In this chapter, the briefest possible description of changes that are crucial
for differentiation of humans from their closest animal relatives is given. The erect
bipedalism, freeing hands from locomotor duties, seems to have appeared first in the
process of evolution leading to humans, several million years ago. The causes are not
clear – they may be wading in shallow waters on the edges of inland lakes and rivers or
chasing prey animals across savannahs. The appearance of the ability to produce
sounds of articulate speech – lowering the position of the larynx in the throat –
appeared next, though it is difficult to determine when. This ability to produce sounds
as units of the arbitrary symbolic communication opened up great possibilities for
communication and exchange of technologically and socially relevant information that
facilitated the management of environment by humans.
Keywords: Erect bipedalism, Future, Genetic engineering, Language, Stone Age,
Tools.
