Pre and Post Ice Age Environmental Factors and Modern Man

Homo sapiens (Modern man) made his first appearance on earth during the Pleistocence ice age and ultimately spreads out to occupy all the world's major landmasses. The ice age was a period of wide climate variation, with all the contienents experiencing frequent alternations and extremes of heat and cold, rain and drought, far sharper than recorded in recent centuries, Man's unique adaptability in the face of such violent environmental change was undoubtly a crucial factor both for his survival and his gradually developing dominance over others species.

Using a complex variety of analytical techniques, it is now possible to reconstruct at least some aspects of the earth's climate as far as the Precambrian era, more than 3000 million years ago. On the basis of the available records it is suggested that climatic conditions of the pre-ice age was favourable for the origin of Homo sapiens and related group from ape-like hominids in Africa, who were used to use weapons to kill their prey, even before the ice-age began.