Science Reference  Human evolution  Human evolution is the part
of biological evolution concerning the emergence of humans as a
distinct species.  It is the subject of a broad scientific
inquiry that seeks to understand and describe how this change
and development occurred.  The study of human evolution
encompasses many scientific disciplines, most notably physical
anthropology, linguistics and genetics.  The term "human," in
the context of human evolution, refers to the genus Homo, but
studies of human evolution usually include other hominins, such
as the australopithecines. Paleoanthropology is the study of
ancient humans based on fossil evidence, tools, and other signs
of human habitation.  The modern field of paleoanthropology
began in the 19th century with the discovery of "Neanderthal
man." The eponymous skeleton was found in 1856, but there had
been finds elsewhere since 1830. Homo genus In modern taxonomy,
Homo sapiens is the only extant species of its genus, Homo.
Likewise, the ongoing study of the