, and for the second - harpoons and hooks).
In addition to meat and fish, the descendants of modern humans ate wild plants. The food of Neanderthals and Cro-Magnons was very similar. They ate everything that nature gave them (bark, leaves and fruits of trees, stems, flowers and roots of plants, cereals, mushrooms, nuts, algae, etc.).
Burials
The Cro-Magnons had interesting funeral customs. They placed deceased relatives in the grave in a half-bent position. Their hair was decorated with nets, their hands were decorated with bracelets, and their faces were covered with flat stones. Colors were sprinkled on top of the bodies of the dead. Ancient people believed in the afterlife, so they buried their relatives along with household items, jewelry and food, being sure that they would need them after death.
Cro-Magnon Cultural Revolution
People who lived during the Late Paleolithic period made a number of discoveries that allowed them to significantly surpass cultural development their predecessors. Their main achievement was the invention of a new method of processing flint, which went down in history under the name “knife plate method.” This discovery made a real revolution in the manufacture of tools. The method was that individual plates were beaten or pressed from a stone nodule (core), from which various products were subsequently made. Thanks to new technology prehistoric people learned to obtain up to 250 cm of working edge from one kilogram of flint (for Neanderthals this figure did not exceed 220 cm, and for their predecessors it barely reached 45 cm).
An equally important discovery of the Cro-Magnons was the production of tools from animal raw materials. Spending a lot of time hunting, the ancient man noticed that the bones, horns and tusks of animals are characterized by increased strength. He began to make qualitatively new products from them that made his life easier. Bone needles and awls appeared, making it easier to sew clothes from skins. Animal raw materials began to be used in the construction of new homes, as well as to make jewelry and figurines from it. The development of new materials led to the invention of more advanced hunting tools - spear throwers and bows. These adaptations allowed the Cro-Magnons to kill animals that were many times their strength and size.
The way of life of the Cro-Magnons was not only about surviving among wildlife. Prehistoric people strived for beauty. They left their descendants many works of art. These include wall paintings in caves, tools decorated with unique ornaments, and figurines of bison, horses, deer and other animals made from flint, clay, bones and tusks. The ancient Cro-Magnons worshiped female beauty. Among the finds discovered by archaeologists, there are many figurines of the fair sex. Due to the splendor of their forms, modern historians called them “Venuses”.
It wasn't just their physical features that were different. The Cro-Magnons had a much more advanced culture. The technique of making tools has grown immeasurably. They began to be made from plates - specially prepared narrow and long blanks, which made it possible to make much more elegant and varied tools than Mousterian points.
Neoanthrope's home.
State Darwin Museum, Moscow.
Photo courtesy of the Darwin Museum.
Cro-Magnons also widely used animal bones to make tools. As a result, the diversity of Upper Paleolithic cultures vastly exceeds the Mousterian variations: if Mousterian tools in France and Altai are almost indistinguishable, then in the Upper Paleolithic, even neighboring groups of people could have sharply different tools. The technical equipment of people increased - already at the beginning of the Upper Paleolithic era a spear thrower appeared, and at the end - a bow and arrow. Much less is known about the population of Africa and Asia during the Upper Paleolithic than about the population of Europe. However, they were fundamentally similar both biologically and culturally.
The most significant phenomenon is the flowering of Upper Paleolithic art. In the caves of France, Spain, Italy and the Urals, excellent examples of rock art have been preserved; figurines of people and animals made from bones, mammoth tusks and limestone have been discovered in the layers of sites from Brittany to Lake Baikal. The handles of knives and spear throwers were decorated with intricate carvings. Clothes were decorated with beads and painted with ocher.
Art apparently had a magical meaning at that time. Images of animals are accompanied by signs of arrows and spears, designed to facilitate the upcoming hunt. Judging by the traces of teenagers in the clay in front of the cave paintings, initiation into hunters was also held here. Of course, we can only guess true meaning these traces of the spiritual life of our ancestors, but its richness and the fundamental similarity of the psyche of the people of those times with ours is undeniable.
The settlements of Upper Paleolithic people were usually regularly visited hunting camps. Dwellings were built here, community life went on, rituals were celebrated, and the dead were buried. Ritual practice reached its peak. Cro-Magnons placed tools, spears, stone knives, and numerous decorations in the grave with the deceased. At the same time, the burial was often filled with red ocher, and sometimes covered with mammoth bones. Obviously, at this time ideas about the afterlife arise.
In the Upper Paleolithic era, man tamed the wolf, turning it into a dog. So man himself began to actively influence the process of speciation in animals, carrying out artificial selection.
17. Evolution of the primate brain
However, in a herd of primates, at a certain level of intelligence, exceptions become possible. Either at the stage of the prosperous life of the herd, when there are some collective restrictions on the aggressiveness of mutual behavior, or under the protection of parents, the next brain defect turns out to be viable. Namely: personality shares reduced to approximately two times! Once again: we do not pay attention to the division of the brain and the lobes of the personality into two parts, into two hemispheres. Let's call such individuals "Forzy".
The mechanism of their formation is as follows. The Forsey phenomenon in its genetics is not limited to any one variant. Personality shares can be reduced from birth for a variety of reasons. The main ones are: 1) both half-lobes (right and left) be reduced, or 2) the lobe on one side is completely absent, or 3) some other more complex option. The first option is the most important. In this case, a decrease in the personality lobes may occur due to the fact that one of the two interproliferating “branches” of the brain lobe has not grown (see above, again, not to be confused with the hemispheres!). As a result, the entire portion of the “personality” consists of one branch, of cells built by only one set of chromosomes. But both “hemispheres” of the personality, both half-lobes, are preserved, although reduced. This option is more viable, since it is a whole organism and is turned on at full capacity immediately from birth. In the second case, also due to a regressive mutation, the right or left lobe"personality" or one share is completely absent. This case is, in principle, more difficult, because the connection between the “half of the personality” and the unused half of the resources is difficult to establish and not immediately, already in the years mature life. But an even more powerful end result is possible here.
From the above, absolutely natural conclusions can be drawn. The first stone to throw at the opponent (because of the female) or to throw it at the game was taken into the hands of Forzi. They also picked up the first stick. They sharpened the stick. And they tied the stone to the stick. And they learned to keep the fire going. And they learned to make clothes from skins. And in general, they, Forzi, discovered all stages of the development of human technology. They have always been at the forefront of evolution. They set the bar for all technologies, and then the whole flock or herd was brought up to this bar, Evolutionarily, with natural selection, after many millennia and hundreds of generations. Under their leadership, some herds of primates defeated others, in which there were more cruel morals and in which the Forzeys could not survive, in which the Forseys were killed. And it was those herds that won, in which Forzi could survive, this is the greatest truth. That is, less aggressive within themselves. Let us remember the American Indians who engaged in cruelty.
In terms of their psychology, Forzies differ from normal individuals. They have a different brain architecture, a different value system. Therefore, when choosing a sexual partner (partner), they are also more close to individuals - Forzi. However, then the banal laws of genetics come into play. The offspring of two spouses - a forzey - splits into three branches. 1) Also, Forsy is 50% of the number of children. 2) Normal full-fledged individuals, not Forzie - this is 25% of the number of children. 3) And, finally, individuals carrying a repetition of the personality genetic defect on both sets of chromosomes. That is, individuals with virtually no brain lobes of personality. We'll call them Munkers. These are deeply defective creatures, unable to play any role in the herd and quickly perish in nature.
Yes, Fourzeys have always been instinctively hated in the herd, because they are very different from the usual individuals. They were often exterminated at the root along with their families. But Forzy is a negative mutation, it happens here and there all the time and gives life to new Forzy. And therefore, it gives a new impetus to human evolution.
Niramin - Aug 24th, 2016
Cro-Magnons inhabited the Earth in the Upper Paleolithic era (40-10 thousand years ago) and were the direct ancestors of modern people. The structure of their skull and hands, brain volume, and body proportions were similar to ours. The remains of these ancient people were first discovered in the second half of the 19th century in France, in the Cro-Magnon grotto, where the name “Cro-Magnon” came from.
The ancestors of modern people made a sharp leap in evolution and far surpassed their predecessors in development. They knew how to make complex tools: needles, scrapers, drills, spearheads, bows and arrows, using not only wood and stone, but also horns, bones and animal tusks. The Cro-Magnons knew how to sew clothes, make dishes from baked clay, and even created elaborate jewelry and figurines. They highly valued art, carved bones and decorated the walls and ceilings of their homes. rock art. Scientists never tire of being amazed at the technology, materials and craftsmanship of cave paintings.
The Cro-Magnon lifestyle was significantly different from other ancient people. The Cro-Magnons also lived primarily in caves, but they already knew how to build huts from animal bones and skins. The first domestic animal, the dog, appeared in this era. The Cro-Magnons had speech, which allowed them to build new social relationships.
Cro-Magnons in the parking lot. 
Photo: Cro-Magnon (Cro-Magnon). Reconstruction of M.M. Gerasimova. 
Cro-Magnon skull.
Video: Evolution: Cro-Magnons
Human traits. 3 long eras of the main species. Were any Australopithecus ancestors of humans? Let's look at each form separately. Zinjanthrop. A group of fossil great apes. Paranthropus Ethiopian. Australopithecus. Australopithecus africanus. Anatomy. Reconstruction appearance. Australopithecus sediba. Hard plant fibers. Australopithecus afarensis. Robustus. Known forms.
“Characteristics of Cro-Magnons” - The first people of the modern type. France. Hole for lanyard. Modern people. First modern people- neoanthropes. The art of Cro-Magnons. Bone objects of Mesolithic people. Cro-Magnons. Chalcolithic tools. Hominid evolution. Primitive art. Characteristics of Cro-Magnons.
“The Predecessors of Man” - The correct sequence of branches. Australopithecus group. Feeding on insects. Predecessors of man. Stone tools. Natural selection. Superfamily of hominoids. Hominid groups. Primates. A skillful man. Modern apes. Origin of the genus Homo. Ancestral group of great apes. Prerequisites for anthropogenesis. Human Origins. Explain the drawing. Herd lifestyle.
“Ancient people” - Brain volume. Neanderthals. A skillful man. Cro-Magnons. Australopithecines. Homo sapiens. Australopithecus. Homo habilis. Neanderthals were of average height. Phylogenetic series of humans. Homo ergaster. Australopithecines switched to upright walking. The volume of the brain is equal. Dryopithecus lived in trees. Dryopithecus. Homo erectus. The main stages of anthropogenesis. Modern view of anthropogenesis.
“Human Ancestors” - Evidence of the relationship between humans and apes. Vestigial organs. Morphological and anatomical evidence of the origin of man from animals. The most ancient people. Neanderthals. Views on the origins of man. Australopithecus species. Big races. Melanoderma. The main stages of anthropogenesis. The emergence and development of man. The man came out of the water. Human race. Australopithecus. Cro-Magnon. Human. Women should give birth in water.
"Australopithecus" - The structure of the skeleton of Australopithecus africanus. Fossil remains. Australopithecus africanus. Australopithecus afarensis. Group burial. Anatomy. Origin. Brain. Duration of coexistence. Finds. Location. South African Australopithecus. Australopithecus. physical characteristics. Robustus. Notable finds. Paranthropus. Two incomplete skeletons of this species were found during excavations in Malapa Cave.