Abstract This paper states that the first JavaneseHomoerectus fossils were found in Trinil nearly 100 years ago. The paper explains the long-held theory that Homoerectus migrated out of Africa and dispersed throughout the Old World. The author highlights a more recent view that the Homoerectus and Homo Sapiens existed together on the earth, thus disputing other theories that Homoerectus either evolved into or was wiped out by Homo Sapiens.
From the Paper "Critics were quick to discount the relationship between the skull and the femur found in Java. This was due to the fact that the femur was found the next year after the skullcap was discovered in the same stratigraphic level but approximately 10 to 15 meters away. Many felt that the skull belonged to an ape or possibly a low order human but believed that the femur was completely modern. In the end, it was the disputed connected between the skull and the femur that undermined Dubois? explanation. Dubois eventually withdrew himself and his fossils from the scientific spotlight."
Abstract Discusses the controversy concerning Homoerectus and scientific points of view. Discusses the theory that human beings evolved from primates or ape-like ancestors and anthropologists's view of the role of Homoerectus in evolution.
From the Paper "Homo erectus is believed to have emerged about 1.8 million years ago during the Lower Pleistocene Epoch of the Quarternary Period of the Cenozoic Era (Adelphi, p. 4-4). This brief ..."
Abstract This paper discusses the evidence for cannibalism among homoerectus and other Late Pleistocene hominids. The paper reviews Chinese and Spanish sites in detail in order to weigh the evidence for cannibalism. The author concludes that they do in fact prove that it happened.
From the Paper "Everything we know about ourselves ends in mystery. Of course we are intimately familiar with the circumstances of our daily lives as individual human beings. We know our faces, bodies, activities, friends and family ..."
Abstract This paper examines and compares the erotic court dances of the 14th century Javanese culture and today's local folk-dancers, ronggeng. The paper explains that, in addition to expressing the age-old dichotomy between the masculine and feminine principles, Javanese dance is also useful in preserving what the Javanese believed would be lost through colonialism, their culture. The paper claims that the first schools of classical Javanese dance were founded out of a desire to retain and maintain the true Javanese culture, with its Hindu and Buddhist elements.
From the Paper "Two sons of a Javanese sultan, both of whom were nationalists, founded a dance school, Kridha Beksa Wirama, in 1918. Moro notes that the school was "groundbreaking" as it was the first effort to make court dance democratic, and less 'feudal.' Its first students were the youth affiliates of Budi Utomo, the first nationalist organization in the region. However, because members in these somewhat avant garde groups were primarily aristocrats, the elite continued to have a hold over the arts. Still, graduates of that school went on to teach in the Taman Siswa schools, a system dating to 1922 that " linked education and experimental pedagogy to the goals of Indonesian nationalism" (Moro, 2004)."
Abstract This paper discusses the history and origins of the Javanese Gamelan, its debut at the Exposition Universelle that was held in Paris in 1889, and the lasting impact the Javanese Gamelan's performance had on the music of Debussy.
From the Paper "Thus, Achille-Claude Debussy emerges as one of the most innovative of modern, Western composers. His exploration and adaptation of Oriental musical forms, those of gamelan in particular, broadened the horizons of European music and opened up opportunities for a whole a range of new methods of expression. Rather than adhering to strict rules of tonality, and harmony, composers were now free to use forms that more closely matched human emotions, and the raw power of natural forces. Debussy's adoption of Javanese and other Oriental techniques was an essential part of the whole larger movement, then current, that favored looking beyond Europe, and out into the wider world for inspiration."
Tags:javanese, orchestra, major, third, scales, kumoizyoosi, french, music, eastern, music
Abstract The paper reviews the controversy whether Homo sapiens and Neanderthals interbred or Neanderthals were driven to extinction by the arrival of anatomically modern Homo sapiens. The research shows that the Neanderthals were a species genetically similar to modern Homo sapiens with brains as large or larger. The paper notes that Neanderthals were also shown to be rugged survivors, but the research is consistent in emphasizing that they could not compete with the superior technologies and social arrangements of Homo sapiens. The paper concludes that the DNA studies suggest that Neanderthals did not interbreed with Homo sapiens.
Outline:
Introduction
Review and Discussion
Conclusion
From the Paper "The manner in which the Neanderthals prospered and then died out has been the focus of an increasing amount of research in recent years, and with good reason. According to Tattersail (1999), "Perhaps no extinct species in the entire human fossil record is as germane to the understanding of those origins as is Homo neanderthalensis. There is certainly no better way in which we Homo sapiens can judge our own uniqueness in the living world than by measuring ourselves against the Neanderthals and their achievements". The popular conception of Neanderthals by many people today is one of brutish-looking, fur-clad cavemen wielding clubs and dragging their women by the hair into caves for fun and games, yet the conceptions are misguided."
Abstract This paper examines how Anselm proposed a series of Christological doctrines in his most famous work, "Cur Deus Homo" or, "Why The God-Man." The principle theory is known as the Satisfaction Theory and it was the predominant contention of the Church for almost a millennium. This paper explores the theory, as well as the history and circumstances that led to Anselm's development of what later became Church doctrine.
From the Paper "Before Anselm's Satisfaction Theory, the commonly accepted theory of many Church Fathers was the Ransom Theory. This was a presumption that held the contention of God's conquest over enslavement, and it was the predominant church belief for a millennium.2 This theory was adapted from the passage in Mark 10:45, in which Christ is said to have, "Give[n] his life as a ransom for many." The theory contended that Christ's humanity was taken by Satan, but so too was his veiled divinity, and it was Christ's divinity that Satan allegedly took without having the appropriate authority. In taking what he was not allowed to take, Satan forfeited all of his rights over humanity, and humanity was thus saved from the power of evil."
Tags: christianity, church, doctrine, hamartia, sin, theology
Abstract This paper explains that, as human evolution progressed from the australopithecines to Homo sapiens, early man began to walk upright, use fire, tools and language and create culture. The author describes the main species known in the evolutionary tract but omits other intermediates for which very few fossils have been found. Of these know species, the paper discusses distinguishing characteristics, what type of tool culture they had, and if they had any type of socialization. The author presents briefly famous archaeological finds. Includes many figures.
Table of Contents:
Abstract
Introduction
Australopithecines
Homo Homo Habilis
HomoErectus/ Homo Ergaster
Homo Neanderthalensis
Homo Sapiens
Cro-Magnon
Homo Sapien Sapien
Conclusion
From the Paper "The most famous Australopithecine fossil is Lucy. The A. afarensis fossils were found in Hader, Ethiopia and were about 40% complete, including bipedal kneecaps and molars and front teeth similar to humans rather than great apes. Another famous fossil find was the Taung infant, found by Raymond Dart in Taung, South Africa. The A. africanus fossil consisted of the face, mandible, and a natural endocast of the brain case. Another famous find was the set of three footprints in Laetoli, Tanzania, by Mary Leakey."
Tags: footprints, phylogenetic tree, africa skull origin
"The problem of defining Homo erectus is that it is viewed at present as a grade of human evolution intermediate between the small-brained early Pleistocene hominids and the large-brained Homo sapiens" (3:102). This theory of human evolution from the Natural History British Museum in London defines the controversy in the anthropological world. The evolution of man does not follow an easily marked road map. Exactly when Homo first emerged is not definitively clear. With the discovery of Homo erectus remains in 1891 in Central Java, fossils have since been found in Africa, China and Europe. It is generally accepted that the species evolved in Africa about 1.6 million years ago (3). However, some anthropologists argue that the emergence of the species is at least 2.5 million years old. (2) They base their ..."
From the Paper " This research examines differences among subspecies of Homo sapiens. The main variances examined are easily observable characteristics such as teeth, skeleton, hair and skin. The main conclusion of the research is that differences can be classified into terms of subspecies variation in the biological and genetic sense of these terms, and these differences can thus be described using the tools of these disciplines. Subspecies can not be defined in terms of race or cultural groups nor can biological classification be devised to define such categories.
Prior to exploring differences among the subspecies Homo sapiens, it is useful to define some terms, and especially useful to gain an understanding of the term subspecies as this is the category of classification this paper addresses. To do this we will need to gain an understanding of the biological and genetic ... "
Abstract This paper examines a number of the dominant theories concerning the nature of the relationship between the ancestors of modern humans - early homo sapiens or "anatomically modern" (AM) populations - and the distinct species of the "homo" genus known as the Neanderthals. The paper then examines the fate of the Neanderthals. The paper focuses on the two main groups of theories: replacement theory and the interbreeding theory.
From the Paper "It should be noted, however, that there is as yet no definitive conclusion to the "Neanderthal problem" as scholars and researchers in a range of disciplines from archaeology to bio-genetics argue about the complex issues in this debate. It is clear that AM populations who comprise the ancestors of modern day humanity likely played some role in the extinction of the Neanderthals, given the coincidence of their settlements in the archaeological record, as well as similarities in their cultural technologies. This being said, however, the question of whether early humans replaced Neanderthals - who became extinct through natural processes or violence - or absorbed them through interbreeding, remains an open subject of debate to this day."
Abstract This concise paper looks at the evolution of man from the earliest Australopithecus through to the three branches of the "family tree" to the dead end species of neanderthalensis, and finally to modern homo sapiens.The paper includes graphs.
From the Paper "My phylogeny begins with the base species of Ardipithecus ramidus (sometimes known as Australopithecus ramidus) is the earliest known fossil of a hominid found, dating back to around 4.5 million years ago (mya) small hominid that stood upright, had teeth and skull closer and similar to that of apes, this gives them a closer lineage to those of chimpanzees than to humans."
Abstract An examination of the evolution of man from the earliest Australopithecus through to the three branches of the "family tree" to the dead end species of neanderthalensis and finally to modern homo sapiens. Anatomically modern man did not just spring up from nowhere, he comes from a long line of hominids that extends back many millions of years. The author discusses evidence such as tool types including social structures and the development of language.
From the Paper "Other diverse aspects that mark differences between the Australopithecines and Homo habilis are possible social organizations and the aspect of communication through language, however these diverse changes were still beginning and therefore were not as organized or developed as compared to those of Homo sapiens.
The Homo Erectus followed the Handy man it can be seen by the later too types and development of this hominid that new ideas and understandings were being developed which leads archaeologists to realise that as with the evolutionary changes to physiology and skeletal frames the brain case was changing and developing the human mind."
Abstract This paper argues that Neanderthal man is related to modern humans by looking at elements of the Neanderthal physiology, behavior and cultural life. It shows how, allowing for the effects of a harsh, cold climate, Neanderthal physiology is remarkably similar to that of Homo Sapiens and how like modern humans, Neanderthals developed tools and had a capacity for language. Neanderthals also buried their dead, created artwork, had a concept of an afterlife and had a societal structure with strong social ties.
From the Paper "Recent findings on the mitochondrial DNA taken from the right humerus of a Neanderthal skeleton failed to show significant similarities with the mitochondrial DNA of modern humans. According to the study, one sequence of Neanderthal DNA differs drastically from the same stretch of modern human DNA -- about half as much as today's humans differ from chimps. Disparities that large, the researchers conclude, suggest that about 600,000 years ago, Neanderthals branched out into their own evolutionary line. This line was distinct from the line that eventually would become today's Homo sapiens (Suplee A1). Neanderthals were too genetically different from modern man and should thus be classified homo neandertalis."
Tags: dna, skeleton, physiology, culture, homo, sapiens, language
Abstract This undergraduate paper will try to prove whether there is evidence of sexual dimorphism in Homo Habilis or not. The pattern of sexual dimorphism that will be followed is based on Steve Donnelly's paper and the specific fossil specimens that will be used are KNM-ER 1813 and KNM-ER 1470. The similarities and differences between the two will also be compared.
