Evolution and Biodiversity Quiz

Evolution of Human Species

• Biodiversity today is believed to have originated from simple unicellular organisms through evolution
• The origin of human evolution can be traced back to around 7 crore years ago, when dinosaurs became extinct

Early Evolution of Monkey-Like Animals

• Around 7 crore years ago, monkey-like animals evolved from ancestors similar to modern lemurs
• These early animals had tails, which disappeared around 4 crore years ago
• As their brain size increased, their hands became more developed, leading to the evolution of ape-like animals

Evolution of Apes

• Ape-like animals migrated to South and North-East Asia, where they evolved into gibbons and orang-utans
• Those that remained in Africa evolved into gorillas and chimpanzees around 2.5 crore years ago
• Some 2 crore year old ape species evolved differently, using their hands more for food and other activities

Emergence of Human-Like Animals

• Around 2 crore years ago, ape-like animals began to live on land due to declining forests and developed an erect posture
• This freed their hands for use, allowing for more complex activities
• The first human-like animals with erect posture evolved around 2 crore years ago, with evidence of 'Ramapithecus' ape found in North India and East Africa

Development of Human Species

• The ape-like animals continued to grow in size and intelligence, with the South African ape evolving around 40 lakh years ago
• The morphology of these human-like animals began to resemble the genus Homo around 20 lakh years ago
• Skilled humans developed around 20 lakh years ago, with evidence of human-like species in China and Indonesia

Development of Human Brain

• The evolution of upright humans continued, with a focus on developing the brain over the next 1 lakh years
• Humans discovered fire during this period
• By 50,000 years ago, the human brain had developed sufficiently to be classified as Homo sapiens
• The Neanderthal man is considered one of the first examples of Homo sapiens

Test your knowledge on evolution and biodiversity with this quiz covering the formation of biodiversity from unicellular organisms to the evolution of human ancestors and other species. Learn about the disappearance of dinosaurs, the evolution of monkey-like animals, and more.