AGUSAN NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL

SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL DEPARTMENT

T. SANCHEZ ST. BUTUAN CITY

Understanding Culture, Society and Politics

CHAPTER III: LOOKING BACK AT THE HUMAN BIOCULTURAL AND SOCIAL REVOLUTION
The Tripartite Evolution of humans:
Biological, Cultural and Social
Evolution - the way in which living things change and
develop over millions of years
 The origins of modern humans can be
explained by studying the biological, social,
and cultural evolution.
 Humans developed and modified their culture
through time as a response to the threats and
challenges posed by their environment.
Lesson 1: Biological and Cultural Evolution:
From Australopithecus to Homo Sapiens
Biological and cultural evolutions are key concepts in
the study of the origins of modern humans.
In studying biological evolution, the following are
being studied:
 changes in the physical body of humans
 changes in the shape and size of their bones
 brain, dentition, fingers
 changes in posture, movement
 development of walking on the two feet in an
upright position.
According to Ember, Ember, and Peregrine, natural
selection is the outcome of processes that affect the
frequencies of traits in a particular environment. Traits
that enhance survival and reproductive success
increase in frequency over time.
Three important principles of Natural Selection
(Variation, Heritability, and Differential Reproductive
Success)
Darwin’s natural selection hypothesized that:
(1) Every species is made up of a variety of
individuals wherein some are better adapted
to their environments compared to others.
(2) Organisms produce progeny with different
sets of traits that can be inherited.
(3) Organisms that have traits most suitable to
their environment will survive and transfer
these variations to their offspring in
subsequent generations.
The transformation from apelike ancestors to
modern humans occurred after millions of years of
biological and cultural evolution.

Cultural or Sociocultural evolution refers to the

changes or development in cultures from a simple
form to a more complex form of human culture.

Sociocultural evolution happens as a result of human

adaptation to different factors like climatic changes
and population increase.
Scientists study the cultural evolution of humans by
analyzing the changes of human’s way of life reflected
in the different tools and other human-made objects
that they have used.
Charles Darwin, an English naturalist
and geologist, introduced the theory
of evolution.
 He concluded that each species was
not created at one time in a fixed
form.
 He hypothesized that evolution of
species happens through natural
selection.
According to Darwin, natural selection was the reason
for the occurrence of evolution. The environment
favors certain organisms and those organisms that
survive can pass on their traits.
Archeologists & Social Scientists
 They study ancient and recent past of humans
 They conduct excavations to search for fossils
and artifacts that can provide information about
the origins of humans.
 They believe that fossils and artifacts are
important sources of information in the
reconstruction of human evolution.
Fossils – refer to the human, plant, and animal
remains that have been preserved through
time like human or animal teeth, skull and
bone fragments.
Artifacts – refer to objects that were made and used
by humans (e.g. stone tools, ceramics,
jars, metal tools, ornaments).
Hominid – is the general term used by scientists to
categorize the group of early humans and
other humanlike creatures that can walk
erect during the prehistoric times.
Four Categories of Hominids
(1) Sahelanthropus
(prehuman stage of evolution)
- excavated in the african continent
- had both apelike and humanlike
characteristics
(2) Ardipithecus
(prehuman stage of evolution)
- excavated in the african continent
- had both apelike and humanlike
characteristics
(3) Australopithecus
(prehuman stage of evolution)
- most number of species based on the fossils
and artifacts
- excavated in the african continent
- had both apelike and humanlike
characteristics
(4) Homo (human stage of evolution)
- most number of species
- had biological and cultural characteristics of
a modern human
- last stage of human evolution

Based on the fossil evidences, the first hominid came

from the lineage of the Sahelanthropus tchadensis (6-
7 million years ago)

“Lucy” - is an Autralopithecus afarensis fossil

(3.2 million years old)
- the most famous hominid fossil
discovered
- one of modern human’s earliest ancestors
- it was discovered in Hadar, Ethiopia in
November 1974 by paleoanthropologists
led by Dr. Donald Johanson

The Australopithecus disappeared in the evolutionary

map after almost one million years. They were
replaced by a much more intelligent group of
hominids that belonged to a new genus – the Homo.

Homo - classified as humans and not humanlike

creatures because they had bigger brains and
were bipedal.

Homo species
1. Homo habilis (handy man)
2. Homo erectus (upright man)
3. Homo sapiens (wise man)

Bipedalism - the condition of being two-

footed or of using two feet for standing and walking
For many years, Homo neanderthalensis and the Cro-
Magnon were considered as examples of the first
group of Homo sapiens.

However, in 1997, after conducting DNA analysis of

the Neanderthal, it was proven that they are not the
ancestor of modern humans.

Cro-magnon is now the first fossil skeleton to be

considered as a species of the Homo sapiens, called
as the Homo sapiens sapiens .

Cro-magnon
- its name was taken from a rock shelter in
France where the fossil was excavated in
1868.
- they are considered as the oldest
population of Homo sapiens in Europe.
- they appeared 40,000 years ago and was
about 5 ½ inches in height, had a strong
body and a brain size of about 1,400 cubic
centimeters.
- Their fossils and artifacts were first found
in Europe but it is believed that the first
Cro-magnon appeared in North Africa and
later on travelled to Europe and Asia.