How long have humans lived on Earth?

Question

How long have humans lived on Earth?

Answer 1

4. How long has life existed on Earth?  



  The oldest known fossils are approximately 3.5 billion years old, but some scientists have discovered chemical evidence suggesting that life may have begun even earlier, nearly 4 billion years ago.

6. How long ago did humans become human?  



  The oldest known hominid, or humanlike species, has been dated at 4.4 million years old. Another species, which is yet to be confirmed as a hominid, has been dated at 6 million years old. Scientists estimate that the hominid lineage diverged from the ape lineage 5 to 8 million years ago. Homo sapiens, the species to which we belong, has existed for about 100,000 years.

Answer 2

about 6000

Answer 3

This s a very difficult question to answer unless you give a specific species name to human.  Homo is the Greek word for man and is applied to the genus of which modern man is the only living example.  In the past there have been others and even multiples at the same time (Homo habilis and H. erectus and H. ergaster) there is usually an overlap between species as they originate in one area and then spread out overtaking their predecessor.  H. neanderthalensis lived in Europe and part of western Asia from about 300,000 years ago (arguments persist about dates and defining traits)  until about 30,000 years ago (after the arrival of H. sapiens).  Neanderthals were once considered ancestors of modern H. sapiens but are now classified as cousins.  So the real issue is what do you consider 'human'?  For the sake of argument lets assume you mean H. sapiens (archaic and modern) then the origin would date to about 200,000 years ago in Africa.  If you mean anatomically modern humans then the date would e closer to 130,000 years ago.  These H. sapiens reached Europe around 45-50,000 years ago and were termed Cro-Magnon after a cave in south-west France.  The issue is further complicated by issues inter-breeding between Cro-magnon and Neanderthals (possible skeletal remains of a mixed child have been found in southern Spain).

Answer 4

We probably bounced between nonhuman, near human, and human for a while.  100,000 is the date I've seen most often.

50,000 for European, 200,000 Neanderthal.  The Bible dates man back to the beginning of writing and so, you could say, intelligent man didn't start until then. Interesting but stone tools are said to be 2 million, so you might say it started then but they weren't lookers.

Answer 5

First hominids, about 3 million years. In our current iteration as "modern man" about 50,000-60,000 years more or less.

Answer 6

well that depends mostly on what you believe evolution wise.... some will say that it started trillions of years ago with cave men witch eventually became what we are today. others will say that we were created long ago but exactly the way we are today and others will say that the world really isn't that old and that people haven't been on it that long..... long story short there is no "correct" answer

Answer 7

Modern human fossils are reported to date to 195,000 years.  Many archaeologists look at symbolic representations in caves and artifacts and make assumptions based on that and get a date of about 60,000 years.  Humans are probably older than either of these two estimates but I guess it depends on your definition.  Mine is, "If you met him on the street and spent 5 minutes with him, would you think he was a human".  It is speculation on my part but the fossil dated to 195,000 years ago and classified as a modern human would likely fit my definition.  He would probably be a bit odd and older ones would depend on the person's own definition of human.  Nobody can really tell you for sure how human any of these more ancient hominids were.