11. What does ''Homo sapiens'' mean?
The definition of "Homo Sapiens" is the species of bipedal primates to which modern humans belong, characterized by a brain capacity averaging 1400 cc (85 cubic in.) and by dependence upon language and the creation and utilization of complex tools. Homo comes from the Latin word meaning "man", and sapiens meaning "wise", and the combination of the two creates homo sapiens of "Wise Man" The first recorded finding of a homo sapiens fossil was in 1999 by a group of researchers from the University of California at Berkeley as well as several from Ethiopia. The fossils found are estimated to be between 154,000 and 160,000 years old. This means that humans we know today are the direct descendants of homo sapiens from 154,000 years ago.
Sources
http://humanorigins.si.edu/evidence/human-fossils/species/homo-sapiens
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/homo-sapiens
