Human Biocultural Evolution, Slides of Biology

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Human Biocultural and

Social Evolution

Rodel O. Bernardo

Human Capacity for Culture Culture is defined as “that complex whole which encompasses beliefs, practices, values, attitudes, laws, norms, artifacts, symbols, knowledge, and everything that a person learns and shares as a member of a society” (Taylor, 2010 ). It is by-product of the attempt of humans to survive their environment and to compensate for their biological characteristics and limitations. Our evolution toward humanity as we know it has been a long journey of survival against the elements of the environment and against competing species. As our ancestors evolved biologically in response to their environment, they have also developed cultural technologies that aided them to efficiently obtain food and deter predators.

Biological evolution refers to the changes,

modifications, and variations in the genetics and

inherited traits of biological populations from one

generation to another. It is also a process whereby

organisms undergo various genetic and physical

changes that pave the way for biological diversity.

This includes physical changes in the body of

humans like its shape, size of body organs,

movement, and the development of the feet in a

straight posture (Jeffery, 2019 ).

1. What do you see in the picture?
2. What is happening in the picture?
3. In general, describe the appearance of each that appears in the picture.
4. Are you familiar with this picture? What is it all about?

Human Biocultural Evolution

Species Characteristics

Homo Habilis

“Handy

Man”

The ape like men who first to used stone

tools as weapons and protection of their

enemies. They are recognized as the first

true human. Lived about 2. 4 to 1. 4

million years ago.

Human Biocultural Evolution

Species Characteristics Homo Erectus “The Upright Man” It was believed to be the first man like creature that lived about 500 , 000 years ago in Asia, Africa and Europe. This manlike specie could walk straight with almost the same brain with modern man. He made refined stone stools for hunting and weapons for protection of the enemies. The following are the major discovered fossils: a. Pithecanthropus Erectus “Java Man” – Discovered by Eugene Dubois at Trinil, Java, Indonesia in 1891. b. Sinanthropus Pekinensis “Peking Man” – Discovered at Choukoutien village, Beijing, China in 1929.

Human Biocultural Evolution

Species Characteristics a. Neanderthal Man – Discovered in Neanderthal valley near Dusseldorf, Germany in 1856 who lived in cave and dependent in hunting and fishing. b. Cro-Magnon Man – Discovered by a French archaeologist Louis Lartet in the Cro-Magnon Cave in Southern France. It was believed to live in Europe, Asia and Africa. As a prehistoric man, they were the first to produce art in cave paintings and crafting decorated tools and accessories.

Four Biological Capacity of Human to Develop Culture

1. Our Thinking capacity
   • The primary biological component of humans that allowed for culture is the developed brain. It has the necessary parts for facilitating pertinent skills such as speaking, touching, feeling, seeing, and smelling.
   • Compared with other primates, humans have a larger brain, weighing 1. 4 kg. Due to the size of brain and the complexity of its parts, humans were able to create survival skills that helped them adapt to their environment and outlive their less adaptive biological relatives.

Four Biological Capacity of Human to Develop Culture

The hand of human has digits (fingers) that are

straights, as compared with the curved ones of

the other primates. Notice that the thumb of

the human is proportionately longer than

those of other primates. These characteristics

of the human hand allowed for two types of

grip” power and precision.

Four Biological Capacity of Human to Develop Culture

a) Power grip enabled humans to wrap the

thumb and fingers on an object; it became the

cornerstone of our capacity to hold tool firmly

for hunting and other activities.

b) Precision grip enabled humans to hold and

pick objects steadily using fingers. This capacity

was crucial for toolmaking activities.

Four Biological Capacity of Human to Develop Culture

 The tongue of human is also more flexible than of a chimpanzee, allowing for more control in making sounds.

4. Our walking/ standing capacity  Primates have two forms of locomotion: bipedalism and quadropedalism. Bipedalism is the capacity to walk and stand on two feet, whereas quadropedalism uses all four limbs. Although apes are semi-bipedal, humans are the only fully bipedal primates.

Four Biological Capacity of Human to Develop Culture

 Being bipedal, humans gained more capacity to move while carrying objects with their free hands. It gave humans more capacity or productivity with their hands like hunting and foraging.

Cultural Period Cultural and Socio-political

Development

Paleolithic Period

(Old Stone Age)

3 million years

to 8,000 B.C.

Use of simple pebble tools.

Learned to live in caves.

Discovered the use of fires.

Developed small sculptures; and

monumental painting, incised

designs, and reliefs on the wall of

caves.

Food-collecting cultures”

Cultural Period Cultural and Socio-political

Development

Neolithic Age

(New Stone Age)

Occurred

sometime

about

10,000 BCE

 Stone tools were shaped by

polishing or grinding.

 Settlement in permanent villages.

 Dependence on domesticated

plants or animals.

 Appearance of such crafts as

pottery and weaving.

 “Food-producing cultures”