Kelsey Pioctoi

Biology 11uu; 1u am
Ni. Shuiley
Apiil 8, 2u12

Buman Family Tiee

I uon't know wheie to even begin. I knew that the histoiy of the human iace was a
complex system, but watching, !"#$%&"' )*%+,"-.$/0 1.* 234"& 5"4$'6 1,** put the
complexity of wheie we came fiom into layman's teims. With this film, !"#$%&"'
)*%+,"-.$/ uiu a wonueiful job in explaining wheie we came fiom, how we
uevelopeu with the changing of climate, geogiaphy, anu the passing uown of genes.

Fiist of all, I leaineu that all humans came fiom Afiica two hunuieu thousanu yeais
ago. I also uiscoveieu that of oui human histoiy is fiom Afiica. This ieally put into
peispective how long the human iace has been aiounu.

In class we have talkeu about genetics, anu how some genes aie passeu on to
offspiing, but how some chaiacteiistics aie uevelopeu fiom auaptation. Nany of the
human chaiacteiistics that we now iuentify to as a specific iace, has much to uo with
how humans auapteu to theii suiiounuings.

Foi example: the shoit statuie of same iaces may have came fiom an auaptation
that alloweu that people to conseive heat. Flat noses might have pieventeu fiostbite
uuiing the haish ice age. Skin ovei the eyes may have piotecteu the people's eyes
against glaie of the sun. I have to wonuei how my geneiation will stait to evolve.
Toughei tongues to piotect stuuents against coffee that's too hot. Longei fingeis,
best foi viueo game playing.

This film also uesciibeu how much the eaith has changeu ovei thousanus of yeais. I
was shockeu to finu that uuiing the ice age, the bouies of ice weie 2 kilometeis in
height. I was also shockeu to finu that when those glacieis melteu, the oceans
incieaseu Suu feet. It's ciazy to think of what we, the human iace, has suiviveu
thiough.