LO O K I N G B A C K
AT HUMAN
B I O L O G I C A L
A N D C U LT U R A L
EVOLUTION
LESSON 6
LEARNING OBJECTIVES:
AT THE END OF THE DISCUSSION, THE LEARNERS WILL BE ABLE
TO:
• TRACE THE BIOLOGICAL AND CULTURAL EVOLUTION OF EARLY
TO MODERN HUMANS AND
• EXPLORE THE SIGNIFICANCE OF HUMAN MATERIAL REMAINS
AND ARTEFACTUAL EVIDENCE IN INTERPRETING CULTURAL AND
SOCIAL, INCLUDING POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC, PROCESSES
THROUGH DIORAMA
BIOLOGICAL EVOLUTION
•IT REFERS TO THE CHANGES, MODIFICATIONS, AND
VARIATIONS IN THE GENETICS AND INHERITED
TRAITS OF BIOLOGICAL POPULATIONS FROM ONE
GENERATION TO ANOTHER.
•SCIENTISTS STUDY THE CHANGES IN THE PHYSICAL
BODY OF HUMANS, THE CHANGES IN THE SHAPE
AND SIZE OF THEIR BONES.
CULTURAL EVOLUTION
•IT REFERS TO THE CHANGES OR DEVELOPMENT
IN CULTURES FROM A SIMPLE FORM TO A MORE
COMPLEX FORM OF HUMAN CULTURE.
•SCIENTIST STUDY THE CULTURAL EVOLUTION OF
HUMANS BY ANALYZING THE CHANGES IN THE
HUMAN’S WAY OF LIFE.
NATURAL SELECTION:
THREE PRINCIPLES
•VARIATIONS
•HERITABILITY
•DIFFERENTIAL REPRODUCTIVE
SUCCESS
VARIATIONS
EVERY SPECIES IS
MADE UP OF A
VARIETY OF
INDIVIDUALS
WHEREIN SOME ARE
ADOPTED TO THEIR
ENVIRONMENTS
COMPARED TO
OTHERS.
HERITABILI
TY
ORGANISMS PRODUCE PROGENY WITH
DIFFERENT SETS OF TRAITS THAT CAN BE
INHERITED
DIFFERENTIAL
REPRODUCTIVE
SUCCESS
ORGANISMS THAT HAVE TRAITS
MOST SUITABLE TO THEIR
ENVIRONMENT WILL SURVIVE
AND TRANSFER THESE
VARIATIONS TO THEIR
OFFSPRING IN SUBSEQUENT
GENERATIONS.
NATURAL
SELECTI
ON
HOMO
•THEY ARE CLASSIFIED AS HUMANS
AND NOT HUMANLIKE CREATURES
BECAUSE THEY HAD BIGGER BRAINS
AND WERE BIPEDAL.
TOOLS (STONE, WOOD,
•ALL MEMBERS BONE)
OF THE HOMO GENUS
MANUFACTURES TOOLS. IT IS PROBABLY THAT
THE HOMO SPECIES WERE NOT THE FIRST
HOMINIDS TO USE TOOLS-
AUSTALOPITHECINES ALMOST CERTAINLY
USED SIMILAR TOOLS TO MODERN
CHIMPANZEES.
TOOLS (STONE, WOOD,
BONE)
THE ONSET OF TOOL MANUFACTURING WAS
IMPORTANT FOR SEVERAL REASONS:
1. IT ALLOWED THE SPECIES TO CONTROL
THEIR ENVIRONMENT IN A WAY THEY HAD
NEVER BEEN ABLE TO CONTROL IT BEFORE.
TOOLS (STONE, WOOD,
BONE)
2. THE USE OF WEAPONS FOR HUNTING ALLOWED
THEM TO BE THE PREDATOR INSTEAD OF THE PREY
(SURVIVAL ADVANTAGE).
3. SHARP CUTTING TOOLS ALLOWED THEM TO TAKE
ADVANTAGE OF NEW NICHES SUCH AS BEING ABLE TO
CUT UP THEIR KILL FOR EASIER CARRYING BACK TO THE
HOME BASE.
HOMO
1. HOMO HABILIS
2. HOMO ERECTUS
3. NEANDERTHAL
4. HOMO SAPIENS
ACTIVITY (4 GROUPS)
DIORAMA OF HUMAN EVOLUTION
DIRECTIONS: MAKE A DIORAMA OF HUMAN
EVOLUTION OF HOMO USING RECYCLABLE
MATERIALS EXHIBITING THE FOLLOWING:
1. PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS
2. TOOL CULTURE
3. RELIGION AND/OR ART (IF ANY)
