There are many explanations about how humans appeared on Earth. Scientists say that humans evolved from primate ancestors millions of years ago. Religious believers think that humans were created by God! Among many different hypotheses about the origin of humans, one of them believes that “Humans come from other planets!” So what is the truth? Let’s explore the origin of humans with LotusBuddhas!
Humans from another planet
A book titled “Humans Are Not From Earth” by Dr. Ellis Silver, a biologist, presents the alien characteristics of human beings:
- Humans are sensitive to sunlight.
- Humans do not prefer natural foods.
- Humans have difficulty in childbirth due to the large size of the fetal head.
Dr. Silver puts forward the theory that human ancestors may have come to Earth via meteorites or comets about 60,000 to 200,000 years ago and gradually evolved into the humans of today.
Others believe that humans originated from other planets and decided to stay on Earth because they found it too fantastic! Thus, humans may not be “native” creatures like many others.
This hypothesis has many illogical and unrealistic things:
- The ancestors of humans are believed to be microorganisms attached to meteorites, but if they were actual humans, would they have been able to survive the impact with the Earth?
- If humans originated from another planet, then they must possess superior intelligence compared to us. It could be that they are at an industrial revolution level of 100.0! So why, according to history, did the progress of extraterrestrial civilizations start from a low point and gradually improve?
- For thousands of years, archaeology has not found any traces of civilizations more advanced than our current one. Where did the flying saucers, architectural structures, and modern vehicles go?
- The space travelers on the flying saucers found Earth to be ideal and decided to stay, hunting and gathering… and rebuilding from scratch!
Humans are not the only species sensitive to sunlight. - During the process of evolution, when humans discovered fire, their digestive systems adjusted to prefer cooked food over raw food found in nature.
- Thousands of years ago, before the intervention of modern medicine, humans still gave birth successfully, although the survival rate would have been lower than it is today. The larger size of newborns is a result of human evolution in terms of intelligence.
Some people who do not understand evolution argue that if humans evolved from primates, we should see or capture pictures and videos of primates in zoos evolving into humans!
When we talk about evolution, we are talking about thousands or millions of years, while cameras and videos only appeared in the 18th-19th centuries! Primitive humans evolved into modern humans as a separate branch that split off from the primitive primates and formed a new species. The primitive primate group branched off and produced many types of primates that we see today.
This is similar to African, Asian, and European people… Christianity has Catholicism, Protestantism… Buddhism has different sects.
The process of evolution is described as a “family tree” with many branches and twigs, with some branches becoming extinct, while others continue to develop and hybridize with other branches to create diversity on Earth.
Evolution depends on many factors, including living environment, habits, diet… that have affected the genetic makeup of a population. Asians have yellow skin, Africans have black skin, and Westerners have white skin… The average height of Japanese people has increased by 10cm compared to several decades ago. The average age of puberty has decreased compared to before…
With significant progress in many aspects, humans are pushing forward this evolutionary process when many new things are being consumed and inhaled. Meanwhile, the primates in zoos seem to have undergone little change. Ignoring this seemingly humorous and ridiculous hypothesis, the following two hypotheses seem more plausible.
Humans are genetically engineered by extraterrestrial beings
Zecharia Sitchin, an acclaimed author of Russian-American heritage, posited a controversial hypothesis concerning the origin of human life. Sitchin asserted that Homo erectus, one of our ancient hominid ancestors, did not evolve naturally but was, in fact, the product of genetic engineering by a sophisticated extraterrestrial race referred to as the Annunaki. The purported objective of this audacious genetic manipulation was to create a subservient race destined to toil in the gold mines for their otherworldly masters.
According to Sitchin’s intricate cosmology, the Annunaki hailed from a distant planet named Nibiru. This celestial body, Sitchin proposed, maintained an unusual elliptical orbit around the Sun, contrasting with the relatively circular orbits of the established planets in our solar system. This distinctive trajectory allowed Nibiru to encroach upon the inner sanctum of the solar system at approximately 3,600-year intervals.
Parallel to Sitchin’s theories, Swiss author Erich von Däniken proposed another provocative interpretation of human history in his landmark book, “Chariots of the Gods”. Von Däniken explored the premise that many ancient civilizations owe their existence not to the steady march of human progress, but to the intervention of extraterrestrial beings.
Von Däniken offered a wealth of examples to substantiate his assertions, including monumental constructions such as the Egyptian pyramids and Stonehenge. He pointed to their architectural sophistication and astronomical alignments as potential evidence of alien technological influence. Additionally, he highlighted a range of ancient artifacts and cave paintings that appear to depict extraterrestrial entities, spacecraft, and astronaut-like figures. According to von Däniken, these were not mere products of imaginative human minds, but records of authentic encounters with celestial visitors. He proposed that these extraterrestrial entities were likely perceived as gods by early humans, with their presence and actions inspiring many narratives and doctrines found in religious texts, including the Bible.
Humans evolved from microorganisms outside of Earth
Panspermia, derived from the Greek words meaning “seeds everywhere,” proposes an audacious hypothesis concerning the origin of life on Earth. This hypothesis postulates that life did not spontaneously emerge on our planet, but was instead seeded by microscopic organisms transported here from the farthest reaches of the cosmos.
Advocates for this hypothesis frequently reference a period approximately 4 billion years ago, during which Earth was subject to an intense barrage of comet showers. It is speculated that these celestial bodies could have served as interstellar vehicles, ferrying bacteria and other extraterrestrial organisms across the vast expanses of space to take root on our nascent planet.
A significant aspect of the panspermia hypothesis lies in the unique properties of certain terrestrial bacteria that exhibit remarkable resistance to extreme temperatures, radiation, and other conditions akin to those found in the harsh environment of outer space. Given such compelling attributes, it is plausible to consider the possibility that these organisms did not originate from Earth, but were interplanetary travelers that played a seminal role in sculpting our planet’s rich tapestry of life.
While the panspermia hypothesis is yet to be definitively proven, it continues to stimulate fascinating discussions and research in astrobiology, challenging our understanding of life’s origins and its potential ubiquity throughout the cosmos.
Humans created by God
Many Christian believers believe that God created the universe and humans. But my “God” is a bit different from the God they think of. My God is a college student studying IT along with his game.
Because of his parents, God was born. Because God exists, he created a game called “Universe.” Because there is a universe and Earth is a part of it, he created many “sub-programs” running on it. These “artificial intelligence” programs interact with each other and gradually improve their code.
One sunny day after breaking up with his girlfriend, he caused an earthquake that killed some people, floods, lightning strikes… A good person was hit by a truck and killed while stopping at a red light – a bad person just won a $1 billion lottery!
He lay down to sleep with a heavy heart. Meanwhile, the “sub-programs” on Earth were trying to explain why and why through reasoning: Karma, randomness, destiny…
His universe is not infinite as they often think, but because the knowledge of the “sub-programs” on Earth is limited, they think the universe is infinite and no one created it.
This is like an ant thinking that the Earth is limitless, and with the lifespan of a mosquito, it would think that humans are immortal. No one knew about America until Columbus discovered it. Is the Earth spherical or flat? The “sub-programs” are gradually evolving and improving their code.
Humans evolved from primates
The evolution of humans is a process of change that has been going on for millions of years and may have originated from the Apelike species. Scientific evidence shows that the physical and behavioral characteristics shared by all primitive ape species originated from Apelike ancestors, which developed around 6 million years ago.
- One of the earliest characteristics of humans is the ability to walk on two feet (bipedalism), which developed over 4 million years ago.
- Other important characteristics of humans, such as large and complex brains, creativity, tool use, and language ability, developed more recently.
- Many advanced features including complex expressions, art, and cultural diversity emerged mainly in the last 100,000 years.
Humans are primates. Similarities in physical and genetic traits indicate that the intelligent species, Homo sapiens, is closely related to another group of primates, the tailless apes (Ape – chimpanzees, gibbons).
Primitive humans first appeared in Africa, and many evolutions occurred on that continent. Fossils of primitive humans have been discovered there dating back 6 to 2 million years.
The first humans to migrate out of Africa to Asia probably did so between 2 million and 1.8 million years ago. They entered Europe at a later time, from 1.5 million to 1 million years ago. Homo sapiens settled in many parts of the world later.
For example, the first people to arrive in Australia were around 60,000 years ago and in America around 30,000 years ago. The beginning of agriculture and the rise of civilizations began around 12,000 years ago.
About paleoanthropology
Paleoanthropology is a specialized subfield of anthropology that involves the study of the history of human evolution over the past several million years. It draws from diverse scientific disciplines, including physical anthropology, archaeology, linguistics, ethology, genetics, and geology, aiming to explore the biological and cultural development of the genus Homo, and more broadly, the evolution of primates and hominids.
Primarily, paleoanthropologists investigate the changes in human physical characteristics and behavior over time, as well as the environmental factors that may have influenced these shifts. Key areas of research include, but are not limited to, the origin of bipedalism, brain expansion, the development of complex symbolic behavior, such as art and language, the emergence of agriculture, and the rise of complex social structures.
The methodologies employed in paleoanthropology range from field surveys and excavations to recover and analyze fossils, to laboratory-based techniques like radiometric dating, and comparative anatomical and genetic analyses. Paleoanthropologists often work closely with paleoecologists and paleoclimatologists to understand the environmental contexts in which hominins lived and evolved.
Fossil remains, both skeletal and cultural (like stone tools), are essential in paleoanthropological research, serving as primary evidence of our ancestral past. However, the fossil record is inherently incomplete and often ambiguous. Therefore, interpretations of these remains require careful scientific inference and are often the subject of considerable debate.
The discovery and study of hominid fossils, such as the Australopithecines and various species of the genus Homo, have played a critical role in expanding our understanding of human evolution. These investigations have shed light on where and when various evolutionary milestones occurred, and on the complex interplay of genetic and environmental factors that drove these processes.
Paleoanthropology, through its study of our evolutionary history, ultimately strives to answer some of the most fundamental questions about our species:Â Who are we? Where do we come from? What processes and events have shaped us, both biologically and culturally, into the species we are today? This subfield, therefore, offers significant contributions to our broader understanding of humanity’s place within the natural world.
The process of human evolution
The process of human evolution is a complex and multifaceted journey that spans millions of years. This evolutionary journey, from our earliest primate ancestors to modern Homo sapiens, is a testament to the intricate and dynamic interplay between genetic changes and environmental pressures.
The story begins around 65 million years ago, at the end of the Cretaceous period, when the common ancestors of all primates first appeared. Over tens of millions of years, through a process of adaptive radiation, this initial primate lineage branched out into a diverse array of forms, leading to the emergence of the first hominoids, or apes, around 20-25 million years ago.
The next major leap in our evolutionary history occurred approximately 6-7 million years ago in Africa with the appearance of the first hominins – the group of species that includes humans and our extinct ancestors that are more closely related to us than to chimpanzees. Key distinguishing characteristics of the early hominins include increased bipedalism (the ability to walk on two legs) and changes in dental structure, both of which have been attributed to shifting environmental conditions and changes in diet.
The genus Australopithecus, appearing around 4 million years ago, is considered one of the most important early hominins due to its more pronounced bipedalism and the initial signs of increased brain size. Lucy, a member of Australopithecus afarensis discovered in 1974, is one of the most famous hominin fossils and provides critical insights into these evolutionary developments.
Around 2.5 million years ago, the genus Homo emerged, marking another significant milestone in human evolution. This period was characterized by a rapid increase in brain size, the development of a more complex culture, and the crafting of increasingly sophisticated stone tools. Homo habilis and Homo erectus are among the early representatives of this genus. Homo erectus, in particular, was highly successful, with fossil evidence suggesting that it was the first hominin species to leave Africa and populate parts of Eurasia.
Approximately 300,000 to 600,000 years ago, Homo heidelbergensis appeared. This species is considered by many paleoanthropologists to be the common ancestor of both Homo neanderthalensis, the Neanderthals, who populated Europe and parts of western Asia, and Homo sapiens, modern humans.
Homo sapiens first appeared around 300,000 years ago in Africa. We are characterized by a suite of unique features, including an even larger brain relative to body size, a reliance on complex symbolic thought, and the development of language and the capacity to create a wide variety of tools and artifacts. The migrations of Homo sapiens out of Africa, beginning around 70,000 years ago, led to the colonization of the entire globe and the eventual replacement of all other hominin species.
“Evolution is the change in inherited characteristics of a biological population over successive generations. Evolutionary processes give rise to diversity at every level of biological organization, including species, individual organisms, and even molecules such as DNA and proteins.
Life on Earth originated and subsequently evolved from a common ancestor about 3.8 billion years ago. Through numerous branching events, natural selection has created the diversity on this planet, with some species going extinct and others thriving.” – wikipedia.org
The process of human evolution, from our primate origins to the emergence of modern Homo sapiens, reflects the power of natural selection and adaptation. As our ancestors encountered new environments and challenges, genetic variations that offered advantages—such as increased intelligence, tool-making skills, and the ability to walk upright—tended to increase in frequency through successive generations. Over time, this resulted in the evolution of humans as we know them today. Nonetheless, research continues to refine and deepen our understanding of this complex and fascinating journey.
There is no first human
Evolution is a gradual process of change over millions of years. It is impossible to trace the origin of humans, as it is an endless chain of links that we prefer to break down into segments.
Where do humans come from? Did humans come from another planet? Did extraterrestrial beings or a divine being create humans? Or is the emergence of humans just a coincidence due to the interaction of conditions in the process of evolution? It’s best to keep an open mind and continue exploring this topic to form your own theory about the origin of humans.
