The Emergance of man in Africa

FOR CENTURIES MAN"S IMAGINATION has been captured by attempts, usually fanciful,to establish the exactlocality of the plase of origin of the humanrace-the pradise of ancient mythology. Scientific research of the last few decades, carried out by archeologists, paleontologist, and workers in allied disciplins, is making it increasingly likely that the continent, probably south of the Sahara.

Today Africa is the home of many human cultural traditions,ranging from simple hunting societies to elaborate urban civimiaztions-a result of interaction ver many millennums and the selective use of the potentialities of the different environments. Indeed, the single most powerful influence on the lives of men, as of other creatures, is the environment inwhich they live. Temperatue,rainfall and its distribution throuout the year-in short,climate-together wuth the kind of planet communities, the associted animal life, the availability of surface water sources or of economically important minerals not only shape the tenor of man's daily life but have been significant on his biologicalevolution.

Animals and planet are adapted to living in a particular habitat trouth natural selection and competition.Some creatures have succeeded in adapting to several different ecological niches, but by reason of man's culture and technology only he and some life froms dependent upon him have been able to make adjustments that permit him to live anywhere he wants to in the world.