How do we know about prehistoric cultures?

Humans evolved from a particular population of apes living in Africa, about 7 to 8 million years ago. There are still apes because evolution does not cause all related species to evolve along the same pathway. Modern African ape species, Chimps, Bonobos, and Gorillas are descended from populations closely related to the ones that produced humans.

It is a common misconception that evolution is progress toward some ideal state of being, with humans at the top of the ladder, closest to that state. In reality, however, evolution is diversity, and change. Species do not turn into other already existing species, and individuals do change their genetic make up in their own lifetime.

All modern day mammals share a common ancestor some 200 or so million years ago. Cats evolved from mammals that evolved to be carnivores. Bats evolved from insectivores, and are more closely related to primates than other mammals.

Dolphins (and other whales) evolved from populations within the even toed ungulates, and are most closely related to Hippos. I hope that helps lessen your confusion some.

If you want to understand evolution and how it works, I highly recommend that you read paleontologist Richard Fortey's excellent book "Life: a Natural History of the First 4 Billlion Years of Life on Earth". It is non-technical and written in a lively and interesting manner with lots of illustrations. Most decent libraries will have a copy or you can buy a used one on line.

It will answer all of your confusions and misunderstandings about evolution and the origins of life and species diversity.

I cant really gove you an answer,but what I can give you is a way to a solution, that is you have to find the anglde that you relate to or peaks your interest. A good paper is one that people get drawn into because it reaches them ln some way.As for me WW11 to me, I think of the holocaust and the effect it had on the survivors, their families and those who stood by and did nothing until it was too late.