L5 | BIOLOGICAL AND CULTURAL EVOLUTION

• BIOLOGICAL AND CULTURAL EVOLUTION

  • DARWIN'S THEORY
  • Controversial aspect: Suggestion that one species could, over time, evolve into another
• SPECIES

  • Population that consists of organisms’ able interbreed and produce fertile and viable offspring
• HOMINID

  • Earliest members of the primate family: hominidae, containing humans, immediate ancestors, and close extinct relatives
  • 2 Genera: 
  • Australopithecus 
  • Homo 
• 2 GENERA

  1. AUSTRALOPITHECUS
  2. HOMO
  3. HOMO HABILIS
  4. HOMO ERECTUS
  5. HOMO NEANDERTHALS
  6. HOMO SAPIENS
• AUSTRALOPITHECUS

  • First definite hominid
  • One of the best known of our ancestors due to:
  • Set of fossil footprints
  • Complete fossil skeleton of “Lucy”
  • Were like a modern humans– bipedal, but had small brains
• BIPEDAL

  • Walking on 2 legs
• HOMO HABILIS

  • The handy man
  • Developed the ability to modify stone into tools
  • Short and had disproportionately long arms
  • Reduction in the protrusion in face
• HOMO ERECTUS

  • The Upright Man
  • First to:
  • Have human-like body proportions, with short arms, and longer legs relative to its torso.
  • Migrate out of Africa
  • Cook food
  • Discover fire
• HOMO NEANDERTHALENSIS:

  • Man from the Neander Valley
• HOMO NEANDERTHALS

  • Made and used sophisticated tools, controlled fire, lived in shelters, made and wore clothing, skilled hunters of large animals, ate plant foods, and made symbolic or ornamental objects.
  • Buried their dead and marked their graves with offerings, such as flowers.
• HOMO SAPIENS

  • Wise man
  • All people living today belong to this species
• SIMILARITIES OF HOMO SAPIENS AND NEANDERTHALS

  • Coexist
  • Interbred and fought wars with each other
• 1. HOMO SAPIENS

  • Dominant human species
  • Better hunters and gatherers

  1. HOMO NEANDERTHALS

  • Stronger and had bigger brains
  • Migrated to  new areas and competed with the human species there
  • Less resourceful; had trouble feeding themselves, and slowly died out.
• MODERN SAPIENS

  • Fought wars with others because of their differences in skin color, culture, and religious beliefs.