Humans, or modern humans (Homo sapiens), are the most common and widespread species of primate. A great ape characterized by their hairlessness, bipedalism, and high intelligence, humans have a large brain and resulting cognitive skills that enable them to thrive in varied environments and develop complex societies and civilizations. Humans are highly social and tend to live in complex social structures composed of many cooperating and competing groups, from families and kinship networks to political states. As such, social interactions between humans have established a wide variety of values, social norms, languages, and rituals, each of which bolsters human society. The desire to understand and influence phenomena has motivated humanity's development of science, technology, philosophy, mythology, religion, and other conceptual frameworks.
The mode of life for Homo sapiens has evolved significantly over millions of years. Here are some general aspects of the mode of life for the genus Homo:
- Tool Use and Technology
- Bipedalism
- Social Structure
- Hunting and Gathering
- Fire Control and Use
- Cultural Expression
- Migration and Exploration
- Technology Advancements
- Complex Societies
- Adaptability
Humans are omnivorous, capable of consuming a wide variety of plant and animal material, and have used fire and other forms of heat to prepare and cook food since the time of Homo erectus. Humans can survive for up to eight weeks without food and several days without water. Humans are generally diurnal, sleeping on average seven to nine hours per day. Childbirth is dangerous, with a high risk of complications and death. Often, both the mother and the father provide care for their children, who are helpless at birth.
Humans' advanced technology has enabled them to spread to all the continents of the globe as well as to outer space, and to command profound influence on the biosphere and environment. The latter has prompted some geologists to demarcate the time from the emergence of human civilization till present as a separate geological epoch: the Anthropocene (with anthropo- deriving from the Ancient Greek word for "human", ἄνθρωπος).
All modern humans are classified into the species Homo sapiens, coined by Carl Linnaeus in his 1735 work Systema Naturae. The generic name "Homo" is a learned 18th-century derivation from Latin homō, which refers to humans of either sex.