The Hall of Human Origin - Essay Example

The hall of human origin covers millions of years of human history, ranging from the early ancestors who lived millions of years ago. The fossils that are displayed in the museum portray the evolution of human beings, in the sense that, the human past was notably similar to that of the modern-day primates. Through this particular exhibit, it is evident that human beings evolved from primates and also that, the human family has a rich evolutionary history, which is essential to a past that has shaped who we are today.

To begin with, the fossils and artifacts about the human origin help in the interpretation of certain aspects of life. For instance, learning as a form of development is substantiated in the fossils collections. One excellent example of this element is the fossils that tell the tale of human origin. In this regard, scientists got the chance to examine a fossilized skull fragment after which they studied it closely and found the proof that different kinds of humans once lived on Earth, in this case, a Neanderthal-human. Similarly, the social aspect of life is exhibited in the different fossils available in the Museum. This is especially substantiated in the Hominoid Heyday exhibit which shows how a diverse superfamily of primates that was known as the Hominoids thrived in East African Forests about three million years ago. This particular primates family is characterized as robust slow-moving, tree-dwelling primates that lacked the specializations of their descendants, in the sense that, they were particularly adapted for suspension on trees or for knuckle-walking on the ground a trait that is common among modern-day apes.

Based on my observation of the different exhibits in the museum, I have to say that my favorite artifact is that of the Turkana boy. The reason why I consider this my favorite of them all is owing to the fact that the artifact gives fine details such as the age, height and the stature body proportions of the boy. In a similar regard, scientists concluded that the different features observed on the Turkana boy are very similar to our own. More specifically, although the skeleton is known to have belonged to an eight-year-old male, the analysis of the teeth and bones substantiated that the boy was still growing and probably would have reached six feet as an adult. To me, these specifications are so detailed, thus indicating a much more concise understanding of the evolution of the human beings. Nonetheless, if I were to modify the artifact for the better, I would include the relation and similarities of the features found on the Turkana boy, with other fossils collected from 1.6 million years ago around the Lake Turkana, Kenya. Some of these features would include, the limbs and other complex body features.

In addition to my favorite artefact, I am certain that the most exciting thing about this exhibit is the fact that the artifacts such as the skeletons are well-labeled and those that are closely related are placed side-by-side to allow learners and visitors to compare and contrast their form. Besides, the order in which the exhibits are arranged indicates a chronology of events allowing the visitors to distinguish between features that characterized a certain period of human evolution from the earlier and the recent ones. Finally, the availability of signage particularly guides the eye to specific interesting parts and also their interpretation.

In a similar regard, based on the arrangement and the diversity of the fossils and artifacts in this particular exhibit, I got to learn different lessons. For instance, some of the lessons that I learned ranged from the concerns that are addressed through the different artifacts to the fact that the fossils in the museum are overly relevant to our modern world. This is exemplified in the fact that the study of these fossils provides various pieces of evidence. For example, the dental structure of various human evolutions addresses the current day concerns of the school of dentistry. Similarly, with millions of fossils residing in our museums, scientists can build a picture of both the past and the present. This is particularly substantiated on the Egyptian Encounters fossil which indicates the characteristics of the Old World Monkeys and also how they compare to the modern day human beings and apes, with reference to the size of their brain, body structure, and eyes and the structure of the limbs.

On the contrary, however, although the messages and information drawn from the different fossils and artifacts are deemed important in every aspect, the overriding message drawn from this exhibit is the evolution of human beings that is overly important to both history and science today. For instance, this exhibit passes the message that scientists rely on the wealth of evidence drawn from things such as fossils, artifacts, and DNA analysis. Although critics may argue that the web of clues drawn from these pieces of evidence is complicated to unravel, and that experts often disagree about which species lived when and where the message passed through these pieces of evidence indicate that it is clear that the human family has a rich evolutionary history-a past that has shaped who we are today.

Therefore, in a nutshell, bearing in mind that the first members of our human family, commonly known as the Hominidae, are known to have evolved in Africa around six or seven million years ago, it is with no doubt that the presence of these fossils in the museum tell us more about the origin of human beings. This is especially evident owing to the fact that every aspect in these fossils have since come to light, each one providing further evidence of the complex ancestry of the human species.