The Great Leap Forward

The evolution of modern humans was characterized by a continuous and gradual change in physical adaptations to the environment including upright posture, opposable thumbs, and enlarged braincase. However all of these traits emerged before the qualities that make modern human essentially distinct: art, culture, language, and society. The author uses the term "The Great Leap Forward" to refer to the relatively short unknown event or series of events that changed pre-modern Homo sapiens to fully modern H. sapiens, and suggests that the physical refinement leading to the capacity for fully developed vocalizations and language is the most likely candidate. The Great Leap Forward happened 40,000 years ago and left its first unmistakable archeological evidence in Europe.

Correlation Coefficient

The correlation coefficient is a statistical measure of the interdependence of two variables. The coefficient ranges in value from -1 to +1; a value of -1 indicates a...