Recent human evolution
Imagine you and your friends have a game where you run as fast as you can. Some of your friends might be really fast and some might be slower. This is kind of how humans have evolved over many thousands of years.
Humans have been changing and adapting for a really long time, even before we were the way we are today. Our ancestors lived in different environments than we do now which meant they had to learn to adapt to survive. This allowed certain traits, like being able to run really fast or being able to digest certain types of foods, to be passed down from generation to generation.
For example, some people today are better at digesting lactose, the sugar found in milk, than others. This is because their ancestors lived in areas where they had access to cows or other animals that produced milk. Over time, these people developed the ability to digest milk, while others did not.
Another example is skin color. People who live in areas with lots of sunshine have darker skin to protect themselves from the sun's harmful rays. Those who live in areas with less sunshine have lighter skin to allow more vitamin D absorption.
Recent human evolution has been happening relatively quickly (in terms of evolutionary time). This is because of things like improved medical care and changes in diet and lifestyle. For example, humans today are taller on average than they were 100 years ago. This is probably because we have access to better nutrition and healthcare.
In summary, human evolution has been happening for a very long time and is still happening today. It's like a big game of adaptation where certain traits get passed down from generation to generation. Some changes happen slowly over time, while others are more recent and happen more quickly.
Humans have been changing and adapting for a really long time, even before we were the way we are today. Our ancestors lived in different environments than we do now which meant they had to learn to adapt to survive. This allowed certain traits, like being able to run really fast or being able to digest certain types of foods, to be passed down from generation to generation.
For example, some people today are better at digesting lactose, the sugar found in milk, than others. This is because their ancestors lived in areas where they had access to cows or other animals that produced milk. Over time, these people developed the ability to digest milk, while others did not.
Another example is skin color. People who live in areas with lots of sunshine have darker skin to protect themselves from the sun's harmful rays. Those who live in areas with less sunshine have lighter skin to allow more vitamin D absorption.
Recent human evolution has been happening relatively quickly (in terms of evolutionary time). This is because of things like improved medical care and changes in diet and lifestyle. For example, humans today are taller on average than they were 100 years ago. This is probably because we have access to better nutrition and healthcare.
In summary, human evolution has been happening for a very long time and is still happening today. It's like a big game of adaptation where certain traits get passed down from generation to generation. Some changes happen slowly over time, while others are more recent and happen more quickly.
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