Anthropologists and scientists alike have struggled over the question of whether or not humans represent the pinnacle of evolution. Although there are millions of species on the earth today, no one would argue against the uniqueness of humanity, specifically in their ability with spoken word, introspective consciousness, and manipulation of the world. Throughout the course of the chapter the author seeks to discuss scholars’ efforts to place homo sapiens in the world of nature, the inevitability of the human species in the flow of life, and the complexity of nature through evolutionary time.
