Early Intelligence Emerges: Aegyptopithecus zeuxis
True Primate: Within mammals, only primates have binocular vision, grasping hands, and flat nails–instead of claws.
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Human Ancestors
Pre-hominid human evolution all the way back to LUCA.
Genus Proconsul (Self-Awareness Settles)
Great Apes LCA candidate: Proconsul, an inhabitant of the Miocene forests in East Africa, stands as a landmark in the evolutionary journey toward self-awareness.
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Early Self-Awareness: Miacis
Emerging in the lush forests of the Eocene, Miacis signifies a pivotal moment in the evolution of cognitive abilities among mammals. As a basal member of the Carnivora, this small, tree-dwelling creature exhibited behaviors and social dynamics suggesting the early stages of self-awareness.
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Complex Sentience Settles: Eomaia scansoria
The rise of Eomaia scansoria, an early placental mammal, marks a definitive leap towards “Complex Sentience” in the evolutionary saga leading to humans. It’s also plausible that it possessed a foundational level of self-awareness, or what can be termed as Proto Self-awareness. A rudimentary sense of self.
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Simple Sentience Settles: Haikouichthys
From no sentience or presentience to solidly “Simple Sentience,” early fish during this time represent our ancestral beings that started to suffer and feel the dichotomy of pleasure and pain. Haikouichthys (circa 520 Million Years Ago): Dwelling in the ancient seas of the Cambrian period, Haikouichthys is among the earliest forms of vertebrate life, showcasing fundamental advancements
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Genus: Australopithecus
116,000 Generations Ago This genus is more directly ancestral to humans and includes several species, such as Australopithecus afarensis (famously represented by “Lucy”), Australopithecus africanus, and others. Australopithecines show a greater commitment to bipedalism and have features more closely resembling modern humans, although they still retained some adaptations for climbing. This genus is known for
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Gorillas Branch Off: Genus Nakalipithecus
Last Gorilla-Chimp-Human ancestor: The last common ancestor of gorillas, chimpanzees, and humans likely lived about 8 to 10 million years ago.
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The Settlement of Australia
2,600 Generations Ago (from 2020 CE) Long before the sails of European explorers dotted the horizon, the Australian continent witnessed the arrival of its first human inhabitants. Archaeological evidence, such as ancient tools and cave art, suggests that people arrived in Australia at least 65,000 years ago, marking one of the earliest known human migrations
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Big Bang Expansion
30 Phil, Chapter 1 Touchstone 1 of 80: Big Bang. Immediately following the state of the singularity, the universe entered a phase of rapid expansion and cooling, known as the Big Bang Expansion. This critical period signifies not an explosion in space but the very expansion of space itself, from an incomprehensibly dense point known
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RNA World
About 3.85 billion years ago, the RNA world resembled a molecular wild west: replicators drifted. When chemistry favored a structure, it binded.
Assembly of Protocells
About 3.9 million years ago RNA-based protocells evolved. Likely with a mix of random DNA experiments.
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Formation of Prebiotic Microenvironments
Alongside or following the chemical evolution of organic molecules, the formation of prebiotic microenvironments, such as hydrothermal vents or warm little ponds, provided niches where concentrations of organic molecules could interact. These environments could have been crucial for the assembly of complex organic molecules and the initiation of catalytic cycles.
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Chemical Evolution of Organic Molecules
While the 4.4 billion years ago is a guess as to when these processes might have started, the 4.1 billion years ago guess is a better representatoin of current understanding on when the needed building blocks of life evolved. Before the appearance of self-replicating molecules, there was a crucial phase of chemical evolution where simple
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First Life: Self-Replicating Molecules
About 4.2 billion years ago, chemical reactions in high temperature environments start replicating. Not life, just replication.
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Cellular Membranes
The formation of cellular membranes represents a pivotal development in the pre-life world, enabling the creation of defined boundaries for primitive cells. These membranes, likely formed from simple lipid bilayers, provided a controlled environment for chemical reactions and played a critical role in the emergence of the first cell-like structures, distinguishing them from their surrounding
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Metabolic Pathways
Metabolism-First life theories suggest life began as a series of self-sustaining chemical reactions trapped in rock pores about 4.1 billion years ago.
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Prokaryotic Life
Prokaryotes are nucleus-free cells that include both bacteria and archaea — the two lineages that split shortly after LUCA.
Homo erectus: A True Omnivore
76,000 Generations Ago Homo erectus is a direct ancestor of modern humans and represents a key point in human evolution where evidence of a truly omnivorous diet becomes clear, including the use of tools for hunting and processing both plant and animal foods. This species shows significant brain enlargement and other adaptations indicative of complex
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Early Complex Sentience Emerges: Dimetrodon
By about 280 million years ago, Dimetrodon was one of the best-known predators of the Early Permian. It stalked rivers and floodplains alongside caseid synapsids, large amphibians like Eryops, and a landscape of Calamites, Sigillaria, ferns, and early seed plants.
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Morganucodon: An Early Mammalian
Morganucodon is an example of a plant eater likely similar to our direct-line ancestors around this time. It is not a direct human ancestor but is among the early mammaliaforms, close to the lineage leading to true mammals.
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