How long do SCIENTISTS believe we've been around? What evidence verifies this?
2006-07-29 23:49:39 · 10 answers · asked by Apple Pie 2 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Biology
Between 100,000 to 200,000 years. (See Source 1.) The main question is not the dating of fossils, but defining what is "human" ... i.e., at what point would H. erectus be more correctly called H. sapiens, as these are just arbitrary distinctions defined by anthropologists.
The evidence includes the rapid expansion of cranial capacity in fossils dated in the Mid to Late Pleistocene epoch (about 250,000 years ago), and the arrival of stone tools. I don't know where people get the idea that the dating of these fossils is done with carbon dating ... C14 has a very short half-life making carbon dating accurate only to about 60,000 years (which is a lot longer than 6,000 years, but not nearly long enough to date most fossils), and can only be used on once-living carbon-based material, which does not include stone tools and fossils. Instead, this dating of fossils and stone tools is done with other forms of radiometric dating (e.g. Potassium-Argon), fluorine-absorption dating, seriation, stratigraphy, etc. etc. (see Sources 2, and 3, below).
And incidentally, we have found mummified human remains as old as 9,500 years (see source 4), and cave paintings older than 35,000 years (see source 5).
2006-07-30 01:33:38 · answer #1 · answered by secretsauce 7 · 9⤊ 1⤋
This Site Might Help You.
RE:
How long have humans been on Earth?
How long do SCIENTISTS believe we've been around? What evidence verifies this?
2015-08-19 02:14:03 · answer #2 · answered by Sheilah 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Humans, modern humans, have been here for about 100,000 years. Ancient humans and precursors to humans about 4 million years.
There are humans with the genus Homo (like us, Homo Sapiens) which have been around for about 1 million years. Others with other genus back to 4 million years ago.
Good book on the topic of evolution:
Darwin's Ghose by Steve Jones
2006-07-29 23:56:41 · answer #3 · answered by lrad1952 5 · 4⤊ 1⤋
Anatomically modern humans have been around for 45,000 years. The fossil record supports this.
2006-07-30 03:02:22 · answer #4 · answered by Isis-sama 5 · 2⤊ 2⤋
Hi, i think and i read in book . sun and other planets including , earth from 4,6 million years ago and human live on it from 4 million years ago by basic way began..
2006-07-30 01:20:34 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 6⤋
since 0.1million years .
2006-07-30 09:05:47 · answer #6 · answered by sup 3 · 2⤊ 1⤋
Biblically or scientifically. The bible would indicate a couple of thousand years. Science has determined several million years.
The development of carbon dating of human remains is one fact.
2006-07-30 01:31:24 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 7⤋
gh8
2016-04-15 11:59:53 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
100,000 years.
2006-07-30 00:08:52 · answer #9 · answered by Miss LaStrange 5 · 3⤊ 2⤋
About 6000 years. Carbon dating of human artifacts doesn't go much beyond that.
2006-07-29 23:58:00 · answer #10 · answered by Scabius Fretful 5 · 1⤊ 24⤋