Richard Dawkins: Who Was the First Human?

Biologist and author Richard Dawkins presents a thought experiment to explain human origins. Following each generation backwards across millions of years of evolution, Dawkins shows why no species -- including homo sapiens -- can truly be said to have a "first" ancestor.

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What Is Reality? Richard Dawkins talks with Henry Finder. Presented in collaboration with the New Yorker Festival, on October 1, 2011.

Richard Dawkins is an evolutionary biologist and the author of the Times best-selling books The Selfish Gene, The God Delusion, and The Greatest Show on Earth. His new book, The Magic of Reality, an illustrated science guide for adults and young people, comes out in October. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society and of the Royal Society of Literature.

Henry Finder is the editorial director of The New Yorker.

[Earth]

Dawkins is not only an excellent scientist, but also an excellent communicator. I could listen to him for hours.

[BostonWhoFan]

Evolution is soooo much more fascinating than any creation myth

[gamingandgeeking]

I love the analogy of language as it's one that everyone can understand. Latin became Spanish, Italian, French and Portuguese. At no point did anyone speak a language that their parents and children didn't speak. It gradually changed over a lot of time, and branched into separate languages that now, can't be understood by the others. One language is humans, one is chimps, one is another ape. At no point did one speaker "give birth" to another speaker that they couldn't understand. To say 'why are there monkeys when they turned into humans?' is to be ignorant of what we mean by "common ancestor". The common ancestor was represented by Latin, now formed into thriving but wholly different species.

[brianspruill]

That's the best explanations of evolution I've ever heard from him. Always learning.

[johndoe]

He explains it so well, a child could understand. Yet some adults cannot comprehend... lol

[TheXtamac]

The clock and toddler metaphors are good. Recording them in my head.

I never understand why people have such a hard time accepting that we are animals. Not only is it obvious but it's also wonderful. I love animals and I love the idea that I'm related to them.

[bernieflanders]

Evolution is the most elegant, beautiful and interesting concept. It really is the greatest show on earth 🌎

[otiswilson]

You can hear the mans punctuation through every sentence. Couldn’t explain this any better.

[adam_p]

“I personally do not understand evolution so it must be wrong”
- creationists

[halogen]

Creationist: we are not animals

Meanwhile an orangutan is learning to use sign language

[TomLeedsTheAtheist]

This is about the simplest and factual demonstration of how to properly explain evolution to people who just can't seem to accept evolution as a fact.
Every time someone make the argument that there are no traditional fossils I have to point out that EVERY fossil is a transitional animal just like every animal today is.
Unfortunately most people who believe in Creation, and those really dishonest ones who call it Intelligent Design, simply will not acknowledge this very simple truth and continue to insist that evolution simply can not be true, but only because they can not wrap their heads around what the true process of evolution is.  And of course there are those CRIMINALLY dishonest people like Ray Comfort that go around putting up curtains between real knowledge and the bullshit he peddles in.

[himmura]

Wonderful way of conceptualizing evolution. Thank you Dawkins.

[chrismathis]

I used to use xerox copies as an example when I explained evolution to my kids. Imagine making a photo copy, and then copy each successive copy until you reach a million. You can not perceive a difference between any two consecutive copies, but compare the millionth copy to the original and you would see a huge difference.

[Turgon]

These arguments and examples he gives are truly music in my ears

[northoforacle]

Thank you Richard Dawkins.
Slowly eroding religious stupidity one day at a time

[gauravsinha]

I had the same question and I was looking for the answer. Then, I found this video. Thank you very much for uploading. 💖💐

[AmericanFlyOnTheWall]

This is the best explanation of evolution I ever heard.

[alejandralostz]

A very didactic explanation. I like Richard Dawkins when addressing issues of his specialty. He has the great gift of being able to communicate scientific ideas in an elegant and entertaining way.

[yankleber]

The incredible way as he explains proves that no one has to be a genius to understand evolution.