Exact Answer: Around 6 Million Years
The earth is about 4.5 billion years old. The first living things on earth were simple, unicellular micro-organisms called prokaryotes. Earth is the only planet where life exists. Life on earth varies from simple, single-celled micro-organisms to sophisticated and intelligent human beings.
Human beings are members of the homo sapiens species. They are characterized by two legs, two hands, walking on two feet, opposing thumbs, five fingers, and binocular color vision. Human beings are considered to be the most intelligent and organisms with etiquettes.
Early humans and modern humans are two different stages of human evolution. Early man refers to the early hominids while modern humans are a subspecies of Homo sapiens. However, both early man and modern man comprise physical and genetic similarities and both have originated in Africa.
The distance between the earth and the sun makes life possible. There are many other factors as well making life possible on earth. Other factors are the proper atmosphere, availability of water, and oxygen.
How Long Have Humans Been Around?
Human beings and their ancestors have been known to exist on earth for about six million years ago. However, the modern form of humans is known to exist for two million years ago. Human beings can be taken as the caretakers of the planet earth.
Civilization and industrialization came much afterlife existed on earth. Civilization is 6000 years old whereas the concept of industrialization came only in the 1800s. Human beings have survived in all the type of environment, even in the harsh atmospheric condition such as Antarctica.
The first human appeared between five and seven million years ago in South Africa, long before the evolution of modern humans. Then from Africa, they moved and spread to Asia and Europe nearly 200,000 years ago. The evolution of Homo Sapiens took place in many places over a long time.
Bones of primitive homo sapiens first appeared around 300,000 years ago in Africa, with brains as large as ours. Bones and DNA tells about the evolution of the brain and our hardware. The early humans had pale skin closest to the modern humans. About past 12000 years ago Homo sapiens started producing food and settling down.
Eventually, villages turned into towns, towns into cities, and so on. With the availability of food, the population started growing and started inventing and developing.
| Evolution of various stages | Time |
| Human Ancestors | Between 6 to 7 million years ago |
| First modern Humans | Around 200,000 years ago |
| Stone tool technology | 2.6 million years ago |
| First human ancestor in our genus | 2.5 million years ago |
| The onset of agriculture and human settlement | around 12,000 years ago |
Why Have Humans Been Around For So Long?
The great migration of humans from Africa to other parts of the world bought our species to a position of worlds dominance that it has never relinquished. Humans reproduce and continued their species on the earth.
Humans have evolved from early humans to modern humans as today. Still, humans are continuously evolving. Humans have done a lot of development and advancements making life easier. Human beings have been adapting and fighting new challenges.
Human beings have survived for so long due to their adapting ability and ability to survive in extreme conditions. The main reason behind the longer survival of humans than other animals is considered to be the metabolic rate. If we consider our body as a vehicle then the metabolic rate can be understood as the fuel that is the petrol of the vehicle.
Conclusion
Human beings are said to be the greatest gift of God. Homo sapiens id the longest surviving species on the earth. However present humans have borrowed the earth from their future generation hence, must use it wisely. Nowadays, the condition of the earth is deteriorating and making life a bit difficult on it.
Humans are using each resource present on this planet earth without thinking and worrying about its consequences. We must think about our planet earth. Because mother nature takes its revenge back.
