HUMAN EVOLUTION: AN ANTHROPOLOGICAL STUDY

Abstract

This article presents a literature review on human evolution from an anthropological perspective, highlighting the main biological, cultural, and technological milestones that shaped the trajectory of the species Homo sapiens. Initially, it discusses the evolutionary context and origins of the first hominins, emphasizing fundamental adaptations such as bipedalism, increased cranial capacity, and the development of lithic technologies. It then examines the core principles of human evolution—variation, natural selection, adaptation, genetic drift, and gene-culture coevolution—demonstrating the multidirectional complexity of the evolutionary process. Finally, the article explores human evolution in contemporary times, emphasizing the influence of factors such as urbanization, globalization, environmental changes, medical advances, and techno-cultural transformations. The findings indicate that human evolution did not end with the emergence of Homo sapiens; instead, it remains ongoing, shaped by modern selective pressures and by the increasing interplay between biology, culture, and technology. It is concluded that understanding human evolution by a anthropologic perspective expandour capacity of knowledge contemporaneity behavior, diversity standards and emerging challenges relationship with health, technology and society organization.