The Media has recently drawn attention to the various theories related to the beginning of the Human Race as we know it.
Regardless of our personal beliefs we have always been led to believe that we all originated in Africa and descend from a species of Ape. One documentary concluded that had it not been for part of the Red Sea drying up as a result of global warming, man as we know him would have been confined to Africa.
There are others who have reason to believe otherwise. Not least the Chinese! The difference in cultures found in many parts of the world can easily be explained by the effect on evolution in varying climates.
Did You Know? When they speak of the origin of man they talk of millions of years which is almost impossible for us to comprehend. No more than a hundred or so of our ancestors are believed to have left Africa thousands of years ago and slowly spread North, East and South to create the population we have today. If that is true, it is easy to see how each Community could have developed as it made changes to cope with its new conditions.
The prime example of how the body adapted might be the disappearance of the tail when man took to the caves and no longer depended on the trees for sustenance and safety. There seems a vast difference now in both build and appearance of the Natives of Africa and the Eskimos of the Arctic but allowing for the time that’s passed and the extreme conditions they had to adapt to, the theory cannot be dismissed.
Just look at the advance made by some of the people in Third World over the past two hundred years. The down side of that is the dramatic effect it has had on the World’s wild life. In many cases what took Nature thousands of years to develop naturally has been destroyed in no time at all. The most unfortunate consequence of such action is that further progress down the same road could result in man’s self-destruction.
Why do we always hear the World referred to as our Planet? What is the basis of that claim? Do we have any more rights than other animals or even the vegetation? We have emerged as the superior creature on Earth but have we accepted the responsibility that goes with it? If you become the head of an organisation or the leader of a Group you automatically take responsibility for those under you and success depends on their efforts and loyalty.
Progress for the benefit of mankind has accelerated so fast over the last two hundred years many of us are finding it hard to keep up. Can we honestly say we have shown any concern for the long term survival or rights of the creatures and things around us. We are only just beginning to realise that many of these are necessary if we are to maintain the balance of Nature, much of which is essential for our own survival.
Before we brush aside all consideration for the fellow occupants of the Earth, let us consider some similarities. In the human race, there have always been those that were superior to their fellows and no doubt there always will be. Study the habits of any species of living creatures and you will find that most follow a similar pattern.
However, although in the animal world the struggle for supremacy is often far more aggressive and brutal than anything practised in our Society, many of them share the same reproductive methods and maternal instincts. Their outside appearance might be completely different to ours but in many cases internal organs are very much the same. We all maintain life through a heart, lungs, liver, kidneys etc. with eyes to see, a nose to smell, ears to hear and a tongue to taste. There are many different sizes and structures but physically we are all built in a similar way with a trunk, head, arms, legs and feet.
Have you ever wondered why we have two kidneys but only one liver or two lungs but only one heart? Of course it is easy to see why we all have to have at least two legs and arms for balance as well as two eyes and ears to give us a wider range of sight and hearing. Then why have we got two nostrils but only one nose?
The most significant difference between ourselves and all other occupants on this Planet is of course our developed brain. It is because we humans have been gifted with this supremacy that it becomes our responsibility to see that, subject to evolution, the balance of Nature is maintained. It appears we are a long way off track but the longer we put it off the harder the task will become.
Where do we start? Perhaps we should put our own house in order and take a long hard look at the Society we live in. We then have to change our own attitudes and ensure that every youngster gets a chance to grow up in a caring Community with prospects of a fulfilled and rewarding life to look forward to. Remember, the whole world is in the hands of the children of today and tomorrow, our future generations!!
valley lad – [SIXTYNINE]
