3. Stages of Human Evolution

Scientists have different ideas about how humans began. Let's explore two of these ideas. 

1. The Theory of Divine Creation:
A Spanish philosopher named Francisco Suárez believed in this idea. According to the Bible, a higher power or supernatural force created the world. This idea is called the Theory of Divine Creation. It says that everything on Earth, like plants, animals, and humans, was made by God in six days. The theory suggests that each species was created individually by God and does not support the idea of species evolving from common ancestors.1

2. Darwin’s Theory of Evolution:
In 1859, a scientist named Charles Darwin came up with an important idea in his book, "On the Origin of Species."  Charles Darwin proposed that humans and monkeys share a common ancestor. Over millions of years, humans evolved and became what we are today.1 

Fig 3.1: Darwin’s idea of Evolution

Fig 3.2: Homo Habilis 

Fig 3.3: Homo erectus

Fig 3.4: Homo neanderthals

Fig 3.5: Homo sapiens

Humans evolve over a long period of time because of a process called Natural selection which was proposed by famous scientist Charles Robert Darwin.8

Natural selection is defined as a process in nature through which living organisms adapt and change in response to an environmental condition. Organisms that are better adapted to their environment are more likely to survive and reproduce.8

Throughout history, humans have faced different environments and challenges. Those individuals who had traits or characteristics that helped them survive and have children were more likely to pass on those traits to the next generation. Over time, these helpful traits became more common in the population, leading to evolutionary changes.8