Ape Man is the definitive account of how humans evolved from primates to become the dominant species on earth. From the extinction of the dinosaurs to the invention of fire, from the development of language to the link between furry ancestors and modern man, this vivid journey tells a towering story. Featuring the latest scientific evidence, Ape Man travels 7 million years back in time to uncover the world of man's oldest ancestor.

Part 4, Science and Fiction

While evolutionists and creationists debate the origin of the species, an intense controversy rages within the scientific community itself. Why is science so obsessed with the purity of our origins. Can it affect the fate of our species? In a sobering look at our place in the natural order, leading evolutionists risk a glimpse into the future of the human being.

• anarchic
• antiquity
• archaic
• bludgeoned
• concordant
• congruent
• depicted
• diverged
• divergent
• eloquent
• eminent
• exponentially
• forgery
• inherent
• inimical
• integrity
• maligned
• morphological
• paradox
• prognosticating

1. We human beings like to think of ourselves as truly unique creatures. Are human beings and their evolutionary process special or unique? If so, what makes human evolution different from the evolution of other species? If not, we do we think that we are so unique?

2. The theory of modern human beings descending form Neanderthal man has gone in and out of favor with both the scientific community and the general public. How do contemporary cultural mores determine how we view our evolutionary process and ancestors?

3. Why was the Piltdown fraud so successful?

4. Because of the success of the Piltdown fraud, it overshadowed other important discoveries. How did the Piltdown fraud delay and hamper our understanding of evolution?

5. What role has racism played in evolutionary theories and their acceptance or rejection?

6. There has been more progress in the search for our origins in the past 25 years than the entire previous century. How has modern technology aided in solving the puzzle of evolution?

7. Modern society is a relatively new creation. Most of human history lived as the early hominids did, as hunters and gatherers struggling for daily survival. How might our bodies not be suited for our modern environments? What are some the consequences of our rapid technological progress on ourselves and future generations of human beings?

1. Write an essay speculating on how modern human beings might evolve in the future. What changes might our species undergo in order to survive in changing environments?

2. Discuss how modern technology might influence the future evolution of human beings.

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Air Dates

• August 06, 2004