That is the Western Scientist's point of view. Sorry, till Science comes to a definite conclusion with solid proof as to when mankind originally came into existence, I will not buy this. The problem is with every new fossil find the age of mankind is put so many years back. It was previously thought the modern human being (homo-sapiens) evolved 160,000 years back and then there was a new fossil find putting it back to 195,000 years. Fossils of hominids were dated 6 million years while that of primitive humans about 1.8 million years. I am no scientist and in no mood to challenge them but to my simple mind the fact that while the earth itself is about 4.5 billion years as accepted by modern science, the modern man appeared only 195,000 years ago is inconceivable. The hominidae family split from the hylobatidae family abt 15 million years ago to evolve into a seperate species. The homo genus then came to evolve some 2.5 to 3 million years ago. Survivability depends on various factors, humans can become extinct the moment a meteor hits the earth or climate changes, etc, and new forms of life that can adapt (or has been adapted) to a diff atmosphere can come into being. However, many life forms evolve from a pre-existing template. Over the years, man too can evolve into a diff type (diff looking) creature (like with a larger skull, larger brain, he may lose his canines, molars, and so on).. Currently, the age of the modern man or what every single man on earth is now (well almost, unless the hypothesis of the neanderthalensis merging into the sapiens is proved right or wrong with the ongoing decoding of the neanderthal genome project) is estimated from the gene clock technique as being around conservatively +/- 200,000 to 300,000 years. I prefer to by go evidence as found. Even if the molecular clok were assumed to be erroneous, the age of the current modern man is no way going be in billions of years. Again this does not mean humans or human-like creatures did not exist before. Prior to the heidelbergensis there were other hominids. But what the modern man came to be, is by no means in billions of years in origin. Some say man did live alongside dinosaurs 65 million years ago, as long as proven by some sorta failsafe method, its hard for me accept any hypothesis.. Now let us apply the yuga concept as per Hinduism. This math can seem to be bit confusing initially. Starting with Svetavaraha who was the first Manu, we are now in the Vaivasvata Manvantara, the period between the 7th and 8th manu. Each manvantara (reigning period of a Manu) consists of 71.42 maha-yugas with each MY consisting 4.3 million years approx. Having completed 6 manvantaras and and 26 MY (we are in the 27th MY as per the Acharya), man in the form of the first manu appeared 1.9 billion years back. Sri Yukteshwar calculated the yuga cycle a wee bit differently. was told calculation (of the dating) depends on the method used. Now one may ask what happened to the remnants of the man in terms of fossils. Between the yugas there is supposed to be a avantara pralaya (partial deluge) where there is a wholesale annihilation of mankind before the start of the next yuga. But Kali yuga is supposed to be the worst. It is said the physical size of man keeps reducing from the age of Satya yuga because of the gradual reduction of dharma that towards the end of Kali, the man almost resembles a beast in character and physique. There is even a theory which suggests that the homonid fossils could belong to the previous kali period. There is absolutely no proof for what is said in our scriptures but logically I would go for it than for varying estimates given by scientists with every new fossil find and rock formation. I believe there was a Creator but then to believe that he created earth about 4.5 billion years ago just to watch the plants and animals for 4.333 billion years, then waited for another 166 million years after Gondwana broke up and then created man, the highest level of creation, just about 195,000 years ago. Of course, none of the above arguments are valid, if I don't believe in a God or Creator where everything happened in a random manner. was told there is a method to the madness in the way randomness of evolution works.